Guerrilla warfare * Part 1 *

[Reaver]

First, Mods please feel free to move accordingly.   Secondly this is for informational purposes only, Do not attempt to recreate, reenact, or attempt any of what you see and or read.

The term 'guerrilla' originates from the actions of small bands of Spanish soldiers who fought against Napoleon's French army in the Peninsular War (1807-1814). The word 'guerrilla' is Spanish for "little war".
 
Keep in mind that I am not trying to unlock the key to Guerrilla warfare. I am just doing my part for this community of people who may or may not find them selves in a sticky situation involving superior numbers, tech, equipment.
Remember, There's no secret formula to guerrilla warfare, it's simply the only way to fight when one doesn't have an army to fight with.
Guerrilla warfare has also been called " The way of the weak " though I contest this, Weak should not be valued in numbers. Many many numbers where lost due to the superior fighting spirit of " Weak "  guerrilla's.

What is Guerrilla Warfare?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_warfare

How long has it been effective?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_guerrilla_warfare

Why is Guerrilla Warfare so effective?
One of the reasons for the success of guerrilla warfare is that one side is usually fighting at the end of an incredibly long supply line. (Cases in point; the French and Americans in Indo China, The Americans and their allies in Iraq, and NATO in Afghanistan). The guerrillas have the advantage of a short suppply line and can if necessary live off the land. Another reason for guerrilla success is that they fight hit and run warfare, no setpiece battles for them. Guerrillas often share a religion and or genotype with the "locals". Another inherent advantage of the guerrilla is that his weaponry is inferior. He does not have to maintain an army of "techs" to repair his weaponry, each man does his own

Why should Guerrilla warfare be important to you and yours?
The very first key to Guerrilla warfare is to know what your goal is, Establish it. If you are ever forced to use Guerrilla tactics, I will put money on it that the goal will be to maintain your or your loved ones ( including countries ) Liberty and freedom.
Guerrilla warfare should be important to you because if you do not fight in this manner. You will be captured or killed rather quickly and all of this " Prepping " will be used to support an army. ( be it military, government, gangs )

Philosophy
Now days they are referred to as " Terror Tactics " but don't be misled. " Terror tactics " are just another word for guerrilla warfare, the goal of guerrilla warfare is to eliminate the enemies will to fight. Here is an Example.

You have to go to the doctor, nothing serious just a little off feeling. The nurse says " where going to give you an IV " Well after 17 sticks and no lock, what is on your mind? I know whats on my mind. At this point I'm so sore and pissed off I'm just ready to go home lay in bed and day some Night time cough and cold. 

Now what the nurse has effectively done is, Poke and prod ( pun intended ) at you enough to get you to just pack up and leave. When dealing with far superior numbers and tactics, this type of warfare is your & I only option.
Be realistic, no matter how many deployments you have done, no matter how many special forces raids you have done. You are not going to stand up and fight a squad size group of soldiers. If you do, your going to die. Plain and simple.
No matter how bad ass your AK or AR is, your not going to stand up against that much firepower and live to tell about it. If you think you are or can, you are just being ignorant and stupid. Turn off that " I'm invincible " switch and be realistic.

Now lets get into these " Terror Tactics "
Booby traps. Remember you don't always have to be seen to insight a jab at the enemy. These cheap Punjii traps can be made in a few minutes using twin and stick, if you don't have a knife to sharpen a stick then use a rock trust me it works.

The Use Of Punji Traps In The Vietnam War

Pits, A pit can be filled with any thing. Punjii, Snakes, Grenades, Hell it could just be a make shift spider hole ( fighting position )
Here is an example.

Booby trap

Go here. http://www.venombyte.com/venom/snakes/venomous_snakes_by_state.asp
You will see that there is some kind of rattle snake in every single state in the United States of America with the exception of Alaska.

Do you think it would be hard to miss one rattle snake meal and just bag it. Cinch it to a pole and drop it in a pit? Yeah, you may risk getting bit but make that pit obvious and in experienced men will be out of the fight rather quickly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improvised_explosive_device
These do not have to be heavy ordnance ladies and gents.
A simple Toe popper will work just fine.


Simple enginering can amount to excellent devices.  Pliers, Speaker wire, battery, steel wool, the lid from you can of peas. If put together properly an effective land mine has been made.

If this is taken well, I will make a part two.
RvR

[APX808]

cool, looking forward for the 2nd part Rvr, some K+ for you  [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co

[Buck Naked]

Good post Reaver!!!

