"Squad v10 and Project Reality 1.5.3 teamwork" YouTube playlist for learning

Plunging, grazing fire and probing fire can be used indirect. Its not set in stone, you don't need to see enemy to shoot them, don't sit around out in open waiting for them to shoot while doing nothing. Spotting/looking is not enough if you want upper hand defending. Especially probing fire which starts as indirect fire used while defending a position like a defend flag the enemy knows/expects you are at, then you put tracers into the tree line at height of a man into concealed areas they could be hiding and peeking through leaves on, when you don't know exactly where enemy is or don't have visual while defending you probe, which is what indirect fire with small arms is. You can know where enemy is then put down grazing fire, if you don't see them its indirect suppression, if you see them its direct accurate fire and suppression.
You know where enemy could shoot from, but you don't know if they are there. This will draw tracers from enemy if they think they are compromised. Probing fire is always used in grazing fire at height of a man or if shooting from high position making the bullets fall into concealment where enemy could be even 100s of meters behind concealment, rounds will go over their head. Nothing is set in stone, you use grazing fire as indirect fire giving tracers/bullets to probe concealment area targets like hedgerows and tree lines till you get tracers back. If the enemy knows what you are doing plus if none of the enemy haven't actually been compromised or seen and if they are smart they wont fire back knowing its not direct accurate fire until they know your positions to shoot at. This is where saturation comes in, if they want to sit still in camouflage concealment bullets need to saturate that concealment, you will get randomly kill/wound enemy or at least scare them. They might pop up scared and run becoming an accurate target till they are back in cover. Direct fires include all of the above(grazing, probing, plunging) then oblique, enfilade and frontal fires. I added new video on the latter from WW2 training film.

Dutch Courage, Playlist link doesn't work so type "Squad v10 and Project Reality 1.5.3 teamwork" playlist in YouTube search bar.

Ok, I get were you're coming from, but my pet peeve is in how you're interpreting the vernacular. Grazing, probing, and plunging fires are methods of implementing a direct fire weapon system (M4, M249, M240, M2, etc.). You are correct in that using these methods does not require visual contact with your target, however that doesn't constitute indirect fire.

The probing fire example you gave isn't indirect fire because you're still using a direct fire system with a line of sight to your target (in this case a treeline). Additionally, probing fire is more a technique than a doctrinal method, and has nothing to do with grazing fire - a legitimate classification of fire. In the example you gave, a better term would be a reconnaissance by fire, which is an attempt to identify composition and disposition by forcing them to return fire, and can be used in both a defensive and offensive posture.

Grazing fire is just keeping your cone of fire (general path of your rounds) no more than 1 meter off the ground. This allows for the largest beaten zone, without overshooting your target.

Plunging fire generally implies that the fire has observation on the beaten zone, and almost always indicates an elevation difference between the gun and target. In a contemporary environment, the term is used almost exclusively when the firer has an elevation advantage over their target. It could also mean than your in the low ground and your engagement area is set against a hillside. Now, I will concede that plunging fire could be used indirectly. But this is usually limited to when there's a terrain feature in your gun target line, and you're shoot past max effective ranges (3,000+m). It usually requires an observer, and is largely ineffective because you're round has lost too much velocity to penetrate any time of armor, and your beaten zone is going to be so dispersed you're unlikely to hit anything anyways.

Oblique, frontal, etc., are just the angle you're engaging the target at.

