The book is dedicated to the main striking power of the ground forces - tank troops. The author reconstructed the main tank battles of World War II, spoke in detail about the background of the creation and post-war development of armored vehicles, gave a description of various types and types of tanks, paying great attention to armor protection and the parameters of tank guns, their maneuverability in specific landscapes. The publication is supplied with maps, diagrams and photographs.

Principles of warfare

Principles of warfare

An accurate and objective description of a specific battle, even the main course of historical events, is rare. Military records can be overly emotional. Memoirs are sometimes presented biasedly - in order to present their authors (or one of the parties) in the most favorable light. The history of a particular military unit often does not reflect the time, place and location of the troops. National pride and politics can influence the accounts of events, which are embellished, and personal memories are limited, though often adding additional and necessary color to the picture of events.

Even in the calmer atmosphere of civil life, there is a scatter of opinion after an event as to its cause and effect, as well as time and place. How much more likely it is that the description of the events of the battle, when people are tense, exhausted and afraid of an imminent and terrible death, suffers from subjectivity and is not always true. It is amazing that in battle people are able to act as intelligently as they always did, and remember everything as clearly as in ordinary life. The basis for this is morale or pride, and partly training and discipline.

Therefore, to synthesize descriptions of hostilities, it is necessary to reduce often conflicting sources to a common denominator, accepting the point of view of the majority or the most plausible of several descriptions of events. Historians can always be blamed for failing to provide their readers with the fullness of the events described so that the reader can appreciate the significance of these events. Therefore, in preparing this book, it seemed that the descriptions of the various battles would benefit from a revision of the principles of land warfare that have existed since time immemorial, and the tactics used to implement them, after tanks and aircraft were established on the battlefields.

The nine principles of successful warfare have been known for centuries. These principles are formulated differently in different countries; in the United States they are known as the principles of purpose, concentration, maneuver, unified command, simplicity, economy of force, security, surprise, and advance. Although it is well known that the principles of warfare are often ignored or misinterpreted.

It is these principles of warfare that are taken as the basis of tactics and the art of combat. Like the principles of warfare, the principles of tactics have not changed much throughout history. Weapons, means of communication and other equipment changed, but the principles of their use remained largely the same. But as these principles are applied in the most diverse geographic settings and with soldiers armed in various ways, ranging from spearman, swordsman, archer, and cavalryman to machine gunner, marksman, tanker, paratrooper, or airman, an almost infinite variety of military operations can be observed. To this variety of conditions, armaments and personnel must be added elements of the human factor - fear, fatigue, morale, discipline, preparedness and experience, hidden dislike and envy, misunderstanding, false pride, anger at the opposition to the intended plans, despair, betrayal and politics, as well as panic, the accumulation of civilian refugees, the effectiveness of supplies (or lack thereof), friction between the High Command and troops at the front, the vagaries of the weather, etc. The conduct of combat operations is influenced by the nature of the terrain (primarily relief), the contours of the coast, low tides, irrigation and drainage systems, vegetation, soils, climate and weather, as well as man-made features such as the transportation network and various settlements, and many other details. Thus, one can see that seemingly well-understood principles of warfare are often implemented unpredictably in practice.

Most operations in terms of military tactics consist of a general offensive, specific attacks, pursuit, defense, containment and withdrawal. The attack may be by breakthrough, or by a frontal assault, or by infiltration. The Germans are credited with developing a system of infiltration attack by small groups of soldiers breaking through enemy positions undetected in order to later link up and gather forces. The Russians became masters of such actions twenty-five years later, during World War II, when the Germans discovered that almost every Russian offensive was preceded by an infiltration of individual fighters and small units.

Since a frontal attack obviously comes at a high price, the offensive is often carried out by a roundabout maneuver or encirclement of one or both flanks of the enemy. Any form of attack may be a variation or may exist in combinations. Sweeps are usually carried out on the surface of the earth, but there are many examples of other kinds of sweeps in history. One of them, which can be called "underground coverage", involves undermining or digging a tunnel. Other examples closer to ours are air and water coverage.

