FieldCraft
Fieldcraft is made up of the individual skills and techniques used by soldiers in the field, which include movement, use of ground
and camouflage in conditions of reduced visibility. These skills and techniques enable soldiers to maintain their own security while gaining advantage over the enemy.
Soldiers must master fieldcraft in order to ensure their own and their section’s survival on the modern battlefield. They must:
a. use their eyes and ears to find the enemy, without being detected themselves;
b. make the best use of ground and cover, by day and night;
c. judge distances accurately;
d. recognize and indicate targets, understand fire discipline and follow fire control orders; and
e. move silently, with or without weapons, stores or equipment.
Fieldcraft training is complimentary to weapons training. A soldier should be trained concurrently in marksmanship and fieldcraft.
Fieldcraft training emphasizes the basics even when used to teach or demonstrate more advanced lessons. For example, personnel
practising individual movement should be properly camouflaged. Soldiers must be taught that fieldcraft is a 24–hour–a–day concern.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
SECTION 1 GENERAL
Definition
Scope
Training
CHAPTER 2 FINDING THE ENEMY
SECTION 1 DETECTION
Why Things are Seen
Shape
Shadow
Silhouette
Movement
Spacing
Position
Texture
Colour
Scale
Noise
Shine
SECTION 2 SEARCHING GROUND
Normal Method
Close Country
Minimal Light Conditions
Seeing Through
Visual Inference
Off the Line of Vision
Personal Factors
SECTION 3 NOISE AND MUZZLE FLASH
Flash to Bang
Crack and Thump
CHAPTER 3 ENGAGING THE TARGETS
SECTION 1 JUDGING DISTANCE
General
Unit of Measure Method
Appearance Method
Conditions That Affect Estimation of Ranges
Other Methods of Determining Range
Aids to Judging Distance
SECTION 2 TARGET INDICATION
Basic Indication
Arcs of Fire
Reference Points
Clock Ray
Hand Span Method
CHAPTER 4 INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT
SECTION 1 METHODS OF INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT
The Kitten Crawl
The Leopard Crawl
The Stomach Crawl
The Monkey Run
The Roll
The Walk
The Run
Turning
SECTION 2 INDIVIDUAL TACTICAL MOVEMENT
Looking Through Cover
Shadows
Skylines