[1] Reconnaissance by fire was widely adopted by the Allies against the Axis in the European theater of World War II.
At the same time infantry would be present to provide support in the event of ambush by German panzerfaust teams.
M2 Browning machine guns also used the tactic when traveling through areas not completely cleared of enemy forces.
[3][4] During the Battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam War, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore, a US Army battalion commander, observed that his men had a surplus of ammunition.
This coordinated barrage created the impression among a group of infiltrating enemy soldiers that they had been detected, prompting them to charge at the American forces.