There are two fundamental forms of defense - active and passive. Active defense consists of a series of holding actions of small mobile units or a number of strong points rather than of disrupting an enemy advance along a continuous line of defense. Mobile reserves are used flexibly, as they are needed to support defensive strongholds or gaps between them, or to counterattack. This type of defense was developed during the First World War by the same Germans, and since then it has been adopted almost everywhere. Such a defense develops in depth and is conceived as a twisted spring, which, straightening or contracting, builds up tension for a counterattack. Passive defense is of two types - frontal and circular (or perimeter defense), it is sometimes called "the defense of the cornered rat".

Deterrent defensive actions are a means to buy time for a withdrawal. To retreat, it is important to be able to get out of the battle. For the advancing side, it is important to pursue in order to disorganize the stunned enemy, who is trying to conduct deterrent hostilities or make an orderly withdrawal.

The threat from the reserve or special forces means that the enemy must similarly keep a counter-reserve ready. If one does not know about its existence, size or location, the reserve becomes an even more significant force. Communication and supply lines must be protected. The degree of protection varies and depends on whether they are located on their own or on enemy territory.

In modern warfare there is no continuous line of fighting. An infantry battalion of eight hundred to a thousand soldiers can defend the main line of about 2400 meters with a distance of about 400-500 meters between strong points. However, in an attack, the density is different and the battalion can cover the front only to a width of 500 to 1000 meters. Losses naturally shorten these distances or result in areas being defended by more rare forces.

A formal system of dividing lines was adopted in World War I to mark areas of responsibility between small and large units and formations because it was considered desirable in the close combat positions and trench lines that existed at the time. Dividing lines of responsibility have continued to be used ever since, although in a rapidly developing type of mobile warfare their value is questionable.

Tactics is said to consist essentially of firing and maneuvering, using the element of surprise or, conversely, avoiding it, the latter being known as "security." In order to be able to use the element of surprise, imagination and resourcefulness are required. The prevention of surprise consists in taking both precautionary measures of a technical nature and deception of the enemy. It also includes the identification of enemy positions on the ground, information about him, about his material and physical capabilities and a possible course of action. It is considered unforgivable to be taken by surprise by the enemy. A successful tactician must prevent this from happening (while at the same time trying to do so against the enemy).

Artillery is used to fire (direct fire and from indirect positions) against enemy artillery, infantry, tanks and other troops or against his supply depots and other rear objects. But the outcome of a battle is almost always determined by the resourcefulness of each individual infantryman with his rifle, machine gun or machine gun, because only he can hold a position once taken. All other types of troops and services complement such a fighter, allowing him to wage a successful fight against the enemy.

At the dawn of the history of wars, warriors fought shoulder to shoulder. With the continuous improvement of weapons, the distance between them gradually increased. Eventually this led to the adoption of certain dispersal formations and to take advantage of terrain and cover. Such formations are also designed to maintain control in such conditions as fighting in the forest, in fog, in smoke, at night, in the river and at the crossing, during landings from the sea, and in many others. These formations and the basic tactics employed are the same for both small and large units. All this can vary in detail and depends on the situation and the weapons used.

A twelve-man infantry squad can flank, hop, or infiltrate. As the size of the unit increases, each individual unit can continue to operate in accordance with the basic principles of tactics on the ground or according to the evolving situation. Meanwhile, a larger unit (or several units) can similarly perform various tactical maneuvers. In larger units and units, additional weapons are used - mortars, artillery, armored vehicles, as well as units of engineering troops and communications, artillery and technical support and repair, aerial photography and topography services, medical services, naval forces, partisans, propaganda tools and many other units. , each of which contributes to the achievement of the main tactical goal.

Subdivisions and units of various strengths can attack (including with fire) each enemy unit on its way or bypass it in order not to lose the pace of the attack, leaving the clearing of bypassed enemy points and areas of resistance to waves of friendly troops moving after it. These are also the fundamentals of seepage tactics.

