Reconnaissance by fire

Reconnaissance by fire (recon by fire), also known as speculative fire, is a warfare tactic used in which military forces may fire on likely enemy positions to provoke a reaction, which confirms the presence and the position of enemy forces.^[1]

World War II

Reconnaissance by fire was widely adopted by the Allies against the Axis in the European theater of World War II. Previously armored units would typically advance in column behind light armored scouting units. At the same time infantry would be present to provide support in the event of ambush by German panzerfaust teams. This method proved too slow to keep pressure on retiring enemy forces. Instead, US armored columns continued to advance at speed, training cannon and machine guns alternately to fire to cover both the left and the right of the axis of advance. The column would fire its weapons more or less continuously into any suspected enemy positions as they appeared, suppressing and distracting the aim of enemy gunners and antitank teams.^[2] Supply echelon convoys using trucks equipped with .50-cal. M2 Browning machine guns also used the tactic when traveling through areas not completely cleared of enemy forces.^[3][4]

Vietnam War

During the Battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam War, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore, a US Army battalion commander, observed that his men had a surplus of ammunition. He subsequently issued orders for his soldiers to simultaneously open fire on any suspicious targets. This coordinated barrage created the impression among a group of infiltrating enemy soldiers that they had been detected, prompting them to charge at the American forces. As a result, they were ultimately defeated.^[5]

See also

• List of established military terms
• List of military strategies and concepts
• List of military tactics

References

1. "Recon By Fire". OPFOR. July 2, 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
2. Jarymowycz, Roman J., Tank tactics: from Normandy to Lorraine, Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, ISBN 1-55587-950-0 (2001), p. 212: The .50 cal. M2HB fitted to tanks and M3 half-tracks was frequently employed against German rearguard forces including snipers and anti-tank teams, often firing into locations merely suspected of hiding such forces^{[clarification needed]}
3. Abramski, Anthony V. (Pfc.), Eyewitness Account of Pfc. Anthony V. Abramski, Citation In Support Of Congressional Medal of Honor Award to 2nd Lt. Audie Murphy at Holtzwihr, France, 26 January 1945
4. Jarymowycz, Roman J., Tank Tactics, p. 212
5. Galloway, Joseph L. (October 29, 1990). "The word was the Ia Drang would be a walk. The word was wrong". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 5 June 2024.