3 ms·

I'm not sure why I'm not seeing more of this sort of thing: https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/5-102/Ch6.htm https://www.globalsecu

I'm not sure why I'm not seeing more of this sort of thing: https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/5-102/Ch6.htm https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/... There are plenty of trees to create abatis, log obstacles, post formations, etc. Even civilians could do a lot of it. Get ahead of the curve, and you can do a lot to slow the advance of armored vehicles. Similarly, for cities... https://mobile.twitter.com/SpencerGuard/status/1497583307504046087 https://mobile.twitter.com/SpencerGuard/status/1497583307504... Of course, I'm not there, nor privy to everything that is going on.

tablespoon 5y ago
> BRIDGE DEMOLITIONS There were a few well-publicized incidents of this outside of Kiev, very early in the conflict: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/25/world/russia-ukraine-war/videos-show-that-key-bridges-were-destroyed-to-protect-kyiv-from-russian-advance https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/25/world/russia-ukraine...
- jonnycomputer 5y ago
  Those, yes.
goalieca 5y ago
Obstacles make for good ambush points in the movies at least.
- jonnycomputer 5y ago
  Well they probably do, if they prevent escape, as they very well might. But they also just impede traffic, slow things down. They also assist in controlling enemy approach to your advantage. You can booby trap them too. The document I linked to is a pretty no-nonsense discussion of the uses and limitations of these things in warfare. e.g. ABATIS An abatis is an effective obstacle against tanks and other vehicles in a heavily-wooded area with few roads or trails. An abatis can be constructed rapidly using demolition to fell trees. The trees should be felled at a 45-degree angle to the road or trail. The tree should remain attached to the stump to make the obstacle more effective and difficult to clear. To calculate the amount of explosive necessary for tree cutting, use the formula: D (diameter of the tree trunk, in inches) squared divided by 50, for a test shot. This formula is used to compute the amount of TNT required. The results of the test shot will determine if more or less explosive is necessary for subsequent shots. Place the charges at a height of 5 feet above the ground. The trees will fall toward the side where the explosive is placed. One side of the abatis should be blown, and the other side delayed, until the first row has fallen. If time allows, mines, wire, and booby traps can be added to make clearing more difficult. Modular Pack Mine System (MOPMS) exploded on the obstacle adds an excellent tank "killer" capability. Log posts Posts are among the best antivehicular obstacles because each post presents breaching problems to the attacker. There are no fast methods of breaching a belt of posts. Normally, the attacker will try to bypass such an obstacle. Therefore, post obstacles should be placed where bypass requires much time and effort. Posts should be hardwood with a minimum diameter of 40 centimeters (15.8 inches). All posts are buried 1.5 meters (5 feet) in the ground, either vertically or at a slight angle toward the enemy, and project between 75 to 120 centimeters (30 to 48 inches) above ground level. The height should vary from post to post. The minimum acceptable density for posts is 200 per 100 meters (328 feet) of front. The spacing should be irregular, with at least 1 meter (3.3 feet), and not more than 2 meters (6.6 feet), between posts. The effect of post type obstacles can be improved, and the obstacles made more difficult to breach, by weaving spirals of barbed wire among the posts. Exploding MOPMS into the obstacle after completion greatly increases its effectiveness. Conventional mines can also be used to make the obstacle more difficult to breach.

tablespoon 5y ago

> BRIDGE DEMOLITIONS There were a few well-publicized incidents of this outside of Kiev, very early in the conflict: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/25/world/russia-ukraine-war/videos-show-that-key-bridges-were-destroyed-to-protect-kyiv-from-russian-advance https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/25/world/russia-ukraine...

jonnycomputer 5y ago
Those, yes.

goalieca 5y ago

Obstacles make for good ambush points in the movies at least.

jonnycomputer 5y ago
Well they probably do, if they prevent escape, as they very well might. But they also just impede traffic, slow things down. They also assist in controlling enemy approach to your advantage. You can booby trap them too. The document I linked to is a pretty no-nonsense discussion of the uses and limitations of these things in warfare. e.g. ABATIS An abatis is an effective obstacle against tanks and other vehicles in a heavily-wooded area with few roads or trails. An abatis can be constructed rapidly using demolition to fell trees. The trees should be felled at a 45-degree angle to the road or trail. The tree should remain attached to the stump to make the obstacle more effective and difficult to clear. To calculate the amount of explosive necessary for tree cutting, use the formula: D (diameter of the tree trunk, in inches) squared divided by 50, for a test shot. This formula is used to compute the amount of TNT required. The results of the test shot will determine if more or less explosive is necessary for subsequent shots. Place the charges at a height of 5 feet above the ground. The trees will fall toward the side where the explosive is placed. One side of the abatis should be blown, and the other side delayed, until the first row has fallen. If time allows, mines, wire, and booby traps can be added to make clearing more difficult. Modular Pack Mine System (MOPMS) exploded on the obstacle adds an excellent tank "killer" capability. Log posts Posts are among the best antivehicular obstacles because each post presents breaching problems to the attacker. There are no fast methods of breaching a belt of posts. Normally, the attacker will try to bypass such an obstacle. Therefore, post obstacles should be placed where bypass requires much time and effort. Posts should be hardwood with a minimum diameter of 40 centimeters (15.8 inches). All posts are buried 1.5 meters (5 feet) in the ground, either vertically or at a slight angle toward the enemy, and project between 75 to 120 centimeters (30 to 48 inches) above ground level. The height should vary from post to post. The minimum acceptable density for posts is 200 per 100 meters (328 feet) of front. The spacing should be irregular, with at least 1 meter (3.3 feet), and not more than 2 meters (6.6 feet), between posts. The effect of post type obstacles can be improved, and the obstacles made more difficult to breach, by weaving spirals of barbed wire among the posts. Exploding MOPMS into the obstacle after completion greatly increases its effectiveness. Conventional mines can also be used to make the obstacle more difficult to breach.