While smaller units such as squads usually don't do this, larger units leave some of their forces in combat as support or reserves. Support forces are used to follow the attacking forward units in order to ensure the speed of the attack, maintain its pace and power. The reserve is an additional force held as a last resort for the final completion of the attack or introduced in order to repulse the enemy's counterattack at the moment when it is clear that the attack has bogged down. Thus, in the study of combat operations, the existence of such support and such a reserve must be kept in mind, even if they are not specifically mentioned.

As a rule, the side that achieves a decisive superiority in any type of armed forces and uses it wisely has a better chance of winning. As Napoleon once said: "God is on the side better than armed battalions." This is true, but only with skillful use of them. There are many examples in history of victorious actions of troops that were inferior in numbers - because they were competently controlled or they correctly and effectively used the weapons given to them. Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina (1781 - Ed.) during the American Revolutionary War, a little classic example of what might be called passive outreach. In the course of it, the American commander, General Daniel Morgan, flanked the inexperienced British troops with a small number of battle-hardened American troops in such a way that, when the ill-prepared American troops in the center were broken by the British attack, the experienced US troops on the flanks were held in such a way that the natural course of battle led to their victory through the envelopment of enemy troops in the center. The American commander correctly assessed his forces and acted accordingly.

The usual standard offensive tactical formation consists of two parts of the first echelon and one part of the support. But sometimes for a frontal attack (assault), where maximum effort is needed, only one attacking unit and two (or more. - Ed.) units advancing after it in order to maintain the onslaught on the enemy. An attack through the forest, or at night, or against an enemy whose position is unclear, may be made in column formation. In any case, the following waves of attackers may repeat the formations of the original wave in order to support the initial attack, or may advance in some other formation.

The number of troops (our own and the enemy), the terrain and the general situation are usually of paramount importance, but sometimes the train of thought and the personality of the commander matter. Many attacks fail due to underestimating the enemy's strength or morale, or failing to capitalize on success, or even committing all available forces into battle just because they were on hand (and so there were no reserves left when the enemy counterattacked. All these are elementary truths that have existed since time immemorial, and as a result, one had to pay dearly at the cost of wasted lives in vain).

A common shortcoming of military commanders is that they have memorized established rules and patterns of tactics and always use them in exactly the same way, regardless of specific circumstances. This often happened during both world wars of the twentieth century. Such commanders stubbornly insist on a certain course of hostilities when their failure is already obvious. Tactics textbooks are full of the technical details of “approved” formations and cliches in the form of rules (and notes to them) for all occasions. Precision plotting charts for use in given conditions are interesting and can be learned by heart. Too often in combat, troops are guided by textbook methods, instead of common sense and the principles of warfare. It is no secret that the Communist Chinese army operating in Korea in 1951 published a document stating that the methods of the Americans always differed in that they provided for a certain day of attack and a single sequence of aerial bombardments, artillery shelling, bringing armored vehicles into battle, and, finally, infantry attacks. With such methods, there was no room for the element of surprise, and the result was unnecessary losses in personnel and equipment, not to mention the fact that troops operating according to the template were in danger of being defeated.

Rules and "approved solutions" to peacetime planning problems are important, and knowledge of weapons and technology is essential. But there are times when the textbook must be forgotten, and the situation facing the commander must be reassessed and the only correct remedy applied. Resourcefulness and, more importantly, knowledge of human nature must come into play.

One of the problems that commanders face in combat is how to control the situation. It goes without saying that intelligence or other information about the enemy should be sent to the rear - for the high command, while the oncoming flow of information should follow from the rear to the front. If the commander of any military unit or unit, large or small, does not constantly receive the necessary information and is not aware of what is happening, he will not be able to make the right decision at the right time. The theater of operations in modern warfare is very large, and the time has passed when the commander of any, even the smallest, unit could determine what turn the battle was taking.

