Reconnaissance by fire
Reconnaissance by fire (also called recon by fire) is a way for soldiers to find out where the enemy is by shooting at them and seeing where they shoot back from. When the enemy shoots back, it tells the soldiers where they are located, how many they are, and what kind of weapons they have. Once they have this information, they can make a plan to attack the enemy or to stay safe.
World War II
[change | change source]During World War II, the Allies used recon by fire to find the location of the enemy by shooting and seeing where they shot back from. This tactic was used instead of the older method where tanks would follow behind soldiers on the ground, which was slow and didn't put enough pressure on the enemy. The new way was fast, and soldiers would shoot their weapons constantly as they moved forward to keep the enemy distracted and aim off target. They also used this tactic when they were travelling with trucks that had big machine guns.
Vietnam War
[change | change source]During a battle in Vietnam, a group of American soldiers had a lot of bullets. Their leader, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore, told them to shoot at anything that looked suspicious at the same time. This made a lot of noise and made the enemy think they were found out. The enemy then came out and charged at the Americans, and the Americans destroyed them.