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Sabotage and Counter-Sabotage, by A. Farm Graduate
The purpose of this article is to put another skill (if not a skill, perhaps
a seed) in the mental toolkit of preparedness-oriented individuals. Although
not an exhaustive study on clandestine operations, this article will give
you a glimpse into an advantage seeking two part mindset – sabotaging
the enemy’s equipment and keeping your equipment from getting sabotaged!
It is assumed the condition under which this article would find use is the
end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI). Please don’t go
do something listed in this article that you don’t have the skill or
legal right to do.
You want to ensure the survival of yourself and your loved ones. I’m
sure you’ve made preparations to do so, right? You have to keep your
equipment preparations running to get a tactical or survival advantage from
them. You must learn to see your equipment through the eyes of a saboteur.
This will allow you to spot equipment vulnerabilities. Why would anyone want
to sabotage your gear? They would do it for the same reasons they would threaten
you in the first place. Their lack of morals, planning, and diligence, brought
to the surface by a desperate situation, leads them to persecute you for gain.
Your equipment stands in their way. The reason could be that they don’t
want you to have anything they don’t have!
Some may consider sabotage a little too proactive – too dangerous even.
We’re talking nightmarish end-of-the-world stuff here. We’re talking
about using any and every tool in the box to keep our loved ones safe. Sabotage
is a no-brainer if you are gutsy enough to use recon teams or actually make
an armed stand. Once you get past the negative aura of the word “sabotage,” you
realize it is indeed a valuable skill. Why would we ever want to sabotage someone’s
equipment? It is the same reason that causes us to buy expensive battle rifles
and copious quantities of ammunition – to deny the enemy the ability
to take our freedom and lives. If you do not maintain or gain the tactical
advantage, will not the enemy gain it? What good is a stockpile of all the
latest gear or a heap of brain power and courage if you simply refuse to fully
use it? Learn to see the enemy’s equipment through the eyes of a saboteur
to reap huge tactical rewards. Perhaps the elimination of the enemy’s
advantage will spare you from having to take his life. Sabotage can have a
large psychological impact. A discovered act of sabotage lets the enemy know
that they are not safe. It will throw them “off their game.”
You can hide in your retreat, counting bullets while sporting only your lucky
camouflage boxers. However, you wouldn’t need that expensive battle rifle
and all that ammunition if no one could ever find you. You will have a confrontation
with a hostile organized group. It’s too small a world with too few morals.
Ruthlessness is surely a trait that would allow said hostile group to survive
in lieu of preparedness. They’ll be roving the wasteland looking for
more supplies and victims. Their survival would be evidence of their pillaging
proficiency. As we all learned in grade school, bad people don’t fight “fair.” There
will most likely be more people in their group than in your group. As we get
older, we realize that fighting “fair” really means fighting with
a handicap. There must be some pseudo-religious notion in the subconscious
mind of upright people that tells them anything remotely perceived as “sneaky” is
wrong. When someone threatens the life of you and your loved ones, then you
must do whatever it takes to protect yourselves. This is why survivalists who
actually
survive TEOTWAWKI will use tools like sabotage.
Types of Sabotage
The first type of sabotage is covert. That is, the target does not discover
the non-working machine for some time or discovers the non-working machine
but does not immediately suspect foul play. This type of sabotage requires
the most skill, time, and planning. A lightly armed team of two lookouts
and one technician, each fully blacked-out with NVGs and good noise
discipline, could accomplish a fantastically effective covert sabotage. One
person with nerves of steel, a pile of patience, and the proper motivation
can work wonders too! Some of the reasons for covert sabotage are listed
below.
1. Keeping the target from knowing there is a hostile force in the area.
2. Attempting to avoid retaliation from target.
3. Extra time for escape and evasion.
4. Attacking the target right before it discovers its equipment doesn’t
work (surprise!).
The second type of sabotage is overt. It could be loud, fast, and ugly. It
could also be just loud, just fast, or just ugly. If this type of sabotage
had a mascot, it’d be a sledgehammer. Once the target gets near the machine,
it’s red alert time. The target may even hear or see the sabotage happen.
