Quote:
Originally posted by CSB
Here's a drawing I made to illustrate the technique our Canadian friend is talking about:
http://members.aol.com/cbjpegs/Backazi.jpg
STEP ONE - One man stays in place, while another walks as far forward as possible, generally along the desired azimuth, but only as far as will allow him to look back and see the first man.
STEP TWO - Instead of the near man attempting to steer the distant man onto the desired azimuth by looking forward and signaling ("left, left, right, hold it") ...
STEP THREE - The distant man shoots a back azimuth to the man at the starting position. From this, the distant man determines his miss distance (offset) from his current position to a line from the starting position along the desired azimuth.
STEP 4 - The distant man side steps the offset, bringing himself back into alignment with the starting man. When the man at the starting point is at the back azimuth of the man at the distant point, then the man at the starting point walks forward and joins the man at the distant point, thus traveling along the desired (forward) azimuth.
Will it work? Sure.
What's the advantage? It avoids the technique we have all seen of the man at the starting position yelling at a distant target man "Left, I mean your left, no no, my right, over here!, stop, now wait for me."
By using the back azumuth the man at the starting point need only stand clearly visible and let the distant man do the cross track corrections.
Why wouldn't SOF forces use the technique? Read the opening line: "One man stays in place, while another walks away as far as possible... ". That puts one soldier way out in front, alone.
Reminds me of the military cartoon:
(Sergeant to squad): "Now I want one man who doesn't owe me no money to walk out in front as far as you can...".
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Hi CSB,
thank you for your drawing.Sincerely very nice and sharp.
I already used this technique with a squad, during a night mouvement.
I did the same thing, but at a closer distance (depends on the darkness).To signal my squad to advance, I flashed a bip with my flashlight.I puted a paper arround my flashlight, to reduce the side diffusion.It worked perfectly and in silent (noise and radio).
The only bad thing with this is that you are emitting light, and we know that very little light can be seen with NVG.So in a certain way it wasnt so ,,silent''.
I though about another technique, but for sure it is to much difficult in rough terrain, because of obstacles.
A good thing is that you can do it alone.
The technique:
you take a rope and attach it to the hole we can find on any SILVA compass.
You attach the other end of the rope on a stick you put in the ground.A tent pike with fishing line would be ideal.
You take your general direction and go away.
Then you take your back-bearing.When back-bearing aligned, the rope must pass perfectly in the middle of the compass and trough the bearing index.If not, compensate.
When it's done, you pull the rope and the pike to you.
You do the process again.
But this technique I guess is only viable in easy terrain without too much obstacles.And generally when you have a compass you dont need to do that. That's would be good in an arid and flat country without any points to aim.
I think the fishing line and the stick would be useful if you found your bearing with some <<shadow technique>>.
That's was another ,,brain storming''. I try...
