CHAPTER 4
Section I. GENERAL
The jungle is an environment which stretches in a broad belt around the tropical areas of the world. Each of these areas has its own military, political, and economic conditions. As a result, it is impossible to describe one threat which applies to all jungle areas. Potential enemies which US forces might face in the jungle run the spectrum from lightly armed guerrillas all the way to conventional forces.
This chapter describes the main features of guerrilla and conventional forces as they are found in the jungle, and briefly outlines the types of potential threat forces in various jungle regions.
Section II. GUERRILLA FORCES
WHAT GUERRILLAS ARE
Guerrillas are irregular forces. They normally constitute the military faction of a political resistance or a subversive movement. These forces engage in unconventional operations in order to undermine the power of an established government or to take political control away from other factions. Their goal is normally to establish a new government, often according to a radical political philosophy.
The basic guerrilla organization is a three-to five-man cell. These cells are capable of independent action. They also can be brought together for larger operations and dispersed later. Guerrillas are organized into cells for two reasons. One is for security. The fewer the people who can identify members of a guerrilla force, the better the chances are that it will survive. The second reason is for support. Guerrillas must live off the land to a large degree, and small cells are easier to support in this manner.
CONTENTS
SECTION
I. General
II. Guerrilla Forces
III. Conventional Forces
IV. Potential Enemies in Three Jungle Regions
V. Weapons Used by Potential Jungle Enemies
HOW GUERRILLAS FIGHT
Guerrillas are usually weaker than conventional forces in terms of total resources. For that reason, guerrillas will not attempt to overwhelm large units of their opponents in combat. They will instead try to inflict as much damage as possible in lightning actions, withdrawing before the opposing forces can react. Guerrillas are most effective when they strike widely separated targets over a long period of time. This type of action will confuse, demoralize, and frustrate their opponents.
Typical missions which guerrillas conduct to accomplish their goals include:
• Destroying or damaging vital installations, equipment, or supplies
• Capturing supplies, equipment, or key governmental or military personnel
• Diverting government forces from other operations
• Creating confusion and weakening government morale
These missions are not normally accomplished by the use of conventional attacks and defenses. Instead, guerrillas rely on speed, surprise, and security. Guerrilla operations include raids, ambushes, mining and boobytrapping, and sniping.
Targets are selected by the guerrilla based on an analysis of how much the elimination of the target will disrupt the government, what the effect on the populace will be, the risk of being killed or captured, and the amount of weapons or supplies which can be seized. This analysis calls for timely intelligence, which is gained by active patrolling.
The retention of the initiative is the key to success in guerrilla operations. Guerrillas rely on their ability to strike where they are least expected, at points where the government forces are least prepared. If the guerrillas lose the initiative, and are forced to react to the operations of conventional forces, their effectiveness is greatly reduced.
Guerrillas are not normally organized or equipped for stand-and-fight type defensive operations. They prefer to defend themselves by moving, by dispersing into small groups, or by diverting the opponent’s attention while they withdraw. Whenever possible, these operations are accomplished by offensive operations against the opponent’s flank or rear. If the government forces persist in their attack, the guerrillas are prepared to disengage to keep their freedom of action. If forced to disperse into small groups, the guerrilla forces become less effective until they regroup to resume offensive operations.
One of the most important needs of guerrilla forces is support. This support can come from a number of sources. Food, for example, can be stolen or supplied by political sympathizers. Weapons can be gathered from raids on government installations. A foreign power may provide secret training, and shipments of food, weapons, ammunition, and equipment. If the guerrillas can be cut off from these sources of support, they will be much less effective.
To protect their operations, jungle guerrillas will normally establish bases from which they can operate. These bases will be in remote areas. The bases will be secured by a combination of guerrilla outposts and by a grapevine intelligence network established by political sympathizers. Although they may be difficult to find, there will normally be concealed routes into the bases, from which the guerrillas have access to their targets and sources of support.
GUERRILLA STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
Guerrillas operate most effectively in countries where the people are discontented with government policies. If the people are apathetic or passively hostile to their government, the guerrillas will seek to develop this feeling into a popular base of support. If no such feeling exists among the people, it will be much
harder for guerrillas to set up operations.
Some common guerrilla strengths include:
• Highly motivated leadership
• Strict, swift discipline among the guerrillas and sympathizers
• Strong belief in a political, religious, or social cause
• Capability to raise or lower the level of intensity from subversion to open warfare Some common guerrilla weaknesses include:
• Mental and physical stress, caused by long periods of isolation in an unstable environment
• Fear of criminal prosecution by the government, or of reprisals against friends and family
• Feeling of numerical and technological inferiority to counterguerrilla forces
• Uncertain public base of support
• Requirements to secure supply lines, transport means, and storage facilities or cachesSection III. CONVENTIONAL FORCES
TYPES OF CONVENTIONAL FORCES IN THE JUNGLE
Conventional forces committed to jungle operations can perform any one of a number of missions. The lowest level of involvement is the use of conventional forces to advise and assist native guerrilla or paramilitary forces, teaching them either how to fight or how to operate sophisticated equipment. A higher level of involvement is the use of conventional forces as a military cadre in units which are composed of native forces. Finally, the highest level of involvement is the operation of conventional forces in a conventional role, fighting major battles in the jungle.