Probably, every person has heard about dagger fire at least a few times in his life. This term is often found both in specialized and fiction literature - action films and military works. However, the authors usually do not give interpretations to it, which is why the reader is left in the dark, rather vaguely imagining this phenomenon.
What does this term mean
In fact, everything is very simple. Dagger fire is a surprise attack using automatic weapons: machine guns, machine guns and submachine guns. Also, in some cases, this can include anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns working on ground targets.
The distance of dagger fire is usually small - no more than 300-400 meters. It is at this distance that most assault rifles and machine guns (this does not apply to any submachine guns, for them the maximum combat range is several times less) are the most effective. The shooters do not have to take corrections, and the enemy is clearly visible - you can bring down on him literally a flurry of fire, inflictingmassive damage, causing nervous opponents to panic, try to escape, exposing their backs to bullets, and experienced enemies to lie down, take the fight.
However, history knows many cases when dagger fire from a machine gun was carried out at a much shorter distance - up to 20-30 meters. A lot of examples are demonstrated by the Great Patriotic War, during which automatic weapons have already become widespread. As practice shows, with proper use of it, even one person is able to inflict huge losses on the enemy, forcing them to retreat.
When does it apply
Very often, dagger fire from a machine gun and machine guns is carried out from an ambush. It is very important to choose the right position so that the enemy cannot retreat, hide in any convenient shelter, lie down. The enemy must be completely deprived of freedom of maneuver. A convenient place can be a path near a swamp, a gorge, a narrow street when conducting an urban battle.
Most often used to completely destroy an enemy battle group, not just force a retreat.
The main difficulty lies in the fact that for an impeccable conduct, each member of the ambush must not only know his place and masterfully use the automatic weapons entrusted to him, but also have outstanding stamina and courage. Any careless movement, loud voice, or even sneaky cigarette smoking in position can give away an ambush, allowing the enemy to escape or even inflict serious damage on the group.
Main varieties
Daggerfire is usually divided into several types: front, rear and flank.
Frontline is the most dangerous for ambushers. The enemy is waiting for an attack from this direction, notices the group immediately after the start of action. Such fire is conducted at a short distance, when you need to destroy the enemy in just a few seconds.
Therefore, flanking fire is the most common. It is harder for the enemy to orientate, which means that the ambush has a few extra seconds before it starts to counterattack or lie down. In a well-organized ambush, just two or three seconds can make all the difference.
Finally, rear fire. It is most often used in cases where it is necessary to surround an enemy group, completely block the path to retreat, and destroy it as soon as possible. It is considered the most difficult - you need to let the enemy through, in some cases a few meters away from you, while not betraying your location in any way. Only true professionals can flawlessly perform such an operation.
Conclusion
This article provides information about what dagger fire means. And also about what varieties of it exist, in what cases it is used and for what purposes.