It doesn’t matter; you just want his machine out of the game! Overt sabotage
is mostly the stuff of last ditch seat-of-the-pants defenses. Some of the reasons
for overt sabotage are listed below.
1. Approaching enemy vehicles.
2. Quickly shutting down enemy communications.
3. Diversions.
Covert Vehicular Sabotage
Covert vehicular sabotage can range from slowing the target down to keeping
them from moving at all. Probably the most cunning covert design is that which
leaves a small team stranded some distance from base camp. The designer would
have a good opportunity to ambush the stranded team. The following list is
a sample of what can be done. It is mostly arranged from mild to wild. Not
all items are applicable to all vehicles. Some of these items may require the
use of an “improvised” car door key. Some vehicles have the hood
release cable located directly behind the grille, which can be manipulated
to open the hood without gaining access to the interior of the vehicle. Remember,
it is assumed that the perpetrator has put some thought and planning into situations
like these:
- Water in the fuel tank. What is more innocuous than this?
- Loosened valve
stem on one of the tires - just enough so that the tire will be flat in the
morning.
- Replacement of a critical fuse (fuel pump, ignition) with a blown
fuse of the same value.
- Cut on bottom (non visible) side of main engine belt
deep enough to reach the interior cords. This action removes most of the
belt’s tensile strength
and creates a stress riser in the belt. The result is no alternator,
water pump, power steering, or AC – oh my.
- Loosened or removed lower
radiator hose clamp. Coolant will leak out under pressure when the engine
gets warm (away from base camp that is). Loosened oil plug or filter. Oil
will leak more freely once it is warm (away from base camp that is).
- Loosened
battery cable. This could turn into a nasty surprise if the battery is emitting
hydrogen when the sparks start.
- Un-plugged vacuum lines.
- Modified ignition timing. Distributor equipped
vehicles only.
- Plastic electrical connectors un-plugged from critical sensors – just
enough to break electrical contact. A look of authenticity is given when
the small connector retainer arm is broken.
- Switched spark plug wires that
are similar in length. Not for coil-per-plug vehicles.
- Bleach in the fuel
tank. Once cranked, the engine will eventually sputter and stop. (Mythbusters rule!).
Examples of Overt Vehicular Sabotage Here is a partial list of the easy, ugly,
quick, and dirty.
- Slashed tires
- Cut fuel lines
- Cut transmission lines
- Cut coolant hoses
- Cut under-hood wires
- Large holes put in the radiator or fuel tank
- High-powered rifle bullets
fired into the engine block or transmission of approaching enemy vehicles
- Explosives
wired to the ignition switch circuit
Examples of Stationary Equipment Sabotage
- Cut power wires
- Cut control wires
- Cut antenna signal and guy wires
- Loosened electrical connections – done
when equipment is de-energized
- Water or dirt placed in bearings
- Removal of chain master link retainers – done
while equipment is stopped
Protecting Your Equipment from Sabotage
We have explored some sabotage possibilities. Hopefully you will start examining
your equipment for possible vulnerabilities. It is not possible to list
every conceivable scenario here like a playbook, therefore, it is important
you learn
to use your imagination and think like a saboteur. Use the following list
as
a starting point:
- Know your equipment
- Inspect your equipment often
- Don’t leave equipment where it is visible
- if possible
- Always lock every lock (sidearms excluded)
- Mark the head of bolts and the
bolted equipment with aligned paint dots for indication of tampering
- Use fasteners
with tamper resistant heads (High security bits are uncommon)
- On vehicles, cover the lower engine
compartment openings with expanded metal
- Run power and communications wiring
underground and have it enter a building through the floor thereby minimizing
outside exposure
- Run critical wires in conduit
- Run “dummy” wires in plain sight
while hiding the route of the actual critical wires
- Install an alarm with
security lights and motion detectors in critical areas
- Use dogs to alert
you to suspicious activity
- Use sentries to watch the premises
- Move the equipment to a secure shelter
or build a secure shelter around the equipment
Use layered security (combination of all) for the most effective setup. -
A. Farm Graduate
