Marching fire

An early form of marching fire was used with little success by Prussian troops at the end of the 18th century, then victoriously in the 1866 Battle of Königgrätz because of the fast-firing Dreyse needle gun.As a combined arms stratagem, the tactic was prominently advocated and utilized by General George S. Patton in World War II during his command of the Third Army.The French military tactician Jacques Antoine Hippolyte, Comte de Guibert, wrote dismissively about a Prussian tactic he called "marching fire".[4][5] To serve the same purpose, the German Army adopted the MG08/15 which was impractically heavy at 48.5 pounds (22 kg) counting the water for cooling and one magazine holding 100 rounds.[5] In 1918 the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) was introduced in the US Army, and with the 15.5-pound (7 kg) weapon came new field tactics including marching fire.[7] That same year the U.S. Navy instructed its landing forces (usually Marines) that marching fire with a BAR was to be used in very limited circumstances, such as when the enemy line was clearly defined and the range was less than 200 yards (180 m).[8] The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) handbook of 1921 included a description of marching fire as an assault tactic in which the BAR men walk and shoot from the hip with the weapon's weight supported on a shoulder sling, but the accompanying riflemen were expected to halt and carefully aim each of their shots, firing from the shoulder, from a standing or kneeling position.[13] General William E. DePuy, who rose from junior staff officer to battalion commander in the 90th Infantry Division between 1942 and 1945, evaluated the efficacy of unsupported marching fire and found it lacking.
Australian troops train in the use of the Bren light machine gun , 1943
Dreyse needle gun
A British soldier demonstrates proper marching fire technique using a Thompson submachine gun with a 50-round drum magazine
General George S. Patton in 1943
Australian troops advance against a Japanese pillbox at Giropa Point during the battle of Buna–Gona in 1943, supported by an M3 Stuart tank
Bren light machine gunmilitary tacticsuppressive fireinfantrycombined armschargeclose combatfire and movementleapfroggingBattle of KöniggrätzDreyse needle gunFrench Armylight machine gunChauchatWorld War IM1918 Browning Automatic Riflesmall unit infantry tacticsGeorge S. PattonWorld War IIThird ArmyJacques Antoine Hippolyte, Comte de GuibertPrussian Armybattle lineslow marchcartridgeAustro-Prussian WarThompson submachine gundrum magazinemachine gunsChauchat M1915rate of fireLewis gunAustralian CorpsBattle of HamelGerman ArmymagazineU.S. NavyMarinesReserve Officers' Training CorpsM1 GarandM1 mortarM2 mortarsbattle of Buna–GonaM3 StuartWilliam E. DePuy90th Infantry Divisionkill zone