B
INFANTRY APPENDIX PLATOON REFERENCE GUIDE
To succeed in combat, infantrymen must be experts in employing their organic and supporting weapons and in employing mines.
B-1. ORGANIC WEAPONS
Organic weapons are weapons that are assigned to the platoon over which the platoon leader has direct control. All leaders must know how to employ these weapons effectively in all tactical situations (Figure B-1). The infantty platoon routinely uses antiarmor weapons (Figure B-2) and hand grenades and mines (Figure B-3).
M9 Pistol WEIGHT (lbs) LENGTH (in) MAX RANGE (m) ARMING RANGE (m) MIN SAFE RANGE (m) RATE OF FIRE CYCLIC (rpm) RAPID (m) SUSTAINED EFFECTIVE RANGE AREA (m) POINT MOVING (m) AMMUNITION TYPE 2.6 8,5 1,800 N/A N/A N/A N/A 60 N/A 50 N/A BALL M16A2 8.7 39 3,600 N/A N/A 700-800 N/A 16 800 580 200 M249 MG 15.5 41.1 3,600 N/A N/A 600 200 85 800 600 N/A M203 11 39 400 14 31 N/A 35 35 350 160 N/A M60 23 43 3,750 N/A N/A 550 200* 100 1,100 600 N/A
EXAMPLE LOAD (rds) *With barrel change.
30
BALL, BALL, HE, WP BALL, TRACER, TRACER, CS, TRACER ILLUM, DUMMY, DUMMY, and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, TP BLANK and and and BLANK BLANK, BUCKSHOT 210 600
Figure B-1. Organic weapons. B-1
FM 7-8
M72 LAW WEIGHT (Ibs) 4.7 LENIGHT (in) 22/35 MAX RANGE (m) 1,000 ARMING RANGE (m) 10 MIN SAFE RANGE (m) 30 EFFECTIVE RANGE STATIONARY (m) MOVING (m) BACKBLAST (m) 200 125 50 M136 AT4 14.8 40 2,100 30 30 300 300 60 M47 DRAGON 68.5 44 1,000 65 65 1 ,000 100 50
Figure B-2. Antiarmor weapons.
FRAG WEIGHT (Ibs) RANGE (m) 1 40
WP
THERMITE
CONCUSS 1 40 20 2
2 2 30 25 (Thrown by average soldier) 16 PACKING (box) 30 N/A 17 BURST RADIUS (m) 15 40-see burn 60-sec burn M21 ANTITANK MINE
M14 M16A1 Ml 8A1 APERS APERS APERS MINE MINE MINE (Toe Popper) (Bouncing (Claymore) Betty) 3.6 90 ea mines and deton 1 indiv 8.3 3.5 4 fuzes 6 mines tripwire w/accy 30 meters 50 meters (eff) 250 meters (max)
WEIGHT (Ibs) PACKING (box) BURST RADIUS
18 4 mines 4 fuzes 1 tank
Figure B-3. Hand grenades and mines.
B-2
FM 7-8
B-2. SUPPORTING WEAPONS
Supporting weapons provide the platoon and squad leaders additional firepower. They must know how to effectively integrate the fires of these weapons with the fires of their organic weapons. See Figures B-4 through B-7.
M2 (.50 CAL) WEIGHT (Ibs) 64 LENGTH (in) 66 6,765 MAX RANGE (m) ARMING RANGE (m) N/A MIN SAFE RANGE (m) N/A
MK 19 76 43 2,212 18 28
M202 FLASH M3 RAAWS 26.7 34,7 N/A N/A 20 22 42.6
50 (HEAT) 500 ( illum) 250 (HE) 50 (SMOKE) 50 (TNG)
RATE OF FIRE CYCLIC (rpm) RAPID (rpm) SUSTAINED
(rpm)
500 40* 40* 1,830 1,200 N/A N/A
375 60 40 2,212 1,500 N/A N/A
N/A N/A N/A 750 200 N/A N/A 50 20
6
EFFECTIVE RANGE AREA (m) POINT (m) STATIONARY (m) MOVING (m) BACKBAST (m) BURST RADIUS (m) AMMUNITION TYPE
700 (HEAT) 250 60
HEDP HE BALL, AP TRACER, API TP, and API-T, INCEN BUCKSHOT and BLANK
HEAT, ILLUM HE, SMOKE, TNG
*With barrel change
Figure B-4. Supporting weapons.
B-3
FM 7-8
AMMUNITION MODEL TYPE M720/M888 HE M722 WP M721 ILLUM M302A1 WP M63A3 ILLUM M49A4 HE M374A2 M374A3 M375A2 M301A3 M821/M889 M374A3 M375A3 M819 M853A1 M301AI M329A2 M328A1 M335A2 HE HE WP ILLUM HE HE RED P WP ILLUM ILLUM HE WP ILLUM METERS MAX MIN RANGE RANGE*** 70 70 200 33 725 45 70 73 73 100 83 73 300 73 300 100 770 720 400 3,500* 3,500 3,200 1,625 950 1,925 4,600 4,725 4,775 2,950 5,600 4,775 4,875 4,775 5,050 2,950 6,850 5,650 5,500
WEAPON M224 60-mm
RATE OF FIRE 30 rounds per minute for 4 minutes**, then 20 rounds per minute, sustained.
M29A1 81-mm
12 rounds per minute for 2 minutes, then 5 rounds per minute, sustained 30 rounds per minute for 2 minutes, then 15 rounds per minute, sustained.
M252 81-mm
M30 107-mm
18 rounds per minute for 1 minute, then 9 rounds per minute for 5 minutes, then 3 rounds per minute, sustained 15 rounds per minute for 1 minute, then 4 rounds per minute, sustained
1
M120 M57 20-mm M 6 8 M91
HE SMOKE ILLUM
200 200 200
7,200 7,200 7,100
*Biped mounted, charge 4 maximum range handheld is 1.300 meters. **Charge 2 and above, 30 rounds per minute can be sustained with charge 0 or 1. ***Rounded to nearest 25 meters.
Figure B-5. Type and characteristics of mortars.
B-4
FM 7-8
M102 CALIBER MAX RANGE (For HE) (m) LANNING RANGE (m) MIN RANGE (m) DANGER CLOSE RANGE RATE OF FIRE MAXIMUM (rpm) USTAINED (rpm) PROJECTILE TYPE 105-mm 11,500 11,500 DIRECT FIRE 600 10 3 HE, WP, ILLUM, HEP-T, APICM, CHEM, APERS, RAP M119 1 05-mm 14,000 11,500 DIRECT FIRE 600 10 3 HE, M760, ILLUM, HEP-T, APICM, CHEM, RAP M198 155-mm 18,100 14,600 DIRECT FIRE 800 4 2 HE, WP, ILLUM, SMOKE, CHEM, NUC, RAP, FASCAM, CPHD AP/DPICM PD, VT, CP, MT, MTSQ, DELAY
FUZES TYPE
PD, VT MT, MTSQ, CP, DELAY
PD. VT, MT, MTSQ, CP, DELAY
LEGEND: AP Armor-piercing HEP-T High-Explosive Plastic Tracer APERS Antipersonnel ILLUM Illumination APICM Antipersonnel Improved MT Mechanical Time MTSQ Mechanical Time Super Quick Conventional Munition...