What is a tactical mission that uses direct fires, supported by indirect fires to engage an enemy force without closing the enemy to destroy, fix, or deceive?

• A. Attack by Fire
• B. Envelopment
• C. Pursuit
• D. Feint

Answer: (A)

Attack by Fire is a tactical mission that uses direct-fire weapons to engage the enemy while indirect fires, such as artillery or mortars, provide supporting suppression and fires. The goal is to fix the enemy in place and destroy or neutralize him without closing to contact, leveraging the range and power of indirect fires to shape the fight. This matches the description because it explicitly combines direct fires with indirect fires to engage at a distance rather than closing in for a melee.

The other options describe different approaches: a feint is deception to mislead the enemy; an envelopment aims to strike the enemy’s flanks or rear; a pursuit follows and tries to destroy a retreating force.