Fire, Varieties of

There were nine basic varieties of fire that were classified according to three primary and non-exclusive criterion: direction of fire and orientation of the front of the target to the firing unit; differences in elevation between the firing unit and the target; and the intended trajectory of shot or shell fired at the target.

Direct Fire: Fire was Direct when the firing unit delivered its fire along a line that was nearly perpendicular to the front of the target. This variety of fire was used to batter a breach or when the target had considerable depth. It could be used to silence a fortification's artillery armament when enfilading ricochet batteries could not be established.

Oblique Fire: Fire was aid to be oblique when the firing unit delivered its fire along a line that struck the front of the target at an acute angle. This variety of fire could be used to batter a parapet or break down the cheeks of embrasures.

Enfilade Fire: Enfilade fire occurred when the firing unit delivered its fire along a line that was parallel to the front of the target and the fire struck the target squarely in flank. Enfilade fire was very effective against troops and guns positioned behind a long untraversed section of parapet. Most ricochet batteries were established in positions where their fire could enfilade ramparts.

Slanting Fire: Slanting fire occurred when the firing unit struck the rear of the target at an acute angle. Slanting fire could be used by batteries established along the prolongations of a fortification's parapets to strike the interior side of bastion flanks using ricochet or a pitching fire.

Reverse Fire: Reverse fire occurred when the firing unit delivered its fire along a line that was nearly perpendicular to the rear of the target.

Plunging Fire: Plunging fire was delivered from a firing unit on a much higher elevation than the target.

Vertical Fire: Usually delivered by mortars or howitzers used as mortars, vertical fire followed a very high arcing trajectory so that the shell fell on its target at a very acute angle.

Ricochet Fire: Ricochet fire was delivered by guns, howitzers, and sometimes mortars, using very small charges of powder and aimed with a relative high elevation to loft shot or shell over the interior slope of a parapet so that shot or shell would ricochet or bounce several times. Ricochet fire was generally employed in batteries established along the prolongations of a fortification's ramparts to dismount guns protected by traverses. It was also effective against hostile warships engaging land batteries.

Pitching Fire: Fire delivered with reduced charges of powder from guns or howitzers set at relatively high elevations to loft shot or shell over one work to strike another to its rear. Pitching fire was employed to reach the interior works of a fortification from a relatively great distance and breach scarp walls without necessity of establishing breaching batteries along the crest of the covered way.

January, 2003