Support fire

Support fire is a military term for tactical fire at enemy positions , where it is less important to hit the enemy directly than to keep him in cover . Thus opposing operations are prevented or at least hindered, and your own actions such as attacks or rescue of the wounded are possible.

The term "fire protection" is mostly used in this context when using handguns .

Support fire can be given from machine gun positions, artillery or even from the air using fighter planes . Shelling from warships is also possible. In the case of artillery fire as well as air and sea support, it is particularly important that the location ( coordinates ) of the positions to be shot at is precisely determined so that the fire hits the target and does not endanger one's own positions or non- combatants .

In the Bundeswehr , a distinction is made between “fire protection” and “cover fire” in the infantry sector. "Fire protection" here means that the enemy position is observed (for the duration of one's own movement) and fire is only opened specifically when enemy activity is observed. "Cover fire", however, means an immediate, continuous (for the duration of one's own movement) bombardment of the enemy position without reference to actual enemy activity, in order to force the enemy into cover.

See also

• Barrage
• Fire protection from West Berlin for refugees shot at

literature

• Thomas Brunner: Chronicle of the Swiss Artillery from 2001 to 2007. Article published in: Sogaflash 2008 , p. 4. Online PDF
• Thoughts on fire. After a lecture on the occasion of the Wiler Day 2001 of the Society of Artillery Officers of Eastern Switzerland, p. 3. Online PDF
• Harry Horstmann: The Red Donkey: Manual for the military staff service and leadership process , 2013, ISBN 978-3-8482-9761-0 .