Definition

1. Noun:
   • Artillery or mortar fire delivered in a constant direction at several quadrant elevations: A specific type of indirect fire where projectiles are aimed along a fixed line (constant direction) but fired at different angles (quadrant elevations) to create a pattern of impacts along that line.

Usage

• Noun:
  • The primary use is in military contexts to describe a pre-planned artillery or mortar firing technique.
  • It is used to engage a linear target, such as a road, trench line, or suspected enemy approach route.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The battery was ordered to lay down a zone fire along the suspected infiltration route.
  • Adjusting the quadrant elevation while keeping direction constant is key to effective zone fire.

Advanced Usage

• Technical Application: In fire direction control, "zone fire" can refer to a method of searching or covering a specific area (zone) by varying the range along a single bearing.
• Historical Context: This term is often found in military manuals and historical accounts of artillery tactics, particularly from the World Wars.

Variants and Related Words

• Barrage (n): A concentrated artillery bombardment over a wide area. (Note: A barrage typically covers an area, while zone fire is more linear.)
• Creeping barrage (n): A moving wall of artillery fire that advances just ahead of infantry. (This is a specific, moving application of area fire, distinct from the fixed-direction concept of zone fire.)
• Indirect fire (n): Fire directed at a target that is not in the direct line of sight from the weapon.

Synonyms

• Linear fire (n, military jargon): Fire distributed along a line. (This is a descriptive synonym, though "zone fire" is the standard technical term.)
• Searching fire (n, military): Fire adjusted in range to cover a depth of area. (This concept is related, as zone fire uses elevation changes to "search" along a line.)

Related Phrases

• Fire for effect: The main bombardment following adjusting rounds. (Zone fire could be a method used during fire for effect.)
• Final protective fire: A pre-planned barrier of fire to stop an enemy assault. (Zone fire could be a component of such a plan.)

Notes

• This is a specialized compound term used almost exclusively in military and artillery contexts. It describes a specific tactical procedure rather than a general concept.

Noun

1. artillery or mortar fire delivered in a constant direction at several quadrant elevations