Crossfire
Crossfire is a military term that is always used when the areas of effect of different (mostly automatic) weapons overlap. This tactic first became particularly important during World War I as more and more automatic weapons were used for defense.
Mutual support
Both weapon systems support each other in terms of firepower, area covered and rate of fire. This makes it more difficult for an attacker to find unpainted areas from which he can lead the attack from a protected position or to evade sideways. Crossfire also prevents a formation from aligning with a primary direction of enemy fire. At the same time, crossfire has a high moral impact . It can also be used in the context of fire and movement .
Historical meaning
Crossfire has been an effective tactic against massed infantry forces since the existence of firearms , but it gained particular importance with the advent of automatic weapons, especially during the trench warfare of the First World War. Machine guns were grouped together to protect each other and make the crossing of the no-man's-land particularly costly for enemy forces.
With the introduction of armored vehicles and effective air forces, the importance of this tactic changed, but even with the use of modern weapons, the organization of overlapping fire areas for the individual weapons remains the basic "craft" in fire fighting, e.g. B. To be able to attack tanks on the less armored sides or to restrict the movement of the enemy infantry.
Talkative use
In German usage, the term is used in the expression “ standing in the crossfire of criticism ”. This expresses that the person being criticized feels strongly oppressed and under certain circumstances even threatened by the criticism expressed. He sees himself exposed to attacks from several sides - almost every step is wrong - like a soldier in the crossfire on the battlefield.
literature
- Meyer's 1905 entry: Crossfire
