INTRODUCTION
GAIN ATTENTION
PURPOSE
The purpose of this period of instruction is to familiarize the student with the considerations and employment of machine guns in urban terrain.
INDIVIDUAL TRAINING STANDARDS
MISSION PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Without the aid of references and in accordance with MCWP 3-35.3, the student will be able to set up and employ a machine gun in an urban environment.
ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Know the role that machine guns play during MOUT.
2. Know how to properly emplace a machine gun during MOUT.
3. Know the penetration capabilities of machine guns during MOUT.
4. Know the different levels of protection from machine gun fire during MOUT.
METHOD AND MEDIA
This period of instruction will be taught through lecture.
TESTING
This period of instruction will be evaluated through practical application during situational training exercises.
TRANSITION
BODY
1. Machine guns play an important role in urban military operations. This is especially true when they are employed as part of a combined arms team. Machine guns allow for advance with covering fire, aid in isolating an area or building, and provide a high rate of fire onto urban avenues of approach.
a. When operating in an urban environment, Marines will face many different situations and be called upon to perform a variety of missions. In urban combat, a Marine rifle company may be tasked to attack, isolate, or clear a specified block of structures.
b. The role that machine guns play is to provide covering fire for troop movement and to isolate an area or building by providing suppressive fire. Machine guns can fire along streets/alleys and into windows, doors, or loopholes. Machine gunners should not fire from the same position for a prolonged period of time as this will increase the chance of being targeted by the enemy. Prepared alternate positions should be used when ever possible.
2. Emplacement:
a. Upon entering a building, all windows and doors should be secured. If boards are used, leave small gaps between the boards to allow for alternate firing positions.
b. Loopholes should be used extensively when defended a building. Loophole construction should not follow any logical pattern or be constructed at floor or tabletop level. By varying the height and location of loopholes, you will make it difficult for the enemy to pinpoint and target the loophole firing position. Dummy loopholes should also be used to deceive the enemy in his efforts to locate actual firing positions. Loophole openings should be small in front and wide in back
c. Increased fields of fire can be obtained by locating the machine gun position at building corners or sandbagged under a building. Available material, such desks, overstuffed chairs, couches and other items of furniture should be integrated into the construction of bunkers to add cover and concealment.
d. Although razing fire is desirable when employing the machine gun, it may not always be practical or possible. Where vehicles, rubble or other obstacles restrict the fields of grazing fire, the machine gun can be elevated to a position that allows it to fire over these obstacles.
3. Penetration
a. The ability of 7.62mm and .50 caliber rounds to penetrate walls or other solid material is affected by the range to the target and the type of material fired against. The 7.62mm round is affected less by close range than the 5.56mm. The .50 caliber is affected the least by close range firing.
b. At 50 meters, the 7.62mm ball round cannot penetrate a double layer of sandbags. It can penetrate a single layer at 200 meters, but not a double layer. The .50 caliber armor piercing round does only slightly better against sandbags. It cannot penetrate a double layer but can penetrate up to 10 inches at 600 meters.
c. The penetration capability of the 7.62mm round is best at 600 meters. However, most urban targets are at the 200 meter or less range.
d. The penetration capability of the .50 caliber round is best at 800 meters. For hard targets, the .50 caliber’s penetration is also affected if the gun is fired from an oblique position at the target. Both .50 caliber armor piercing and ball ammunition can penetrate 14 inches of sand or 28 inches of packed earth at 200 meters if the round impact perpendicular to the flat face of the target.
4. Wall Penetration.
a. Continued and concentrated machine gun fire can breach most typical urban walls but not thick reinforced concrete structures or dense stone walls.
b. Though the M240G machine gun is a good penetration device, it is hard to hold steady when attempting to repeatedly hit the same point on a wall. Additionally, the dust created by the bullet strikes makes precise aiming difficult. Firing from a tripod is usually more effective especially when sandbags are used to steady the weapon. Short burst of 6-8 rounds fired in a U-type pattern is the best method of penetration.
5. Protection:
a. Barriers that offer protection against 5.56mm rounds are also effective against 7.62mm rounds with some exceptions. The 7.62mm round can penetrate a windowpane at a 45-degree angle, a hollow cinder block or through both sides of a car body. It can also easily penetrate wooden frame buildings. The .50 caliber round can penetrate all the commonly found urban barriers except a 55-gallon drum filled with sand, a car engine block, curbs, and sewer covers. This is all range dependent.
6. The 40mm MK-19 Machine Gun:
a. The main consideration affecting the employment of 40mm grenades within a built-up are is the typical short engagement ranges. The 40mm grenade has a MINIMUM arming range of 14 to 28 meters. If the round strikes an object before it is armed it will not detonate. Both the HE and HEDP round have a 5 meter burst radius. This translates into a 31 meter minimum safe firing range. The 40mm grenade can be used to surpress enemy troops within buildings or against kight structures. The HEDP round can penetrate armor on the flank, rear or top of Russian made BMPs and BTRs.
b. The 40mm HEDP grenade has a small shaped charge that penetrates better than the HE round. It has a thin wire wrapping that burst into a dense fragmentation pattern, capable of producing casualties out to 5 meters. Because this grenade explodes on contact, the 40mm round achieves the same penetration regardless of the range.
c. If projected into an interior room, the 40mm HDEP can penetrate all interior partition type walls. It splinters plywood and plaster walls and makes a hole large enough to fire a rifle through. It is better to have HEDP rounds pass into a room and explode on a far wall even though much of the round’s energy is wasted penetrating the back wall. The fragmentation and concussion produced in the room causes the high explosive jet formed by the shaped charge.
d. HE fragments from the HEDP round are not a reliable source of penetration on interior walls. The fragments can also be stopped by office furniture, sandbags, helmets and protective vests.
e. The MK-19 can concentrate its fire and achieve wall penetration. Firing from a tripod using a locked down traversing and elevation mechanism is the best method. No precise data exists as to the number of rounds required to produce loopholes or breach holes with the MK-19
QUESTIONS
SUMMARY
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