Fuchs, you need to review the illustration after reading the following text:Originally Posted by Fuchs
As to the positions of the riflemen... everywhere (except in Afghanistan apparently) soldiers do not walk/sit/lie in the open. So see that merely as an illustration relating to distances as marked on the diagram.When a light machine gun fires through a gap in the line, it should be located behind the center of the gap, and the distance from the gun to the gap should be less than the width of the gap (fig. 8). Overhead fire with the rifle and light machine gun is undertaken only when the weapons are located on high ground immediately above the troops over which the firing is directed.
Again... when in doubt read the text... and never say never about forward slope defensive positions.Figure 10:
Again nonsense; the defensive positions are depicted on the front slope!
Different barrage areas for different types of support weapons are also highly questionable (and I've never seen anything that confirms the assertion).
the practice of pre-planned barrage positions has afaik never been weapons-type specific. The infantry mortars were preferably used against point targets because of the limited supply of ammunition.
A main line of resistance without forward observation and listening posts was totally contrary to doctrine. Very few tactics that weren't and didn't become doctrine were universally applied.
Figure 13.: Again forward slope defence...
Wartime publications about opfor tactics were often outrageously inaccurate. I've seen this in many, many publications. Authors were either mislead or described what individual units had done in the assumption that it was representative.
The context is defensive fire plans and interlocking arcs of fire machine guns (and anti-tank weapons) which have been sited in depth.
Don't knit-pick the illustrations or you will get a reputation like some others around here
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