INFANTRY PLATOON REFERENCE GUIDE

APPENDIX B INFANTRY 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 M16A2 M249 MG M203 M60 WEIGHT (lbs) 2.6 8.7 15.5 11 23 LENGTH (in) 8,5 39 41.1 39 43 MAX RANGE (m) 1,800 3,600 3,600 400 3,750 ARMING RANGE (m) N/A N/A N/A 14 N/A MIN SAFE RANGE (m) N/A N/A N/A 31 N/A RATE OF FIRE CYCLIC (rpm) N/A 700-800 600 N/A 550 R A P I D ( m ) N/A N/A 200’ 35 200* SUSTAINED 60 16 85 35 100 EFFECTIVE RANGE AREA (m) N/A 800 800 350 1,100 POINT 50 580 600 160 600 MOVING (m) N/A 200 N/A N/A N/A AMMUNITION TYPE BALL BALL, BALL, HE, WP BALL, TRACER, TRACER, CS, TRACER DUMMY, DUMMY, ILLUM, and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, TP BLANK and and and BLANK BLANK, BUCK- SHOT EXAMPLE LOAD (rds) 30 210 600 *With barrel change. Figure B-1. Organic weapons. B-1 FM 7-8 M72 LAW M136 AT4 M47 DRAGON WEIGHT (Ibs) 4.7 14.8 68.5 LENIGHT (in) 22/35 40 44 MAX RANGE (m) 1,000 2,100 1,000 ARMING RANGE (m) 10 30 65 MIN SAFE RANGE (m) 30 30 65 EFFECTIVE RANGE STATIONARY (m) 200 300 1 ,000 MOVING (m) 125 300 100 BACKBLAST (m) 50 60 50 Figure B-2. Antiarmor weapons. FRAG WP THERMITE CONCUSS WEIGHT (Ibs) 1 2 2 1 RANGE (m) 40 30 25 40 (Thrown by average soldier) PACKING (box) 30 N/A 16 20 BURST RADIUS (m) 15 17 2 60-sec burn 40-see burn M21 M14 M16A1 Ml 8A1 ANTITANK APERS APERS APERS MINE MINE MINE MINE (Toe Popper) (Bouncing (Claymore) Betty) WEIGHT (Ibs) 18 3.6 8.3 3.5 PACKING (box) 4 mines 90 ea mines 4 fuzes 6 mines 4 fuzes and deton tripwire w/accy BURST RADIUS 1 tank 1 indiv 30 meters 50 meters (eff) 250 meters (max) 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 fire- power. 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) MK 19 M202 FLASH M3 RAAWS WEIGHT (Ibs) 64 76 26.7 22 LENGTH (in) 66 43 34,7 42.6 MAX RANGE (m) 6,765 2,212 N/A ARMING RANGE (m) N/A 18 N/A MIN SAFE RANGE (m) N/A 28 20 50 (HEAT) 500 ( illum) 250 (HE) 50 (SMOKE) 50 (TNG) RATE OF FIRE CYCLIC (rpm) 500 375 N/A RAPID (rpm) 40* 60 N/A SUSTAINED (rpm) 40* 40 N/A 6 EFFECTIVE RANGE AREA (m) 1,830 2,212 750 POINT (m) 1,200 1,500 200 STATIONARY (m) N/A N/A N/A 700 (HEAT) MOVING (m) N/A N/A N/A 250 BACKBAST (m) 50 60 BURST RADIUS (m) 20 AMMUNITION TYPE BALL, AP HEDP HE HEAT, ILLUM TRACER, API TP, and HE, SMOKE, API-T, INCEN BUCKSHOT and BLANK TNG *With barrel change Figure B-4. Supporting weapons. B-3 FM 7-8 METERS AMMUNITION MIN MAX WEAPON MODEL TYPE RANGE RANGE*** RATE OF FIRE M224 M720/M888 HE 70 3,500* 30 rounds per minute 60-mm M722 WP 70 3,500 for 4 minutes**, then M721 ILLUM 200 3,200 20 rounds per minute, M302A1 WP 33 1,625 sustained. M63A3 ILLUM 725 950 M49A4 HE 45 1,925 M29A1 M374A2 HE 70 4,600 12 rounds per