Medium Machine Gun Basic Qualification and Advanced Situational Training Exercises

1
3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Air Assault Division

• Medium Machine Gun Basic Qualification and
  Advanced Situational Training Exercises
• MAJ BRUCE F. BEYERS
• 01 October 2004

No bastard ever won a war by dying for his
country. He won it by making the other poor dumb
bastard die for his country. - General George S.
Patton, Jr.
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GATLIN

• Invented 1862
• Service Date 1864
• Model Number GG
• Description
• air cooled, hand-cranked, rotary fed, machinegun
• Caliber .50cal
• ROF 1,000rpm
• Scope late Civil-War and end of 19th Century

• Roles
• Inspired perpetual motion or modern machinegun
  development.
• Shortfalls
• bulky considered useful only against hoards of
  uncivilized people

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MACHINE AGE
DAWN OF THE MACHINENGEWHER
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MAXIM Sir Hiram Maxim Grandfather of the modern
machinegun

• Invented 1884
• Service Date 1908
• Model Number MG08
• Description
• water cooled, belt fed, recoil operated
  machinegun, fired from the closed bolt position
• Caliber 7.9mm x 57mm
• ROF 400rpm
• Scope Germany produced 100,000 during WWI

• Roles
• Destroyed the British at the Battle of the Somme
• Ended the 2,400 year shock effect of horse
  cavalry

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THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME 1 July 1916
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WWI CASUALTIES

• British suffer the greatest loss of manpower in
  a single day 60,000 casualties, 19,000 KIA.
• 9 out of 10 are victim of the MG08
• The 2,400 year old shock effect of horse cavalry
  was once and for all laid to rest at the Somme.
• Germans were credited with developing a
  brilliant defense in depth interlaced with
  machinegun fire
• The German Defensive Role was Magnificent.
  GEN(R) Dupuy

ROLLUP KIA Britain 908,371 France 1,357,80
0 US 50,585 Germany 1,808,546 Italy
462,391 Russia 1,700,000

• BOTTOM LINE The machinegun had utility on the
  Battlefield
• German Concept. Machineguns fight as sections of
  at least two.
• riflemen are arrayed to protect the machineguns
  the highest casualty producing weapon.

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FIREPOWER REPLACES MANPOWER

• One Machinegun is the equivalent combat power of
  60-80 riflemen or one whole rifle company.
• German machineguns are organized into machinegun
  companies of 16ea machineguns per company as
  opposed to allies of 2-4 per
• Germany continues to produce arms in secrecy, in
  violation of Versailles treaty
• MG08/13 man portable, air-cooled is created
• MG34 is produced out of Germany by sub-contract
• German Officers are convinced that machineguns
  are the basis for any modern force
• Troop strength for the first time in history
  becomes secondary to combined arms employment.

BLITZKRIEG IS BORN
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D-DAY
Saving Private Ryan Clip D-Day on the beach
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D-DAY CONTINUED

• Allied Casualties were 4,460 on the initial
  assault, relatively light
• Hitler had been outsmarted by GEN Dwight D.
  Eisenhower
• He was convinced that the attack would occur at
  Pas de Calais
• The massive invasion fleet, over 4,000 ships,
  only served to reinforce in Hitlers mind that
  the attack at Normandy was a rouse
• Hitler rebuffed by his own miscalculation aims
  to make the allies pay
• His orders are attrit, counterattack, defeat
  and then execute a fighting withdrawal to
  alternate positions to begin the sequence again.
  In short make the allies pay for every inch of
  French soil.
• German planners developed a superb defense in
  depth that utilized the massive hedgerows arrayed
  in a checkerboard fashion across the French
  farmland to greatest effect. When allied combat
  power was exhausted he would action his SS Panzer
  divisions to deliver the Hammer Blow.
• The Allies had no concept of what lay before
  them. The real battle for Europe, The Bocage
  began.

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BATTLE OF THE BOCAGE
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THE COST OF BAPTISM BY FIRE
The Germans taught us valuable lessons about
machinegun employment, defense in depth and
combined arms operations in the Bocage.
THE COST WAS
The 29th IN DIV
9,980 Casualties the entire Division
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WWII CASUALTY ROLLUP
COUNTRY TOTAL KIA

• United States 571,822 292,100
• Britain 475,000 397,762
• France 400,000 210,671
• Germany 7,250,000
  2,850,000
• Italy 120,000 77,500
• Japan 1,506,000 500,000
• Russia 14,012,000 7,500,000

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MG34 Einheitsmaschinengewehr

• Invented 1932
• Service Date 1934
• Model Number MG34
• Description
• air cooled, belt fed, gas operated, fully
  automatic and single shot machinegun, fired from
  the open bolt position
• Caliber 7.9mm x 57mm
• ROF 900rpm
• Weight 28lbs
• Scope The most elaborate machinegun ever
  produced. The Universal machinegun.

