Back in the Dark Ages the American Army started teaching something called the Dupuy foxhole. (I believe that polite company used the term "fighting position" in lieu of foxhole.) Apparently an American Army General (Dupuy) had studied the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. He came up with an entire system of military thought based upon his study. ("If it can be seen it can be hit")
This translated to a new foxhole for the grunt (and a lot more digging). The Dupuy foxhole essentially was a two man position with a protective berm to it front. The soldiers shot to the oblique from behind the protection of the berm. In order to counter such protective positions, and survive enemy indirect fires, General Dupuy proposed that the then five-man fire team maneuver more aggressively on the battlefield. Almost like a small Squad. In order to do this the fire team had to have its own maneuver elements. It was divided into two "buddy teams" and a leader. One buddy team was built around the M79 and one around the automatic rifle (for a short period of time the echo model of the M14 or M14A1 was reintroduced.)
General Dupuy thought that indirect fire was the big killer on the battlefield. The fire team with its M79 had its own indirect fire weapon. The automatic rifle would pin down the enemy. The grenade launcher would finish him off. The leader woudl mark target with tracer.
With the end of the draft most squads shrank to the size of a fire team. Then the Army switched to the 4-man fire team. It appears that the system never really took root. However indigenous forces, based on a large population, sponsored by the US government used the Depuy fire team tactics. Reportedly with success.
Regards
Richard W
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