Unless I got intel from someone else or tracers/seen movement from a certain position in the grazing field of fire, I consider it indirect until something pops up scared out of cover/concealment and tries to run away. Calling it indirect wont confuse players, they be like "directly at what?" then tracer comes out and pops them sticking out of hill like daisy. I generally don't use the terms in game unless its mortars and I call for 25 meter splash spread on area. When its 25m-300m+ I want it fired at the height of a man trying to get the rounds to go deep into forest, all that matters to me since it keeps us alive, I've hit and gotten random ones on scoreboard before and didn't even know it. Much more needs to be focused on. If going against the NVA in Ia Drang, forces need to be managed so we don't lose what we capped, positions need to be managed with everyone in line to prevent friendly fire in a large volume of fire, in cover fixed foxhole positions within camouflage/concealment of jungle and in sight of each others position to save each other, need plenty of ammo in cover/safe position. Creek bed has a natural defilade that acts as a trench connected to the mound off the LZ out of grenade range of all concealed areas except a few close bushes, every US soldier needs to let them come and defend only 2 flags or get outnumbered and out gunned. If mortars or area attack come in you hug foxhole wall and dig/medic everyone for your life, you will only die if rounds land directly inside foxhole. I've done it a bunch of times with foxholes behind trench/on mound with FOB in cover on side of mound, if your outnumber enemy in FOB perimeter it stays spawn able. Had 2 HMGs positioned for oblique fire, 4+ claymores in front of trench/mound/foxholes not connected to trench facing tree line(40 meter+ range 60 degree arc on claymores), 2 squads, 4 M60s, 2 M79 Grenade launchers, bunch of M16A1/hand grenades, piles of crates behind the line, CAS Huey hydra runs North West to South east into tree line in front fast as shit then quick strafing minigun/M60 runs over our heads staying in safe zone away from the AA guns, napalm strikes across creek bed on other side and flanks of tree line in front for wall of fire. 2 shotgun breacher kits on ground in cover for everyone to use to clear the tree line sector quick. So many other aspects that need to be focused as importantly as firing methods, it all goes together. Gotta shoot no matter what when defending to keep them out of there because they expect you there already, if you don't see them but you hit and kill them they don't know where you at, grazing fire is most deadly up close with proper saturation and spread of a beaten zone fat vagina shaped. They made the night map darker and I want to play Ia Drang night so bad. Blink one eye at a time and dig in, eye level with your cover and target zones.

=HOG= mongalswrath You reply is wrong, here is the real information, you are half wrong which is completely wrong. According to FM23-22.68 Chapter 5 "Combat Techniques of Fire" Section III(3) Application of Fire 5-9 "Types of Targets" it describes it as point and area targets www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/...y/fm/3-22-68/c05.htm. Grazing fire, probing fire, plunging fire are used in point targets(direct) and area targets (indirect). Point targets are direct fire on for enemy visible, bunkers, weapon emplacements, its simple you scan you see you shoot, you only know direct fire, that's a Call Of Duty caused problem. But always employ other methods of fire until point targets while engaged. Then it describes area targets, which are indirect in areas of concealment/cover, applied with searching/traversing fire for deep targets in the form of either plunging or grazing depending on terrain for bullet trajectory, then same with linear targets like on a tree line in area targets based on bullet trajectory. Either bullets fall on them from high ground or come in man height level. Probing fire can be used direct when attacking a fixed positon, but when defending you shoot into all points of cover/concealment as if its a fixed position searching for enemy fire or smoke to pop up if they feel compromised. Tired of people saying false crap out of their ass without learning or providing information to back it up.

Alright brother, there's no need to start insulting people. I wrote my original post in a drunken stupor, because it's a pet peeve that's near and dear to me. However, since you're so entrenched in your little foxhole, I'll appease you.

First off, FM 3-22.68 is obsolete, and has been replaced by the TC 3-22 series. Never mind the fact that it does not define an area target as indirect. You're still confusing techniques of fire, types of targets, and weapons systems. The type of target you're engaging (area vs point) does not dictate whether you're firing in a direct or indirect role.

Let's take a look at ATP 3-21.8 Infantry Platoon and Squad. Look at how it defines the automatic rifleman.

"AUTOMATIC RIFLEMAN
1-58. The automatic rifleman's primary weapon is currently the 5.56-mm M249 light
machine gun. The automatic rifleman provides the unit with a high volume of sustained
suppressive direct fires of area targets."

Now if you're looking for more proof, look at appendix F, or the TC 3-22 series. You'll see it defines the roles and capabilities of every machine gun. All you'll have to do is CTRL-F "indirect" to find the only machine gun capable of indirect is the MK-19. If you've ever shot 40mm, you'll know it feels like you're lobbing a baseball, not firing a machine gun. Combined with it's area of effect traits, it teases the line of an indirect system, which is why it can be used in both roles.

The only other time you're going to find indirect fires in a squad or platoon is from true indirect (mortars), or your organic 320's - which is still a 40mm system.

I suggest you go get your blue cord - or whatever your country's equivalent is - before you declare yourself an expert on infantry tactics in a forum full of members who's backgrounds you don't know. I'm not the only service member lurking here.