However, a commander cannot do without some intelligence at his level, but he must rely on larger assets to obtain more detailed intelligence. They include reconnaissance conducted by reconnaissance detachments of a few to many soldiers, or even reconnaissance in combat by the combined efforts of various branches of the military. Aerial reconnaissance, of course, is of the greatest importance, replacing the horse patrols of past years.

The problems of control and security are especially difficult in the case of night operations, when the pace and depth of the operation decreases. Experience shows that casualties are usually higher in night operations, although the end often justifies the means. In the US Army, after the start of the Korean War, combat training focused on night operations, and this took a third of the time of all combat training. But later, like many of the training sessions that were proven necessary by World War II and the Korean War, such sessions faded away.

Security measures for an offensive on the road or off-road require that reconnaissance detachments or forward guards move ahead of the main body, and also that reconnaissance detachments and combat guards move ahead of the main body and parallel to them. This is done in order to prevent a surprise attack by the enemy, and also in order to give the main body time to deploy from marching to battle formation, if necessary. Today, helicopters are sometimes used in this role. At a halt for the same reason, posts are posted. In combat, each unit maintains contact with neighboring units on each side. If it is a flank unit, it must also have considerable forces at the ready in order to prevent or frustrate the envelopment of its flank by the enemy or his enveloping maneuver. In the battle area where the opposing forces have come into combat contact, both sides resort to reconnaissance in order to identify and determine the location of the enemy, recognize the opposing units, and capture and interrogate prisoners. As already mentioned, only a small number of people can be involved in reconnaissance or, under certain conditions, it can be reconnaissance in force. In this case, it may be a small coordinated operation involving units from all branches of the military. Or, as during the First World War in the conditions of trench warfare, both sides could resort to raids into the enemy's trench, which took minimal time (with coordinated intelligence-gathering operations).

Even a brief discussion of the question of tactics would be incomplete without reference to guerrilla warfare. While guerrilla tactics are far from new, they have been used more and more frequently in recent times, either alone or in conjunction with conventional warfare. One of the best descriptions of this type of warfare is found in Mao Zedong's Yu Chi Chan (Swift and Devastating War), which is partly based on the teachings of the ancient Chinese military thinker Sun Tzu (6th-5th century BC).

Mao writes: “The strategy of guerrilla warfare is clearly different from that used in traditional military operations. In guerrilla warfare there is no such thing as a decisive battle; there is nothing comparable to the immobile passive defense that distinguishes traditional warfare. The main distinguishing features of intelligence, the basic principle of deployment and the development of an attack ... have nothing to do with guerrilla warfare. Mao continues: “Choose tactics that give the impression of an attack from the east and from the west; avoid large forces, attack weak ones; attack and retreat; deliver a lightning strike; look for an instant solution. When the guerrillas are fighting a stronger enemy, they withdraw when he advances; one must disturb him when he stops; to strike him when he is weak; chase him when he moves away. In guerrilla strategy, the flanks and rear of the enemy are his vital places, and he must be exhausted, dispersed, exhausted and destroyed ... The main thing in the attack is its furious onslaught and deceitful nature. Mao also noted that in any guerrilla war with the West, Eastern patience would prevail over Western impatience in the absence of a solution. The hysteria in the United States in 1970 and 1971 over demands for an "end to the war" in Vietnam is proof of how correct the above assessment is.

The Finns in the war with Russia (November 30, 1939 - March 13, 1940) developed guerrilla warfare tactics that suited their country of lakes, swamps, dense forests and harsh winters. One of its varieties was called "motti". It consisted in an operation against columns of advancing Soviet troops stretched out and tied to the road. There were three stages in this operation. The first stage (it continued during subsequent stages) consisted of reconnaissance and blocking. Small Finnish detachments harassed the enemy, usually at night, using attack and retreat tactics, setting up explosions and laying mines, attacking and quickly disengaging from the battle. The second stage consisted of several sudden, powerful flank attacks with the aim of splitting the enemy column into several small parts isolated from each other. This could have been done at night or during a snow storm, when separate attacks were carried out simultaneously. The idea was to cut the enemy column into small groups, which would then fizzle out in an attempt to break through. Each of these groups eventually broke up into ever smaller handfuls, which were then destroyed.

