This handy manual is a primer in the many facets of a successful guerrilla campaign as taught by the pros in Special Forces. Covering everything from the first acts of sporadic rebellion to the final overthrow of a tyrannical government and establishment of a just, democratic society, it is a fascinating tutorial in modern armed resistance. For academic study only.
2024 Paperback Reprint of Government Publication FM-31-21, Guerrilla Warfare and Special Forces Operations, by the U.S. Department of the Army. The official manual designed to provide guidance in special forces and unconventional warfare operations for commanders and staff at all levels. They can be swift, silent, and deadly. That's why armed guerrillas are feared by even the largest, best-equipped fighting forces. No tank, rocket-propelled grenade, or infantry battalion can match the guerrilla team's ability to exact brutality with precision, instill fear in enemy hearts, and viciously deflate morale. From the snows of Korea to the jungles of Southeast Asia to the mountains of Afghanistan, the U.S. Army has employed guerrilla tactics to deadly effect. Those tactics and techniques, being used today by U.S. soldiers, are laid out in the U.S. Army Guerrilla Warfare Handbook. Topics covered include: Offensive combat operations Interdiction Defensive operations Psychological operations in support of unconventional warfare Demobilization And more! Employing small, heavily-armed, and well-oiled fire teams, guerrilla warfare has played an invaluable role in the success of nearly every U.S. campaign for decades. Here, its methods are detailed: raids and ambushes, demolition, counterintelligence, mining and sniping, psychological warfare, communications, and much more. Here is an inside look at the guerrilla strategies and weapons that have come to be feared by enemies and respected by allies. Not another outside perspective or commentary on unconventional warfare, this is the original-of use to soldiers in the field and to anyone with an interest in military tactics.
A selection of the Military Book Club. This third edition of the The PartisanÕs Companion is the last-and-best Red Army manual used to train partisans to fight the Nazi invader. Its usefulness outlived World War II. It was later used to train Òthird-worldÓ guerrillas in their wars of national liberation in the 1950sÐ70s and even the Fedayeen guerrillas who fought U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. Once upon a time, the Boy Scout Manual concentrated almost exclusively on camping, field craft and first aid. The PartisanÕs Companion adds guns, demolitions, hand-to-hand combat, assorted mayhem and multiple forms of Nazi-bashing. It is like the old Boy Scout Manual on steroids. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union, the Red Army was hard pressed to cope with the ÒinvincibleÓ Wehrmacht. The initial partisan resistance efforts also had problems. No locals were welcome, and the only guerrillas recognized by Moscow were surrounded Red Army units and units of loyal party members who were sent into unfamiliar territory to battle the Nazis. The initial training manual was a reprint from the Russian Civil War, and most of these units were wiped out. Finally the Soviets began recruiting partisans from the local communityÑbut with Red Army officers and secret police agents. The partisan effort improved. By the end of 1942, it was obvious that Germany was losing the war. The partisan ranks grew as did the training requirements for the partisan commanders. The 1942 edition of the PartisanÕs Companion helped quickly train new guerrillas to a common standard. Besides field craft, it covers partisan tactics, German counter-guerrilla tactics, demolitions, German and Soviet weapons, scouting, camouflage, anti-tank warfare and anti-aircraft defense for squad and platoon-level instruction. It contains the Soviet lessons of two bitter years of war and provides a good look at the tactics and training of a mature partisan force. The partisans moved and lived clandestinely, harassed the enemy, and supported the Red Army through reconnaissance and attacks on the German supply lines. They were also the agents of Soviet power and vengeance in the occupied regions. Soviet historians credit the partisans with tying down ten percent of the German army and with killing almost a million enemy soldiers. They clearly frustrated German logistics and forced the Germans to periodically sideline divisions to hunt the partisans. The partisans, and this third edition, were clearly part of the eventual Soviet victory over Germany. Les Grau is a retired US Army officer who fought guerrillas in South VietnamÑand left on a stretcher. Consequently, his appreciation for guerrilla tactics came early in his career. The Army later taught him Russian, and his tours of duty included frequent trips to the Soviet Union and elsewhere. He has is the author of three books on the Soviet-Afghan War, including The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War (with Ali Jalali). Mike (Misha) Gress grew up in the wilds of Siberia where everyone's dad, including his own, was a veteran of the fight against the Nazis. He joined the Soviet Army and served in the infantry (motorized rifle) forces, and afterward produced The Soviet-Afghan War: How a Superpower Fought and Lost with Les Grau.
