Basic Anti-Armor Warfare Tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other armored/tracked vehicles present grave danger to civilians. Their capabilities are varied, but all can be counted on to move over obstacles which stop regular traffic. Stopping these vehicles will render them much less-effective (they then become semi-hard gun emplacements, etc.), so it is important to slow, or stop, armor whenever possible. Armor is protected by infantry. Separated from protective infantry, it is vulnerable to ground attack. Further damage can be inflicted on its effectiveness through "blinding" it, with smoke and direct covering of its "eyes." If a tank is "buttoned up," (closed), its vision is limited, and its destruction is limited to what it can throw (machine-gun bullets, nerve gas) at you, and by its supporting armor. If a tank opens so that the driver can see out, or so a spotter/gunner can pop from the turret or body, snipers can attack. (Many APCs have aluminum armor, which can sometimes be pierced by a high-powered hunting rifle; but you must hit something inside to be effective!) If you can get close enough to attack a tank, molotov cocktails (glass bottles filled with gasoline, fuel oil, and soap, and having a flaming cloth wick) are often effective, particularly if you can get one inside, or through the engine cover. If you can attack outside armor, a sledge hammer will damage gun barrels, flame throwers, and much glass. There are methods of tripping up the tracks, or even breaking them; but these vary greatly with the type of vehicle encountered. The best defense against armor is to stop it, blind it, and separate it from other armor and especially infantry. Contents can then be roasted. Otherwise, stay clear, if possible! The US Army has a good manual on tactics, roadblocks, etc., FM 23-3, "TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, and CONCEPTS of ANTI-ARMOR WARFARE." Good Advice From a Master: Standing Orders, Rogers' Rangers (1759) from SH 21-76, US Army Ranger Handbook 1. Don't forget nothing. 2. Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball; and be ready to march at a minute's warning. 3. When you're on the march, act the way you would if you was sneaking up on a deer. See the enemy first. 4. Tell the truth about what you see and what you do. There is an Army depending on us for correct information. You can lie all you please when you tell other folks about the Rangers, but don't never lie to a Ranger or officer. 5. Don't never take a chance you don't have to. 6. When you're on the march we march single file, far enough apart so one shot can't go through two men. 7. If we strike swamp or soft ground, we spread out abreast, so it's hard to track us. 8. When we march, we keep moving 'til dark, so as to give the enemy the least possible chance at us. 9. When we camp, half the party stays awake while the other half sleeps. 10. If we take prisoners, we keep 'em separate till we have had time to examine them, so they can't cook up a story between 'em. 11. Don't ever march home the same way. Take a different route so you won't be ambushed. 12. No matter whether we travel in big parties or little ones, each party has to keep a scout twenty yards ahead, twenty yards on each flank, and twenty yards in the rear, so the main party can't be surprized and wiped out. 13. Every night you'll be told where to meet if surrounded by a superior force. 14. Don't sit down to eat without posting sentries. 15. Don't sleep beyond dawn. Dawn's when the French and Indians attack. 16. Don't cross a river by a regular ford. 17. If somebody's trailing you, make a circle, come back onto your tracks, and ambush the folks that aim to ambush you. 18. Don't stand up when the enemy's coming against you. Kneel down, lie down, hide behind a tree. 19. Let the enemy come 'til he's almost close enough to touch. Then let him have it and jump out and finish him up with your hatchet. GOOD-TO-GO KIT (Things you should always have within reach, for any emergency which might arise.) GI Canteen Cup (steel is better than aluminum) Knife (decent sheath knife, 5" blade) Gold/Silver "space blanket." (carry 2; they're fragile!) Plastic sheet, 6' x 10' , at least 4 mil thick Matches (waterproof) and ever -light birthday candles Alternate fire-starter (magnesium, steel wool , lighter) Cold-weather electrician's tape (Scotch "33" or "44") Saw (folding buck, pack saw) 50' minimum of parachute cord Signal mirror (GI type, with aiming device) Whistle (Acme Dog-training recommended) Dental floss Poncho Flashlight First Aid Kit Sunblock Water and purification tablets Snack (jar of peanuts, pemmican, etc.) Trowel Toilet Paper Pencil Glasses, dentures Maps Fish hooks Hat Compass Soap Socks ...and anything you can grab from the list below. If you have your own car, it should contain: Sleeping bag Tent Axe Shovel or entrenching tool Bucket 100' of 3/8" or larger rope (nylon) Mattress pad Heavy coat Gloves/mittens Insect repellant Cheesecloth (first aid and insect screen) Multi-tool (Leatherman's, Gerber, Swiss Army knife, etc.) FIRST AID KIT (Determine the things you need, and things you can carry. Experts think everything here is important.) gauze compresses painkillers sunscreen and sunburn ointment antibiotics toothpaste, mouthwash eyewash butterfly bandages and super glue needles and thread (unwaxed, non-flavored dental floss works well , and serves other purposes) disinfectants (hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, iodine) salve (burn cream, antiseptic ointment) tweezers, nail clippers and file, small scissors, razor blade gauze and self-adhesive bandages and tape. painkillers (aspirin, Percodan, and topical anesthetics) (lidocaine, novocaine, morphine) flea shampoo, collars, and powder maintenance prescription drugs (insulin, Tagamet) first-aid manual adhesive bandages ace bandages vaseline anti-diarrheal bicarbonate of soda Note: Veterinarians are also good sources of equivalent drugs. (Be sure to understand equivalent doses!) The Red Cross First Aid Textbook (1945, page 244) suggests: 1 inch compresses on adhesive in individual packages Sterile gauze squares -- about 3" x 3" -- in individual packages Assorted sterile bandage compresses in individual packages Triangular bandages Sterile gauze in individual packages of about 1 sq yard Roll of 1/2 inch adhesive tape Burn ointment Aromatic spirits of ammonia Inelastic tourniquet Scissors 3 inch splinter forceps Paper cups 1 inch and 2 inch roller bandages Wire or thin board splints Castor oil or mineral oil for use in eyes - this should be sterile; may be obtained in small tubes CELL STRUCTURE: Each cell (pentagon) has five members, who can be individuals, married couples, or families. Each member is represented by a circle, showing that member's primary (P) and secondary (S) cell affiliations. No member may be a primary member of more than one cell. Cell structure is diverse and unpredictable; this makes the structure hard to infiltrate or destroy. See text for organizational details. "You are never conquered until you surrender!" -- Eduardo ------------------------------------------------ Notes added by militia: Plastic canteens are quieter than metal and are best to avoid being detected.