During World War II, the Yugoslavs and Russians made extensive use of partisans who harassed the rear of the Germans in order to hinder their actions, for propaganda purposes, in cooperation with regular forces and as a kind of "Ku Klux Klan" to punish every inhabitant of the occupied territories, who collaborated with the Germans. The Americans and South Vietnamese faced exactly the same kind of guerrilla warfare in Asia.

History is rich in examples of types of warfare and even more ideas about it. In all of them the principles of warfare are obvious. They are not always balanced, and sometimes a brave commander ignores one or more of these principles in an emergency. But no commander and no nation can ignore them without risking defeat.

Translator Sebastian Yakymenko

While many military tactics have long been studied and widely used, some of them, thought up hastily or under the circumstances, can rightfully be classified as crazy. This also applies to the tactics listed below, which, it seemed, could bring an instant death sentence, but in fact everything turned out to be just the opposite.

10. Cat Army

Cats have been used throughout the history of human warfare, usually in reconnaissance or to prevent attack. But no one else used cats as sophisticatedly as the king of Persia Cambyses II. The Persian ruler fought the Egyptians at the Battle of Pelusium in 525 BC. and, since we all know that the cat held an honorable place in Egyptian society and was considered a sacred creature, the Achaemenid Empire decided to use this fact to their advantage by invading Egypt. Cambyses ordered his men to paint felines on their shields, and sent a hundred cats into the front line. The plan worked: the Egyptian archers refused to shoot the animals for fear they would injure or kill them, which is a crime punishable by death. Instead, the Egyptians retreated and most of them were killed by the Persians. The territory was eventually overrun and the pharaoh taken prisoner.

9 Spartan Sikhs

When you think of Sikhs (if you know who they are), there is no question of any violence... except for one battle - in which 48 Sikhs held back 100,000 people. The Sikhs fled the Mughal Empire within a few days and established the state of Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, India. After seeking shelter, they were overtaken by the Mughal army, who surrounded them. For most, this would mean surrender before the enemy even got close to the gates of the city. But the Sikhs decided to defend themselves against the vastly superior enemy forces in order to at least give their leader Guru an opportunity to escape. One way or another, 48 men defended the fortress for a whole night, distracting the enemy and killing 3,000 enemies, as well as ensuring the survival of their religion.

8. Siege to siege

After the Gallic revolt in Alesia in 52 BC, Julius Caesar sent 60,000 of his legionaries to the city and besieged the 80,000-strong Gallic army. When Caesar learned that 120,000 Gallic reinforcements were coming to meet his forces, he ordered his men to build outer walls next to the besieged city, surrounded by a moat and palisade. Over the next few weeks, commanding a force almost 4 times inferior to the enemy, Caesar led the siege of Alesia and the defense of his fortifications. On October 2, he, along with 6,000 cavalry, made a surprise crushing attack against 60,000 troops, forcing the surrender of those who were in Alesia.

7 Hammers Against Submarines

German submarines were instrumental in disrupting British, American and French supplies during World War I. Otto Kretschmer alone, the most successful submarine officer of World War II, was responsible for the sinking of more than 40 ships with a total cargo of more than 200,000 tons. With no submarines of their own and virtually no countermeasure plan, the British came up with a somewhat odd solution to the situation - a hammer and a small canvas bag. A convoy of a blacksmith and several shooters on a small raft sailed out into the sea in the dead of night, and as soon as the crew noticed the raised periscope of a submarine, they approached it imperceptibly, broke lenses with a hammer or put a bag on the periscope so that the captain could not see anything, thereby causing the boat to rise to the surface, where the artillery was waiting for it. Although this method was successfully used (16 submarines were damaged by the hammer), not a single ship was completely destroyed.