• Roles
• Light weight, man portable machine gun employed
  in either the light or heavy machinegun role.
• Used by the North Vietnamese during Vietnam war
• Shortfall Too long to make and a temperamental
  gun.

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MG42 Hitlers Buzz Saw

• Invented 1937
• Service Date 1942
• Model Number MG42
• Description
• air cooled, belt fed, gas operated machinegun,
  fired from the open bolt position
• Caliber 7.9mm x 57mm
• ROF 1200-1800rpm
• Weight 24lbs
• Scope 342,050 MG42s produced 1942-1944, over
  400,000 by wars end.
• 17,500 per month

• Roles
• Light weight, man portable medium machine gun.
• Pro Rata
• most effective weapon ever produced
• Gruners roller-lock breach
• versatile from Africa to Russia
• widely used today

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M60 The Pig

• Invented 1956
• Service Date 1957
• Model Number M60
• Description
• gas operated, air cooled, belt-fed, automatic
  machinegun fired from the open bolt position
• Caliber 7.62mm x 51mm
• ROF 550rpm
• Weight 23lbs
• Scope spanned the gap between BAR and Browning
  .30cal

• Roles
• Light weight, man portable medium machine gun.
• Shortfalls
• regression from roller lock
• bolt executes 90 right hand turn to completely
  lock into chamber
• reduced rate of fire
• temperamental needed CLP

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M240C Fabrique National Herstal (FNH)
Coaxial

• Invented 1984
• Service Date 1987
• Model Number M240C
• Description
• belt fed, air-cooled, gas operated, fully
  automatic machinegun that fires from the open
  bolt position
• Caliber 7.62mm x 51mm
• ROF 750-950rpm
• Weight 22.2lbs
• Scope Coaxial machinegun for both the M2 BFV
  ands M3 CFV.

• Roles
• coaxial to larger caliber systems.
• Pro Rata
• right hand belt feed
• reliable and versatile
• Inspired ground mounted versions to replace
  antiquated M60 MMG.

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M240G
Ground

• Invented 1989
• Service Date 1990
• Model Number M240G
• Description
• belt fed, air-cooled, gas operated, fully
  automatic machinegun that fires from the open
  bolt position
• Caliber 7.62mm x 51mm
• ROF 750-950rpm
• Weight 25.6lbs
• Scope Standard Ranger Regiment MMG. 3ea PLT,
  11ea Company, 39ea BN.

• Roles
• ground employed point and area suppression.
• RSOV mounted immediate suppression weapon
• MOUT precision burst weapon
• Pro Rata
• reliable and versatile
• Inspired adoption by the Big Army.

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M240B
Bipod

• Invented 1994
• Service Date 1996
• Model Number M240B
• Description
• belt fed, air-cooled, gas operated, fully
  automatic machinegun that fires from the open
  bolt position
• Caliber 7.62mm x 51mm
• ROF 650-950rpm
• Weight 27.6lbs
• Scope US Army standard MMG.

• Roles
• ground employed point and area suppression.
• vehicle mounted immediate suppression weapon
• Pro Rata
• reliable and versatile
• hydraulic butt stock facilitates BOT throughout
  the firing cycle

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M240D
Door

• Invented 1984
• Service Date 1987
• Model Number M240D
• Description
• belt fed, air-cooled, gas operated, fully
  automatic machinegun that fires from the open
  bolt position
• Caliber 7.62mm x 51mm
• ROF 750-950rpm
• Weight 25.7lbs
• Scope standard door gunner system.

• Roles
• RW/AC mounted system.
• Pro Rata
• interchangeable feed right or left
• reliable and versatile
• dual handled dove tailed trigger depress

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AMMO 7.62mm x 51mm NATO
M80 Ball M61 AP M62 Tracer M82 BLK
M118 LR M276 Dim
Bullet Weight 147 143
145 NA 173
145 Muzzle Velocity 2,750fts 2,723fts
2,680fts NA 2,580fts
2,750fts Role personnel
armor observation training
precision Infra-Red
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WORLDS BEST MMG GUNNERS

• Daily sustainment Training
• Range Card, Crew Drill, etc
• Quarterly Collective LFX
• Annual Gunners Competition
• Three-man crew
• Evolutionary capabilities
• M936, indirect fire kits, etc

• BRITISH Excellent Crew Drill training and
  employment training
• Extremely limited in CLS V unable to Live Fire
  validate training
• GERMANY Good weapon MG3 but, the military is
  not the priority
• FRANCE Indifferent to machinegun training or
  military in general

