Figure 3-60.--Vertical shot pattern at various ranges.
Figure 3-61.--Horizontal shot patterns at various ranges.
Figure 3-62.--Effect of ground slopes on beaten zone.
Figure 3-63.--Fire in respect to the target.
impact pattern on a horizontal target, which would be a
long, narrow ellipse, is known as the HORIZONTAL
SHOT PATTERN or BEATEN ZONE. (See fig. 3-61.)
Fire with respect to the target may be FRONTAL
(delivered perpendicular to the enemy front),
The BEATEN ZONE is the area of the ground the
FLANKING (delivered perpendicular to the enemy
bullets strike. The size and shape of the beaten zone
flank), or ENFILADE (delivered so the long axis of the
depend upon the range and slope of the ground, as shown
beaten zone corresponds with the long axis of the target).
in figure 3-62.
ENFILADE fire may be either frontal or flanking,
depending on the direction of the long axis of the target.
CLASSES OF FIRE
Since it makes maximum use of the beaten zone in
relation to the shape of the target, enfilade fire is the most
Fire is classified with respect to the target, the
effective. Fire delivered from a direction that is neither
ground, and the gun. (See figs. 3-63 through 3-65.)
frontal nor flanking is called OBLIQUE fire.
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