6. Worst technology

Going with a knife against a man with a pistol is simply pointless, as well as fighting with spears against archers with arrows. Just as ridiculous was the Soviet use of biplanes on the Eastern Front during World War II, when the Luftwaffe had much more technologically advanced aircraft. Few also know that Polikarpov's Po-2 biplanes were flown by the Night Witches, a brigade of female bombers. They were given outdated technology because they were women, but the bombers soon proved themselves, flying over 1,000 missions by the end of the war. There was one secret to their success: the fast German Me-109 could not slow down to strike at the low-speed Po-2. And although they could carry only two bombs on board, their wooden frames made it possible to remain unnoticed on enemy radars, and thus the Po-2 biplanes entered the history of Soviet aviation as one of the few aircraft that survived the German occupation in the sky.

5. Burial

The Trojan horse, as you know, was a gift from the Danaans to the Trojans and was just a cunning trick - but in this case, we are talking about the coffins of the Vikings. Hastein, the leader of the Vikings, was looking for an opportunity to get to Rome in 860 AD. and express yourself. Taking advantage of the fact that the Vikings plundered mostly villages, not cities, he came up with a plan to get around the city walls: pretend to be a dead Scandinavian so that he would be buried in the city. Hastein pretended to be dead in a coffin and his small escort simply passed through the central gate. Although his plan was successful, he later discovered that he was in the city of Luna, and not in Rome, and sacked the wrong city.

4. Patient waiting

Richard the Lionheart met Saladin's army at Arsuf in 1191. The enemy army outnumbered his army by three times and consisted mainly of cavalry. To fight on an open field would have been suicidal, and instead Richard formed a defensive perimeter next to the river and waited - under constant fire - from early morning until noon. His tactic was to force Saladin to attack, tired of waiting, and use his advantage to attack first; and after a few hours, Saladin still sent his archers to attack, trying to force the heavy knights of the crusaders to counterattack. Richard, on the other hand, intended to wait until the first forces of the Saracens approached close combat, and only then ordered his heavy cavalry to attack, thereby destroying the enemy infantry and winning the battle.

3. Burning camels

Patience is one thing, but setting fire to one's camels as the only means of salvation is quite another. Nothing prevented Timur, a descendant of Genghis Khan, from using this tactic to capture Delhi. When his army met the Sultan's army of 120 war elephants in 1398, Timur ordered his retreating army to load the camels with hay, set it on fire, and then unleash the camels on the enemy. As you may have guessed, the sight of the burning camels was enough to frighten the elephants and send them back to the Indian front lines. And the Indian army was trampled on by its own elephants (which were also dressed in heavy chain mail and had poisoned tusks), which brought Timur an easy victory. He also replaced his camels with 120 elephants, which he later used for a further invasion of India.

2. Enemy of my enemy

On May 5, 1945, one of the strangest battles of World War II took place. Only three days before the formal surrender of Germany, Major Josef Gangl and his nine subordinates surrendered Itter Castle, along with French prisoners, to 14 American soldiers. But before the Americans arrived to evacuate the prisoners and to capture their former captors, the 17th SS Grenadier Division was already there and sent to exterminate the prisoners. Gangl, realizing that the prison would be emptied before the expected reinforcements, offered his help to the Americans. Throughout the morning, German and American soldiers fought side by side in what was the only recorded instance of such a development in the war. After some time, American reinforcements arrived and finally defeated the SS detachment, but Gangl was killed by one of the shooters. It should be noted that it is advisable to provide automatic weapons to prisoners of war only in extreme situations.

1. Ice

History has taught us that if you are going to invade Russia in the winter, then you will have to go through hard times. The Teutonic Knights were also not immune from this. The Crusaders were much better equipped than the Russians, with full armor and armored horses. The Russians had no chance of winning this battle, so they retreated to the ice of Lake Peipsi and then prepared to meet the attack, hoping that the ice lake would slow down the enemies. The knights swiftly followed them, not realizing that the ice would be unable to support their armored weight. The ranks of the crusaders were in chaos, slipping and breaking the ice under their feet. The shelling of the archers of the Russian army led to the complete retreat of the Teutonic Order.

