Semi-auto 7.62 Rifle Tactics : Rhodesian Cover ('Drake') Shooting

[Story]

Posted for those with NATO style rifles.

http://smallwarsjournal.com/document...e-shooting.pdf

Also known as Drake Shooting, Rhodesian Cover Shooting may be defined as the shooting
technique employed to quickly kill concealed insurgents through the various phases of close
quarter combat in the African savanna and jesse bush. The method did not replace "fire and
movement" procedures, but was rather the primary activity of them. Cover shooting has also
been described as a "flushing" action, but this is not strictly accurate. While flushing terrorists
from their concealment has obvious advantages, particularly when working with close helicopter
support, the first objective of cover shooting was to kill the enemy without the need to see him or
locate his exact position first. Likewise the method should not be confused with other foreign
practises such as walking suppression fire directed "at the jungle." Cover shooting was not a
random spraying of bullets, but a deliberate and methodical routine designed to elicit maximum
effect for the least expenditure of ammunition.

[mojo]

good article ... thanks for posting it

[DPB]

Thank you for posting that. It's very interesting to have seen some of the TTPs that came before that (like the Project B-52 SOPs) and what is still in unit's combat SOPs today.

The "Drake Firing" is what I learned as "known and likely." Basically, you're in contact or in a free fire area, so you start firing into "known and likely" enemy positions.

Not so much a "recon by fire," but more of a logical elimination of where the bad guys can't be hiding, and you shoot into what you haven't eliminated. In his first book, Paul Howe talks about doing the same thing in a urban setting in Somalia.

I'm surprised he mentions, but doesn't discuss the Fireforce concept, which I think could have been applied successfully to some of our recent experiences.

Basically, SAS, Selous Scouts, and small RLI elemets would patrol and try to make contact. This follows the idea that if you make initial contact with the smallest possible element, it gives you the most maneuver options.

When they made a contact that indicated the presence of a larger terrorist force, there were RLI elements that were effectively on "strip alert", and they would start to insert, either by helo or parachute, as close to the contact as possible, and immediately start maneuvering on the opposition. They would continue to pour forces in as required to get the maximum exploitation out of the contact.

Part of this was made possible by the fact (mentioned in the article) that the better trained and more disciplined SAS, Selous Scouts, RLI, and RAR were all more than a match for equivalent numbers of enemy forces. The hard part was making the contact and actually maintaining the contact until you could get enough forces into the fight, then keeping contact long enough that they could inflict the maximum damage.

[synergy]

Thank you for posting that. It's very interesting to have seen some of the TTPs that came before that (like the Project B-52 SOPs) and what is still in unit's combat SOPs today.

The "Drake Firing" is what I learned as "known and likely." Basically, you're in contact or in a free fire area, so you start firing into "known and likely" enemy positions.

Not so much a "recon by fire," but more of a logical elimination of where the bad guys can't be hiding, and you shoot into what you haven't eliminated. In his first book, Paul Howe talks about doing the same thing in a urban setting in Somalia.

I'm surprised he mentions, but doesn't discuss the Fireforce concept, which I think could have been applied successfully to some of our recent experiences.

Are you referring to the passages where he talked about rotating through all the windows and shadows, and putting a round into them "to keep people honest"?

I left my copy with some of my buddies from GA, so I don't have it in front of me...I need to pickup another copy. Have you read his second book?

[chauncey]

this seems like pretty standard patrol and reaction to fire operations. i'm guessing the DOD read this at one time, too. pretty close to Army and Marine Corps infanry tactics i was trained.

good article, though.

shoot through cover!

[DPB]

Are you referring to the passages where he talked about rotating through all the windows and shadows, and putting a round into them "to keep people honest"?

I left my copy with some of my buddies from GA, so I don't have it in front of me...I need to pickup another copy. Have you read his second book?

Yes. Same thing, different environment.

The second book is worth reading, but the subject matter is a lot more dry, and it takes a lot more effort to get through it.

[Steve_NEPhila]

I guess this is what it looks like on the other side of such fire...

It gets good at the 43 second point:

[ByAnyMeans]

That's hilarious as long as your not the one messed with. The Japanese game shows get weirder and weirder.