Previous: F-120: Arm-and-Hand Signals
F-121. Despite their post-Civil War development, modern machine guns did not exhibit their full potential in battle until World War I. Although the machine gun has changed, the role of the machine gun and machine gunner has not. The mission of machine guns in battle is to deliver fires when and where the leader wants them in both the offense and defense. Machine guns rarely, if ever, have independent missions. Instead, they provide their unit with accurate, heavy fires to accomplish the mission.
Next: F-122: Tactical Organization of the Machine Gun
Go Back To: U.S. Army FM 3-21.8: The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad