Guerrilla Tactics, one way to look at it

The fundamental tactics of Guerrilla warfare are completely different from that of conventional military warfare, but that doesn't mean that it is any less effective. In military language, tactics are the practical methods of achieving the grand strategic objectives - winning the war.

The tactics of Guerrilla warfare does not require soldiers willing to die in every battle nor does it require that every attack should result in enemy kills. That may sound completely backwards to a conventional soldier, but the success of Guerrilla warfare becomes clear when its characteristics are closely examined.

Guerrilla warfare is a repeated "Hit and Run" style of combat designed to confuse and disrupt enemy operations. The enemy soldier in a zone of operations should not to be allowed to sleep, rest or organize. The enemy should always feel that they are surrounded. Continued disruptions can be very demoralizing to an enemy force. Five or six well-trained guerrilla soldiers can cause enemy units ten times larger to retreat in haste.

Guerrilla Tactics:


Be to effective a guerrilla fighter must have a good knowledge of the surrounding countryside; the paths of entry and escape, the possibilities of speedy maneuver, and good hiding places.

A fundamental characteristic of a guerrilla is mobility. How fast and effectively can teams move from point A to point B and then back again. Which means the effective guerrilla is in top physical shape, and is able to perform long marches, or runs without too much effort.

Guerrillas never engage in frontal head-to-head confrontations against enemy forces.

Guerrilla actions are designed to keep enemy leaders confused so that they must constantly rethink strategies and change plans.

Aggressive actions cannot endure for long, but must be rapid; there must be of a high degree of effectiveness, lasting only a few minutes, and be followed by an immediate withdrawal.

Nighttime attacks can be more aggressive and can be more direct.
Attack and fall back to safety. The enemy believing that the attacker has departed will begin to relax, when suddenly a new attack bursts forth in another place, with the same characteristics, while the main body of the guerrillas lies in wait to intercept reinforcements.

One of the weakest points of the enemy is their transportation line. Guerrilla fighters make it virtually impossible for a military force to maintain a steady transport line: road or railroad. Explosive charges can be planted on bridges or railways to make them impassable.

 Guerrillas can directly attack vehicles by lying in wait to ambush them at the moment of passing and annihilating any survivors. These guerrilla tactics forces the enemy to find new transportation routes making it harder to get fresh supplies and reinforcements to their men in the field.