1. Identify one of the three desired effects of a fire mission given a scenario.
2. Select one of the four types of fire missions given a scenario.
3. Select a type of adjust fire mission used to locate the target.
4. Determine if a fire for effect mission is used given a scenario.
5. Determine if a suppression mission is conducted properly given a situation.
6. Determine if an immediate suppression mission is conducted properly given a situation.
3101. Three Types of Effects of Fire Missions
When you engage a target with artillery, you will be firing to achieve one of three effects upon the enemy. You will be firing to destroy, neutralize, or suppress the enemy.
a. Destruction. To destroy a target you are either going to actually destroy a material target by fire or cause 30 percent or more casualties against a personnel target (which will render a unit ineffective for combat). To destroy a material target you will conduct a precision fire mission, which is an extended adjust fire mission requiring target "hits." Destruction of a material target requires that an artillery piece or battery expose itself to detection and counterfires. Destruction
c. Suppression. Suppression missions will temporarily stop an enemy unit from being effective. Suppressive fires will either cause an enemy to seek cover or, by using smoke,
temporarily obscure his vision of the battle area. Both the suppression and immediate suppression missions yield suppressive results only during the time the fire is being delivered.
3102. Types of Fire Missions
There are four types of fire missions: adjust fire, fire for effect, suppression, and immediate suppression. You will achieve destruction, neutralization, or suppression of the enemy by performing one of the four types of fire missions. Each type of fire mission is designed to bring fires to targets for different effects, except the adjust fire mission, which is a method of target location prior to conducting either fire for effect or suppression.
3103. Adjust Fire (AF) Mission
Adjust fire missions are requested when you decide an adjustment will be needed. An adjustment may be needed because of questionable target location or lack of registration corrections. There are two types of adjustment missions: area fire and precision fires. For precision fires, adjustment will be necessary no matter how accurate your target location is.
a. Area fire. Artillery, mortars, and naval guns are all area fire weapons; therefore, most of your targets will be area targets. Area fire is used on area targets. Since many area targets can move, the adjustment should be made as rapidly and accurately as possible to keep the target from escaping. A well-defined point should be selected at or near the center of the area to be attacked and used as an adjusting point. To achieve surprise, fire could be adjusted on an auxiliary adjusting point and when completed, the fire for effect could be shifted to the target. Normally, adjustment is conducted with one adjusting weapon.
b. Precision fire. Precision fire adjustments are conducted with one weapon on a target. It is used either to obtain registration corrections or to destroy a target. When the mission is a
registration, it is initiated by the FDC with a message to observer. If the target is to be destroyed, you must announce, "Destruction," in the call-for-fire.
3104. Fire for Effect (FFE)
Firing for effect, without previously adjusting to the target, is the most effective way of engaging the enemy with indirect fire. Adjusting rounds will alert the enemy and cause him to change his posture, thereby nullifying more than half of your effectiveness. The fire for effect mission is used when you have accurate target location and are certain the first volley will impact on target with little or no adjustment. With first round FFE you will achieve the maximum potential damage to
3105. Suppression (S) Mission
Suppression missions are conducted to temporarily stop the enemy from functioning. You may suppress an enemy observation post (OP) to stop it from directing fire on friendly units. You may suppress an enemy gun position to stop its support of the enemy defense. Suppressions are
normally conducted against planned targets to support a scheme of maneuver, such as suppressing the objective until the assault elements reach the fire coordination line. Suppression may be conducted with HE or smoke. For a suppression mission that is planned in the operation order, no coordination is necessary. You will only need to request the suppression, and the firing unit will conduct the mission according to the plan.
When you call for an unplanned suppression mission, you must tell the FDC the length of time that you require for the suppression. You should tell the FDC the size of the target to suppress and the nature of the requirement. If the FDC receives no more information than the time length of the suppression, they are supposed to fire the battery/platoon at the maximum sustained rate for the length of the suppression. This may require them to use too much ammunition, and they may deny you the fire mission. If they understand your requirement better, they can time a slower rate of fire or use fewer tubes to accomplish the mission with less drain on their ammunition supply.
3106. Immediate Suppression (IS) Mission
Immediate suppression is a means to get the enemy off your back so you can maneuver, assault the ambush, or have time to formulate a neutralization or destruction mission. Immediate suppression is called for only when you or your unit is suddenly halted or endangered by enemy activity such as an OP directing fire, a gun position firing upon you, or a similar situation. The shell/fuze combination and number of pieces/rounds to fire in suppression will be dictated by unit SOP or the operation order for the mission. Immediate suppression is an expedient measure to give you time to react to a situation. It should end as soon as possible or convert into a FFE neutralization mission.
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Exercise: Complete items 1 through 7 by performing the action required. Check your responses
2. You are attacking an enemy stronghold with artillery. You wish to make the enemy permanently combat ineffective. Which effect do you desire from the fire mission?
a. Neutralization c. Destruction
b. Suppression d. Immediate suppression
3. You observe an enemy gun position to the flank of your unit's advance. You wish to temporarily render it incapable of supporting the enemy defense. Which effect do you desire from the fire mission?
a. Destruction c. Neutralization
b. Suppression d. Immediate suppression
4. You are directing fires against an enemy unit in order to neutralize it. You have located the target accurately by polar plot using your AN/GVS-5. Which type of fire mission will you conduct?
a. Suppression c. Fire for effect
b. Adjust fire d. Immediate suppression
5. Which adjust fire mission is conducted to locate the target?
a. Adjust fire c. Area fire
b. Precision fire d. Creeping fire
6. In which of the four listed situations would you call for a suppression mission?
a. An enemy OP directing fires against your defensive positions b. A machinegun position providing supporting fires
c. An enemy OP which might direct fires against attacking Marines d. A reconnaissance patrol scouting your flanks
7. In which of the four listed situations would you call for an immediate suppression mission?
a. An enemy OP directing fires against your defensive positions
b. A machinegun position providing supporting fires against your position during a counterattack
c. An enemy OP which might direct fires against attacking Marines d. A reconnaissance patrol scouting your flanks
Lesson 2. ARTILLERY COMMUNICATION