Post
by LogDayFreshHots » Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:18 pm
rationtin440-
Yes. The 3-man hide is primarily used for surveillance purposes. Hence the 'hide' in the description. It's a covert observation post or 'O.P.' used to watch any number of 'targets' whether human, a building, coordinates on a map in the middle of nowhere.
The 'hide' is created in a similar manner as a 2-man fighting position except it's square to accomodate the third man and not rectangular. Its not built to be comfortable or to provide lots of room. The bigger the hide the more likely it will be stumbled upon, same with how long it's employed. This is why false hides are also constructed in other areas not near the real hide.
The top soil is carefully removed and kept alive if possible. As the sol underneath is scratched out it's used to fill sandbags to provide protection to the hide. This is done under camouflage nets and covering to help prevent detection while constructing the hide. The depth of the hide is just enough for a man to crawl around or cop-a-squat with smacking his head and bringing down the hide.
Inside, the hide operates on rotating shifts. Two men lay up front at each side of the hide, facing the target. The third man is the rear security who lays inside the back of the hide facing the rear. He might be armed with the FN MAG 58.
The two men up front are equipped with an array of surveillance equipment including spotting scopes, cameras, scoped precision rifles and possibly a MAG 58 w/ optics. The three men rotate through the 'watches' while also performing 'personal admin', maintenance to keep the hide up such as replacing camouflage and so on. Everything is done inside in the hide, even going to the bathroom. All trash and bodily waste materials are bagged up. When the hide team is replaced they take their trash with them. This cuts down on the outside traffic going in and out of the hide in order to prevent creating trails in the vegetation that over time can be impossible to hide, like small game trails. You can walk in the woods but once you come across a game trail, no matter how small, you know something comes down it on a regular basis to create a visible path.
Not exactly sure any of this helps. At some point if you haven't found any info I can dig out the complete set of Combat & Survival I have and get the chapter for you.
LDFH
"FIND THE BASTARDS, THEN PILE ON" - Standing Order of Col. George S. Patton Jr., C.O. 11th ACR.
"We may find in the long run that tinned food is a deadlier weapon than the machine-gun" - George Orwell.