User:Danny323/Covering Fire



Suppressive Fire, sometimes informally referred to as Covering Fire, is a commonly employed tactic where one or more troops fire on an enemy location, not to kill, but to stop the enemy from moving. This is often done to allow other members of their squad to advance through the open, should the enemy move to engage, they will be neutralized by their fire. Although the aim of suppressive fire is not to kill the enemy, but instead pin them to one position, it's not uncommon for the fire to penetrate light cover and deliver a lethal shot to an enemy, or for the enemy move into the line of fire.

Using covering fire
When providing suppressive fire, it's important that you do not fire too quickly so that you do not waste ammo, but it's also important that you do not wait too long in-between shots because the enemy may think that the fire has stopped and they may fire on an allied position. A good idea is a three-round burst every two seconds with assault rifles, or a ten round burst from machine guns, with a pause to aim between each. Semi automatic rifles can be fired at a rate of one shot every two seconds. Also, remember to counter the recoil as much as you can, and if the enemies are spread out make sure fire on all positions. Try to get individual members of your team firing at different times so there are always rounds going out. Providing covering fire not only benefits the one being covered, it can benefit the one covering and/or the whole team (EX: Emergency airdrop).

Fire and movement
A tactic also used is fire and movement, also known as bounding, leapfrogging or pepper potting. To do this, the team first splits into two halves; let's call them Alpha and Bravo. Alpha fires on the enemy as Bravo moves up, either to take cover if available, or go prone in open ground. Bravo then provides covering fire as Alpha moves past them, and this is repeated until the enemy is either reached or killed. If the enemy is reached, Alpha will cover Bravo as Bravo rush the enemy position, preferably under cover from a Smoke Grenade and the fire from Alpha. When the position is breached by Bravo, Bravo will simply clear it out and fight through the position, pausing to regroup with Alpha.

Weapon choice
Certain weapons work better than others in this role; for instance, an MG42 is better than a Lee-Enfield. When choosing a weapon to provide Covering Fire try to find a weapon with the following qualities: It can be a good idea to structure your team with roles, such as support gunner and assault trooper. Support gunners use weapons with high rates of fire and large magazines to suppress the enemy, and assault troopers use assault rifles to directly attack the enemy. It helps to have a support gunner for each half of the team, and the rest comprised of assault troopers. In the assault role, a grenade launcher may be used to clear out a position before it is even entered.
 * A high RoF - you can always slow it down with subsequent bursts of fire.
 * A large belt or magazine - the less you need to reload the better.
 * Low recoil - so the gun stays on target as much as possible.
 * A quick reload action - although unlikely to find with the above requirements.

Some ideal weapons for the support role are: Weapons for the assault role can be:
 * Bren
 * Type 99
 * BAR
 * MG42
 * M240
 * M249
 * RPD
 * L86 LSW
 * MG4
 * M60
 * M16
 * AK47
 * Commando
 * Gewehr 43
 * M1 Garand
 * SVT-40
 * G36C
 * Famas

Try to avoid Bolt-Action Rifles at all costs as they fire too slowly and need frequent reloading. Although, in sheer numbers, well timed shots from almost any weapon will do the trick. Also, shotguns are not an ideal choice as they do not cover much range. In sufficient volume, rapid fire from a semi automatic weapon such as the FN FAL or the M14 will be more accurate than spraying with an automatic weapon.