Post by 2nd Bat on Sept 18, 2014 12:41:51 GMT -5
Usually when establishing a hasty defense the blocking force gets more or less on line and selects defensive positions with the assumption everyone will be responsible more or less for advances to their front. In this way the line is by design covering the flank of their team mates (at least to each end of the line). The challenge here is that if your line of fire is to your front you are also to some degree exposed to the front.
A technique that is decidedly more advanced and when done well, considerably more effective is to place your line with substantial cover to their immediate front and firing responsibilities to the oblique. Often your position will have two men behind large obstacles like a big stump or mound firing out from both sides in a "V" The team members to each side would be covering the area to their buddies immediate front and likewise have cover to their front with everyones firing responsibility at an angle. When positioned properly the area to the front of the defenders is covered by multiple interlocking crossfires
here's why it works so well: forces in the advance tend to focus to their immediate front with narrow, peripherral awareness. Their supporting fire also is usually directed on the line of advance. Since the defenders have cover to their front they remain both covered and concealed from the advancing forces and suppressive fire until the attacking targets are exposed. Usually one or two attackers at a time. Often the attackers do not spot the defenders until they have been eliminated. Once defensive casualties start accruing (typically from regenerating attackers aware of the positions that got them) the interlocking fires start to break down and gaps are created. At that point the unit should fall back to a supplemental line of defense. If your attackers are sufficiently weakened in the first or second wave, Attack aggressively in an orchestrated counter attack before regenerating troops unravel the defense.
A technique that is decidedly more advanced and when done well, considerably more effective is to place your line with substantial cover to their immediate front and firing responsibilities to the oblique. Often your position will have two men behind large obstacles like a big stump or mound firing out from both sides in a "V" The team members to each side would be covering the area to their buddies immediate front and likewise have cover to their front with everyones firing responsibility at an angle. When positioned properly the area to the front of the defenders is covered by multiple interlocking crossfires
here's why it works so well: forces in the advance tend to focus to their immediate front with narrow, peripherral awareness. Their supporting fire also is usually directed on the line of advance. Since the defenders have cover to their front they remain both covered and concealed from the advancing forces and suppressive fire until the attacking targets are exposed. Usually one or two attackers at a time. Often the attackers do not spot the defenders until they have been eliminated. Once defensive casualties start accruing (typically from regenerating attackers aware of the positions that got them) the interlocking fires start to break down and gaps are created. At that point the unit should fall back to a supplemental line of defense. If your attackers are sufficiently weakened in the first or second wave, Attack aggressively in an orchestrated counter attack before regenerating troops unravel the defense.