As far as pits go, they can be very effective. The most trouble I had ever gotten in my life regarded a pit a made way back in the day when I was 12.
My friends and I loved to play "war" as kids and growing up we would build forts all the time. In the neighborhood there were a group of older kids who would always tear them down for fun if they found them. Somewhere along the way I got the bright idea of making what I called "Asian tiger pits" I took my dads post hole digger and started  digging 2 to 3 foot holes everywhere and carefully concealing them. Florida sand makes it sooo easy to do.  Well for a few of them I got the bright idea of taking broken bottles and sticks and digging them into the sides of the wall of the "pits".

To make a long story short..... It worked. Intact it worked too well. The law got involved and so did the lawyers. I got in huge trouble and ended up having to work all through highschool to pay my parents back some of the money it had ended up costing them. 

[Reaver]

 [img]http://www.arrse.co.uk/at

You where not supposed to get caught naked. hey-suse

I love the Florida sand man, your right its perfect for that, I never got busted of course.


Thanks for the karma man, appreciate it. 

[sledge]

A good write up on how to make booby traps.  They are very effective when properly placed in a wartime situation.  Just note that in many states booby traps are illegal so I wouldn't suggest practicing making them.  And if someone accidentally gets caught in your practice booby trap you have a good chance of losing everything you own not to mention doing some time in the local pokey. 

[Reaver]

A good write up on how to make booby traps.  They are very effective when properly placed in a wartime situation.  Just note that in many states booby traps are illegal so I wouldn't suggest practicing making them.  And if someone accidentally gets caught in your practice booby trap you have a good chance of losing everything you own not to mention doing some time in the local pokey. 

Good call, I forgot the disclaimer.  http://www.arrse.co.uk/at

[Reaver]

Its been fixed sledge. 

[CrystalHunter1989]

In my limited study of military tactics and warfare, I've come to realize four things about guerillas:

1) It's a long process. Don't expect the enemy to quit after only a few months, especially if your enemy is a major industrialized power or backed by one. Ho Chi Minh never lived to see his dream of a unified Vietnam come true.

2) You MUST have outside support of some kind. In our case, it would likely be people from neighboring towns or states (businesses, sympathetic neighborhoods, etc). Support can come in the form of money, food, weapons, ammo, clothes or information. No insurgency has survived without it, including the American Patriots of 1775.

3) Fighting is only half the battle. Every movement must have a political faction to win the support of the people. Your enemy will use the radio, TV and newspapers to paint a false picture of your cause. You must either retaliate with words, or take action to prove them wrong. Don't just fight the enemy, help the people you claim to be fighting for. Sure, we can't go around building schools, but a basket of spare rations on a doorstep with a note could change the mind of a prominent community member. Every movement from the VC to the IRA has created an arm to speak on their behalf.

4) Don't worry about the cities. Conventional armies are trained to capture concrete objectives and defend them. I once read an article (which I'll try to find later today) that actually ENCOURAGED an insurgency to hand over control of major cities to the enemy. Why? Cities drain resources. Everything an enemy does is anchored from that one location. It takes lots of soldiers to occupy and maintain order. While they're busy trying to keep the people pacified, you and your force are free to move about in the countryside. In Vietnam, the US/NATO occupied every major city in the South, but the VC dominated the villages, where most of the people lived.

Dealing with special units, like the SEALs or Rangers, is a whole other ballgame....

[Reaver]

If you wouldn't mind crystal I would like to use this in part 2 is that ok with you?

[APX808]

A key point is population support, many guerrillas fell because they were unable to get the population to help them and join their files.
For instance "Che" Guevara in Bolivia and a few subversive groups operating here in Argentina trying to spread the Cuban revolution.

For the interested in guerrilla warfare I suggest you to read a good Che Guevara's biography and Che Guevara's Bolivia diaries.

[CrystalHunter1989]

If you wouldn't mind crystal I would like to use this in part 2 is that ok with you?

Go right ahead. Here's that article: http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/parameters/Articles/2010autumn/Jardine.pdf

[JohnyMac]

A great noise generating booby trap is a few nails, a rat trap, black thread and a few size 11 or musket percussion caps.

First, put two tails in a rat trap from rear to front where the bail strikes when the trap is initiated by the rat. I typically pre drill the holes - One on each corner of the trap and then force the nail through the slightly smaller drilled hole.

Now place the percussion caps on the nail heads and set the trap. Once the trap is triggered the bail springs closed and strike the two percussion caps.

