Beaten zones should be close to each other for which type of fire?

The concept of beaten zones refers to the area on the ground where the rounds from a machine gun converge and hit. In the context of traversing fire, gaining close beaten zones is essential for maximizing effectiveness, especially when the target area is wide or when engaging enemy forces in a linear formation.

Traversing fire is employed when there is a need to engage a target that is moving or occupies a line that is wider than the arc of fire available from the machine gun. By maintaining closely spaced beaten zones, the machine gunner ensures more rounds are concentrated in the same area, increasing the likelihood of hitting the target as it moves across the field of fire. This tight spacing allows the gunner to cover more ground with fewer adjustments and effectively saturate the target area, significantly enhancing the weapon's lethality and effectiveness against enemy personnel and equipment.

In contrast, other types of fire have different considerations regarding the spacing of beaten zones. Searching fire involves a systematic approach where fire is spread out to cover a given area, whereas fixed fire typically focuses on a specific point. Converging fire has its own unique characteristics where the trajectories of rounds converge at a point, but it does not emphasize the closeness of beaten zones in the same way traversing fire does.