(Redirected from
Suppressing fire)
Suppression fire or suppressing fire is weapons fire (for example, from rifles, machine guns or artillery) designed primarily to keep an enemys' "heads down" and prevent them from carrying out operations, such as moving or firing.
Artillery excels at suppression fire, as do most machine guns. By covering an area occupied by enemy troops with many bullets or shrapnel fragments, it forces the enemy to take cover behind obstacles or in trenches and makes it very risky for them to expose themselves long enough to move or take aim and return fire. Since suppressing fire is usually fairly inaccurate, it is not expected to wipe out the enemy, but the chance of any one of them being hit if they expose themselves is usually high enough to discourage them from taking the risk.
Machine-guns teams are sometimes used to suppress an enemy while others, such as rifle squads, move into a position to properly engage them. Enemies can also be suppressed to allow friendly forces nearby to retreat without being exposed to fire while they do so. Artillery can be used to suppress a defending enemy while friendly forces advance and prepare to engage them. Many other situations are possible.
Suppression fire is sometimes said to be "laid down" by those performing the suppressing.