After much experimentation we found that it is better to nail the trap to a tree and run a piece of black thread across the trail at about 5' high with one end of the thread attached to the rat trap and the other end attached to a tree opposite the trap. At 5' there is less opportunity for Mr. Raccoon or Mrs Deer from triggering the warning booby trap.
 
Have fun and watch your fingers. 

PS: For a little extra fun, glue a M-80 with water proof fuse to the mouse trap and place the fuse between the two nails with caps on them.   

[goodnightChesty1775]

In my limited study of military tactics and warfare, I've come to realize four things about guerillas:

1) It's a long process. Don't expect the enemy to quit after only a few months, especially if your enemy is a major industrialized power or backed by one. Ho Chi Minh never lived to see his dream of a unified Vietnam come true.

2) You MUST have outside support of some kind. In our case, it would likely be people from neighboring towns or states (businesses, sympathetic neighborhoods, etc). Support can come in the form of money, food, weapons, ammo, clothes or information. No insurgency has survived without it, including the American Patriots of 1775.

3) Fighting is only half the battle. Every movement must have a political faction to win the support of the people. Your enemy will use the radio, TV and newspapers to paint a false picture of your cause. You must either retaliate with words, or take action to prove them wrong. Don't just fight the enemy, help the people you claim to be fighting for. Sure, we can't go around building schools, but a basket of spare rations on a doorstep with a note could change the mind of a prominent community member. Every movement from the VC to the IRA has created an arm to speak on their behalf.

4) Don't worry about the cities. Conventional armies are trained to capture concrete objectives and defend them. I once read an article (which I'll try to find later today) that actually ENCOURAGED an insurgency to hand over control of major cities to the enemy. Why? Cities drain resources. Everything an enemy does is anchored from that one location. It takes lots of soldiers to occupy and maintain order. While they're busy trying to keep the people pacified, you and your force are free to move about in the countryside. In Vietnam, the US/NATO occupied every major city in the South, but the VC dominated the villages, where most of the people lived.

Dealing with special units, like the SEALs or Rangers, is a whole other ballgame....

i believe i posted a PRF a while ago either here or on L&L it was titled along the lines of 'insurgents response to defence'...i dont remember it exactly but you pretty much quoted it about the cities

EDIT: nvm lol it was the same article

[mountainredneck2051]

this is probably your best work reaver

[JohnyMac]

I agree with Mountain Reaver...Great job!

[NOLA556]

I know Che has already been mentioned, but just to second that motion, I learned alot from his book simply titled "Guerrilla Warfare". I think I paid like $8 for it at Borders. I'd recommend it.

[backwoodsboy]

Reaver thanks to you i have some awesome ideas!

[Reaver]

Reaver thanks to you i have some awesome ideas!

No back woods, No.

[Outonowhere]

Reaver thanks to you i have some awesome ideas!

 [img]http://www.arrse.co.uk/at

[Reaver]

Reaver thanks to you i have some awesome ideas!

 [img]http://www.arrse.co.uk/at

That's what I said.  [img]http://www.arrse.co.uk/at [img]http://www.arrse.co.uk/at

[Mississippi]

Lol, don't worry i asked him what he meant and he said in a wrol situation his idea was to dig a really deep hole and they'll fall in and won't be able to get out.

[Dave_M]

First and foremost:

We would all do far far better for to call it, 'Asymmetric tactics'.

" Terror tactics " are just another word for guerrilla warfare

No it's not. Maybe with the common vernacular but guerrilla warfare or asymmetric tactics, in and of themselves, are a far cry from terrorism.

I wrote a short work about how and why asymmetric warfare works, (especially in the last 50 years, which I would be happy to post if people want to read it) but honestly the Iraqi war was a poor example for you to use, as that fight has really been over for a couple years now. We've learned the lessons of the past and have far better training as a result. If we, 'lose' in Iraq or Afghanistan, it will be solely due to political reasons and not because of American small-unit tactics nor inability to kill bad guys.

[mountainredneck2051]

i'd love to read that dave

[Dave_M]

i'd love to read that dave

Sure thing:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zoH6jSepsEzD7YHt_5YAw_7eo7Cj3Kr6CPf1DtwuaV8/edit

[mountainredneck2051]

seeing how only 49% of the battles were won by the larger forces from 1950-1999

wouldn't you also venture to say that what made those tactics successful was the small units having automatic weapons such as ar15's ak47's instead of back in the day when one man fired one round?