This manual provides guidance in Special Forces and unconventional warfare operations for commanders and staffs at all levels. The basic concepts of unconventional warfare are presented in a manner designed to acquaint the reader with Special Forces organization, concepts, and methods of operations to fulfill the Army's responsibility for the conduct of unconventional warfare.
The first documented, systematic study of a truly revolutionary subject, this 1937 text remains the definitive guide to guerrilla warfare. It concisely explains unorthodox strategies that transform disadvantages into benefits.
This handbook reveals the techniques and tactics that make the U.S. Army Special Forces some of the most elite and highly skilled soldiers in the world. Trained to succeed in specialized operations such as reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and counter-terrorism, these soldiers undergo a rigorous selection process and operate under the principles of self-sufficiency, stealth, speed, and teamwork. Here readers will discover how guerrilla forces differ from special forces and how unconventional warfare relates to both; how to conduct a raid; how to improvise explosive devices; and how special forces carry out air operations.
Total Resistance: The Swiss Army Guide to Guerrilla Warfare and Underground Operations Originally published in 1965, the Panther Publications English translation of Swiss Army Major Hans von Dach's classic Der totale Widerstand brings one of the most influential guerrilla manuals back into print in its original format, right down to the distinctive red covers of the Panther Publications first printing. Universally known as being more complete than the later Paladin Press editions which have been widely reproduced, this edition is the best translation available. Total Resistance is a comprehensive guide to guerrilla warfare, designed to empower civilians to resist occupation by a foreign power through sabotage, assassination, and the organization of underground movements. This translation preserves the detailed tactics and strategies that made the original a vital resource during the Cold War. With chapters covering everything from creating sabotage cells and conducting ambushes to psychological warfare and intelligence gathering, Total Resistance remains a cornerstone in the study of unconventional warfare. Over the decades, von Dach's manual has been both revered and controversial, influencing resistance movements across the globe. Its use by various insurgent groups during the 1960s and 1970s, as well as its relevance in modern conflict zones, underscores the enduring importance of this text. This edition is perfect for historians, military enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the principles of asymmetric warfare. Whether you're studying the Cold War era, exploring military strategy, or looking for insights into modern resistance movements, Total Resistance offers a wealth of knowledge on the power of civilian-based defense. Rediscover this seminal work that continues to shape the doctrine of guerrilla warfare and underground operations around the world.
Six gentlemen, one goal: the destruction of Hitler's war machine In the spring of 1939, a top-secret organization was founded in London: its purpose was to plot the destruction of Hitler's war machine through spectacular acts of sabotage. The guerrilla campaign that followed was every bit as extraordinary as the six men who directed it. One of them, Cecil Clarke, was a maverick engineer who had spent the 1930s inventing futuristic caravans. Now, his talents were put to more devious use: he built the dirty bomb used to assassinate Hitler's favorite, Reinhard Heydrich. Another, William Fairbairn, was a portly pensioner with an unusual passion: he was the world's leading expert in silent killing, hired to train the guerrillas being parachuted behind enemy lines. Led by dapper Scotsman Colin Gubbins, these men—along with three others—formed a secret inner circle that, aided by a group of formidable ladies, single-handedly changed the course Second World War: a cohort hand-picked by Winston Churchill, whom he called his Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Giles Milton's Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a gripping and vivid narrative of adventure and derring-do that is also, perhaps, the last great untold story of the Second World War.
Field Manual (FM) 3-05.130, Army Special Operations Forces Unconventional Warfare, establishes keystone doctrine for Army special operations forces (ARSOF) operations in unconventional warfare (UW). It is based on lessons learned from both historical and contemporary UW operations. It is also based on existing, long-standing Army Special Forces (SF) UW doctrine; recently developed doctrine, such as counterinsurgency (COIN); and emerging affiliated concepts, such as irregular warfare (IW).
