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Letter Re: Thoughts on Static Retreat Defense
Mr Rawles,
Before I start, I must congratulate you on your remarkable and down to earth
approach to informing your audience of both the practical ins-and-outs and
theory of preparedness. I'm a mid-20s town planner with a minor in building
design, living
in Western Australia. I share many of the same concerns regarding the status
and direction of society as your audience. I came across your site in the
last four months, and have
then spent a great deal of time searching your archives. I recently ordered
your
"Rawles on Retreats and Relocation" book, and await it
eagerly. My town planning occupation has granted me various edges on location
viability, design versus
aspect, map interpretation,
cut and fill techniques, earth engineering standards and natural hazard assessment
- which I might add is imperative in initial design (landslide, flooding and
bushfire hazard) and maintenance (also very importantly for bushfire hazard).
Being a city dweller, I'm at the initial stages of designing our rural retreat,
and am meticulously working on the best design for retreat ballistic protection
(small arms) and safe and strategic return of fire in the event of TEOTWAWKI against
unwelcome and potentially harmful trespassers. I will be implementing the Vauban
principles through corner build-outs [a.k.a. corner bastions or "Cooper
Corners"] to
allow observation of all lengths and aspects of the retreat. However I'm eagerly
seeking your
opinion
on the design of the openings or 'ports' in which to station arms, observe
and return fire where necessary. The retreat walls will be steel reinforced
Besser
Block (cinder block) concrete filled (although I did watch your referenced
video on urban warfare and the effects of arms on standard building materials
- and was quite concerned), I feel concrete filled Besser block is probably
the safest option available to me in terms of funding at this point. I have
over
a thousand
sand bags to implement in the event of a worst case and consistent/prolonged
attack. So, I have a 200 mm thick wall, with an opening of any size I design.
The weapons for these build outs will be SMLEs
and other bolt action high-power rifles. I believe it is bad habit to have
a barrel extend out of an opening
for various reasons, primaries being visual detection of the defender's location,
weapon damage probability factor, and manipulation by undetected enemy at close
quarters (although retreat's [avenues of approach] observation design will
nullify the later's impacts), so therefore the weapon will be positioned back
just
behind
the wall,
however
this will limit the portal of observation given the opening would be small
to restrict incoming fire. I believe half inch steel reinforcement 'around'
these gun ports would be ideal given the position of these ports, in an unpleasant
scenario, would probably sustain significant ballistic hits in comparison to
other non-strategic defense positions. I do plan to have half inch steel slide
shutters for these openings when not in use, and for a myriad of other reasons,
however I am struggling with the setup of weapon position versus wall opening
size versus wall opening shape/design for observation and for safe return fire.
This also leaves my current design issue of 'standard window' design - for
habitable room ventilation, access to daylight and sunlight and for a 'taste
of the norm' feel. I envision half inch steel sturdy shutters welded to deliberately
exposed reinforcement of the retreat walls (as I have for the primary 'airlock'
style entry door hinges and lock studs to the retreat) is the finest option
given a SHTF scenario,
but openable on days of 'no threat'. I do however, believe it is an important
element to ensure the retreat does not feel like a jail
which, as in the event of TEOTWAWKI, would adversely impact on the retreater's
morale given the world/nation status and general situation. If you
have any information on 'standard window' design also sir, I would be most
appreciative.
In terms of retreat security, I have designed this retreat in response to the
ideals of two mindsets, 1.) myself as a defending retreat owner and 2.) myself
as an marauding woodsman intent on conquering that retreat. The latter may
sound
odd to some. However, to catch a thief, many say, is to
think like a thief. How would I disable my own retreat? Would I, if I were
the rogue woodsman, position myself in a temporary camouflaged OP and
snipe on the retreat from 300 meters at vital retreat hardware, such as downpipes
to rainwater tanks, or solar panels? Perhaps my response to that would be -
by location,
design
and security mechanisms, not allow the woodsman into those positions in the
first place, however you cannot stop all contact, as if you can view a landscape
from your retreat, someone can view your retreat from a landscape. I believe
that is how one must design a retreat or harden an existing one. The solutions
for these examples are many (internally fed downpipes, or clever roof design
and visually 'hidden' solar panels), however I believe it will come down to
thinking like the 'woodsman' to mitigate the majority of the adverse conflict
situations that may reduce the lifestyle and longevity of you and your family.
I leave you now in peace and gratitude with a many and true thanks for your
significant efforts in the survival niche, and am only certain you will have
guided many thousands to a better standard of preparedness and significant
increase
in their survivability. Thanks, - Shamus
JWR Replies: Retreat architecture and self-sufficient retreat
design involve a number of tradeoffs, including:
Security and ballistic protection versus construction expense.
Unobtrusive siting (such as behind a screen of trees) versus clear fields
of fire
Permanent security features versus aesthetic design and resale value
of
your
house
Ballistic protection versus visibility of potential attacker's approaches
Ballistic protection versus
ventilation and solar exposure (windows and PV panels)
Self-sufficiency versus security. (For example, livestock and their associated
outbuildings are
needed, yet they add complexity and some risk to defensive arrangements--most
importantly by blocking line of sight.
Tending
to livestock will necessitate greater exposure for retreat residents. The same
applies
to
gardening. A stove chimney is necessary, yet it represents an exploitable
weakness.)
Convenience versus security (A single, very stout "castle door" is
great for
security, but inconvenient in normal times. Ditto for sharp s-turns in your
lane.)
Security features versus "blending in" with the more mundane neighboring
homes
How you rectify these tradeoffs depends on a number of factors, including
your retreat locale (and the ambient population density/proximity to major
cities), how heavily manned your retreat will be, and your most likely envisioned
scenario.
I agree with your approach of laying in a large supply of sandbags. These
can be filled
and set
up in
a variety
of
configurations after times
get hostile, yet can be unobtrusively stored in the interim. (Ditto for rolls
of
razor wire
or
Concertina-type defensive
wire.) Buy plenty of extras. The excess will be ideal items for barter and
charity.
While setback from a shooting port is normally desirable, it requires a much
larger
shooting port, to avoid accidental near-muzzle bullet impacts and ricochets,
in the stress
of defensive shooting situations. My approach is to place muzzles nearly flush
with the armor plate. I've also laid in supplies of some "junk" barrels, including
some de-militarized scrap M16 barrels (complete with flash hiders) that I plan
to employ sticking out of false shooting positions, with the intent
of
having them draw fire.
I describe my standard ballistically-reinforced window and door designs in
my novel "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse".
