Fire is classified with respect to the target, the ground, and the gun. (See figs. 3-63 through 3-65.)

Figure 3-63.-Fire in respect to the target.

Fire with respect to the target may be FRONTAL (delivered perpendicular to the enemy front), FLANKING (delivered perpendicular to the enemy flank), or ENFILADE (delivered so the long axis of the beaten zone corresponds with the long axis of the target). ENFILADE fire may be either frontal or flanking, depending on the direction of the long axis of the target. Since it makes maximum use of the beaten zone in relation to the shape of the target, enfilade fire is the most effective. Fire delivered from a direction that is neither frontal nor flanking is called OBLIQUE fire.

Figure 3-64.-Fire in respect to the ground.

Figure 3-65.-Fire in respect to the gun.

Fire with respect to the ground can be classified as grazing, plunging, or overhead.

l GRAZING fire has a trajectory not higher than 68 inches above the ground. Grazing fire can exist for 750 yards over level or uniformly sloping ground.

l PLUNGING fire strikes the ground from above at a considerable angle. The danger space of plunging fire is practically limited to the beaten zone.

l OVERHEAD fire is delivered over the heads of friendly troops. It must usually be high trajectory, plunging fire. Fire with respect to the machine gun maybe fixed fire, searching fire, traversing fire, or combined traversing and searching fire, swinging traverse fire, and free gunfire.

l FIXED FIRE is delivered against targets that only require a single aiming point. The depth of the beaten zone must be large enough to include the target. Fixed fire is continuous as long as any portion of the target remains in the zone of fire.

l SEARCHING FIRE is distributed in depth-by successive changes in the elevation of the gun. Searching fire is used against targets too deep to be included in the beaten zone of fixed fire. A burst of free is delivered after each change in elevation.

l TRAVERSING FIRE is distributed in width by successive changes in the horizontal direction of the gun. A burst of fire is delivered after each change or during the swing.

l COMBINED TRAVERSING AND SEARCH-ING FIRE is distributed both in width and depth and by changes in both elevation and horizontal direction.

l SWINGING TRAVERSE FIRE is delivered against targets too wide to cover with the traversing

Figure 3-66.-Delivering of overhead fire.

handwheel. Also, it is used against targets that are moving so rapidly across the front of the gunner that he or she cannot maintain effective fire while using the traversing handwheel.

l FREE GUNFIRE is delivered from the tripod mount against a target requiring rapid, major changes in direction and elevation that cannot be made with the traversing and elevating mechanism. Free gunfire can also be used from a vehicular mount against a target that cannot be adequately covered by selecting a series of aiming points.

All types of fire can be delivered with biped-, tripod-, or vehicular-mounted guns except as follows: swinging traverse fire cannot be delivered with bipod-or vehicular-mounted guns; free gunfire cannot be delivered with bipod-mounted guns.