minute 81-mm M374A3 HE 73 4,725 for 2 minutes, then M375A2 WP 73 4,775 5 rounds per minute, M301A3 ILLUM 100 2,950 sustained M252 M821/M889 HE 83 5,600 30 rounds per minute 81-mm M374A3 HE 73 4,775 for 2 minutes, then M819 RED P 300 4,875 15 rounds per minute, M375A3 WP 73 4,775 sustained. M853A1 ILLUM 300 5,050 M301AI ILLUM 100 2,950 M30 M329A2 HE 770 6,850 18 rounds per minute 107-mm M328A1 WP 720 5,650 for 1 minute, then M335A2 ILLUM 400 5,500 9 rounds per minute for 5 minutes, then 3 rounds per minute, sustained M120 M57 HE 200 7,200 15 rounds per minute 1 2 0 - m m M 6 8 SMOKE 200 7,200 for 1 minute, then M91 ILLUM 200 7,100 4 rounds per minute, sustained *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 M119 M198 CALIBER 105-mm 1 05-mm 155-mm MAX RANGE (For HE) (m) 11,500 14,000 18,100 LANNING RANGE (m) 11,500 11,500 14,600 MIN RANGE (m) DIRECT FIRE DIRECT FIRE DIRECT FIRE DANGER CLOSE RANGE 600 600 800 RATE OF FIRE MAXIMUM (rpm) 10 10 4 USTAINED (rpm) 3 3 2 PROJECTILE TYPE HE, WP, HE, M760, HE, WP, ILLUM, ILLUM, HEP-T, ILLUM, HEP-T, SMOKE, CHEM, APICM, CHEM, APICM, CHEM, NUC, RAP, APERS, RAP RAP FASCAM, CPHD AP/DPICM FUZES TYPE PD, VT MT, PD. VT, MT, PD, VT, CP, MTSQ, CP, MTSQ, CP, MT, MTSQ, DELAY DELAY DELAY LEGEND: AP —Armor-piercing HEP-T —High-Explosive Plastic Tracer APERS —Antipersonnel ILLUM —Illumination APICM —Antipersonnel Improved MT —Mechanical Time Conventional Munitions MTSQ —Mechanical Time Super Quick CHEM —Chemical NUC —Nuclear CP —Concrete Piercing PD —Point Detonating CPHD —Copperhead RAP —Rocket Assisted Projectile DPICM —Dual Purpose Improved VT —Variable Time Conventional Munitions WP —White Phosphorus FASCAM —Family of scatterable Mines Figure B-6. Types and characteristics of field artillery. B-5 FM 7-8 Figure B-7. Family of scatterable mines. WARNING Scatterable mines are above ground and have delay as well as immediate fuzes. Soldiers and leaders must treat scatter- able mines as active mines. Scatterable mines should not be moved, gathered, or tampered with in any way. B-3. MINES B-6 FM 7-8 B-3. MINES Mines are one of the most effective tank and personnel killers on the battlefield, especially in the close-in battle. Mines not only have the capability to disrupt the enemy but also to destroy him. Mines are especially useful when combined with direct and indirect fires. (Figures B-8 and B-9.) Figure B-8. Antipersonnel mines. B-7 FM 7-8 Figure B-8. Antipersonnel mines (continued). B-8 FM 7-8 Figure B-8. Antipersonnel mines (continued). B-9 FM 7-8 Figuer B-9. Antitank mines. B-10 FM 7-8 Figure B-9. Antitank mines (continued). B-11 FM 7-8 Figure B-9. Antitank mines (continued). B-12