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PRELIMINARY GUNNERY (5 days) WEEK 1
04-07 October 2004

• Characteristics and Capabilities
• Weapon Ballistics
• Perform Immediate Action (POPP)
• Alternate Firing Techniques
• Conduct Boresight zero of both M240B barrels
  (ironsights) using the LBS
• Conduct Boresight zero of the M145 MGO using the
  LBS
• Conduct Boresight Zero of the AN/PEQ-2A using
  the LBS
• Crew Drill
• TE manipulation utilizing the worm board
• Range Card
• Gunners Examination

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BASIC GUNNERY (3 days) WEEK 2
12-14 October 2004

• Zero Primary Barrel Primary Gunner
• Zero Spare Barrel Primary Gunner
• Zero M145 MGO Primary Gunner
• Basic 10M Qualification (Iron) Primary
  Gunner Table I
• Basic 10M Qualification (M145) Primary
  Gunner Table I
• Basic 10M Qualification (Iron) Assistant
  Gunner Table I
• Basic 10M Qualification (M145) Assistant
  Gunner Table I
• Transition Qualification (Iron) Primary
  Gunner Table II
• Transition Qualification (M145) Primary
  Gunner Table II
• Transition Qualification (Iron) Assistant
  Gunner Table II
• Transition Qualification (M145) Assistant
  Gunner Table II
• Night Transition Qualification (PEQ-2A)
  ALL Table III

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ADVANCED MMG STX TNG (4 days) WEEK 3
15-18 October 2004

• Fire and Adjust Exercise
• Crew Drill LFX
• Crew Stress Fire LFX
• Section Support by Fire LFX
• Section Assault Course LFX
• Gunners Examination 2

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COMPONENT OF END ITEMS AND BII
ITEM QTY REMARKS M240B 1ea End
Item Primary barrel 1ea Number 1
blade 1ea Number 2 blade 1ea additional
authorized item unit purchase Spare
barrel 1ea Number 1 blade 1ea additional
authorized item unit purchase Number 2
blade 1ea Ammunition adapter 1ea Rod, cleaning
sectional 5ea Rod, eyelet swabbing 1ea Reamer,
large 1ea Reamer, small 1ea Combination
tool 1ea Scraper tool 1ea Sight adjustment
tool 1ea additional authorized item unit
purchase Spare barrel bag 1ea M122
Tripod 1ea TE 1ea Pintle w/brass
deflector 1ea AN/PEQ-2A 1ea .050mm Allen
head 1ea M145 MGO 1ea
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MAINTENANCE TOOLS
Combination Scraper Extractor Tool
Reamer, Large and Small
Ammunition Adapter
Scraper Tool
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UNIFORM

• TYPE QTY ISSUE____________
• BDUs (T-shirt, belt, socks, boots) 2 set (top
  and bottom)
• KPOT 1 each
• LBV 1 complete
• Black gloves w/inserts 1 pair
• Rucksack w/seasonal packing list 1 each
• NOD/NVG (AN/PVS-7A/B/D) or PVS 14 1 each
• Motorola and or AN/PRC-128 1 per crew
• Weapon (M240B, M4) 1 per crew
• M122 w/pintle/TE/AG gear 1 per crew
• sight adjustment tool 1 per crew
• reamer, large and small 1 per crew
• spare barrel 1 per crew
• scraper tool 1 per crew
• combination tool 1 per crew
• M24/M22 Binoculars 1 per crew
• M49/M50 Spotter Scope 1 per crew
• AN/GVS-5 LSR RNG Finder 1 per crew

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SUSTAINMENT TNG

• Daily CTT
• Range Card,
• Assembly/Disassembly,
• Immediate Action POPP,
• functions check,
• gunners examinations, etc.
• Weekly Crew Drill Training and TE manipulation
  drills
• Monthly BFX
• Quarterly Collective Training and LFXs
• Bi-Annual Qualification
• Annual battalion MMG competitions

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REFERENCES

• FM 3.22-68 JAN 03
• FM 3.22-9 OCT 03
• FM 23-10 AUG 94
• STP 21-1-SMCT
• Call Handbook No 03-22 SEP 03
• German Machineguns Daniel D. Musgrave and
  Smith H. Oliver, Creative Printing, 1971.
• The First world War John Keegan, Random
  House, 1998.
• The Encyclopedia of Military History From
  5,000BC to Present Generals (R) Ernest and
  Trevor Dupuy, 1993

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CREDITS

• Dr. Martin L. Flacker, M.D., F.A.C.S.
  Ballistics
• wound ballistics consultant, FSU
• Mr. Ron Ives, Alliant Techsystems Corp.
  Bullets Ron.Ives_at_ATK.com

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QUESTIONS