Copyright website © - Sebastian Yakymenko

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The modern world is the world of cities and large metropolitan areas. Based on this understanding, it can be assumed that future wars will also take place in cities, as well as in their environs. Since the conduct fighting in urban areas considered the most difficult type of management hostilities, then I think it will be extremely difficult to describe all the subtleties of this art.

That is why in this short article I tried to show only the main provisions on the strategy and urban combat tactics. If the reader is interested in this topic, then for detailed information, he can turn to other, more detailed sources. Here I tried to voice only the main and most important points that are quite easy to understand and analyze.

This manual is in no way an aid to bad people who bring evil and destruction to our world. In order to effectively use the recommendations below, you need to have extensive practical experience in this area. Therefore, for ordinary people with malicious intent, these recommendations will be of little use. For those who do this professionally, these recommendations will only confirm or refute them.

While in a building, firing at the enemy should be carried out from the depth (from the darkness) of the premises, hiding behind a reliable shelter with the possibility of retreat and maneuvering. At the same time, one should always remember that the place chosen as a shelter should not only be reliable, but also not become a trap from which it will not be possible to get out.

During the fight, you should keep direct eye or ear contact with at least one of your comrades. This is necessary so that you have the opportunity to provide medical assistance to each other, as well as to cover or replace your friend.

A common mistake young fighters make when storming a building or attacking is uneven progress. In some cases, such people are drawn too far to the rear of the main group, which often slows down the overall progress of the group. In other cases, such fighters rush forward, while engaging in a collision with the enemy much earlier than the moment when the group accumulates its offensive potential. I'm not talking about elementary neglect personal security and increased risks that could lead to fatal injury. Such agile fighters must be constantly cut off, and slow ones, on the contrary, must be urged on, and do this until they work together with the main, already worked out, team.

With an unexpected frontal collision with the enemy, first of all, you need to immediately leave the line of fire, and then act according to the current situation. At the same time, in order to suppress the initiative of the enemy and secure your maneuver, you should open counter-barrage non-aimed fire. Conduct evasive maneuver preferably in the direction you just came from, as this will be the safest place.

During a clash, one should move in relation to the enemy from cover to cover, while very quickly and, if possible, covertly. Before performing such a maneuver, you should not give a burst to the enemy from your shelter. By doing so, you will only draw additional attention to the original place of your maneuver. If necessary, distraction activities should be carried out by other members of the group who are behind a reliable shelter.

Do not accumulate behind a separate cover, thereby creating a large group target for the enemy. Do not conduct heavy fire from the place where there are many fighters at once. It is highly likely that the enemy will appreciate your activity and perseverance by throwing a couple of grenades at you or a shot from a hand grenade launcher.

When occupying the next shelter (building, hill, industrial zone), the whole group should be evenly dispersed in accordance with the main offensive vector. That is, to bristle as much as possible in the direction of the enemy, while not forgetting to protect the flanks and rear. If you gather tightly in one place, and the enemy has armored vehicles and powerful weapons, then they will certainly not be greedy and beat your dense group of serious calibers.

I think it is clear to everyone that combat situation decisions must be made quickly and action must be taken without delay. Therefore, your gaze should always be directed towards finding the enemy and assessing the situation, and the cut of the barrel of the weapon is directed towards the main - probable threat. You should not forget about this for a minute, no matter what happens on the sides and no matter how relaxed the atmosphere is. Full rest is allowed only when you return from the task.

When detecting an enemy, always indicate to your comrades the most likely direction of his location. The vector of your movement forward is always 12 o'clock, all other vectors are distributed on the right and left side of the dial, for more clarification, the up, down or other direction is also indicated in relation to the intended target or place of the threat. Always do this, because if you get wounded, it will be easier for the next fighter to determine the point of fire, and, therefore, to hit the enemy most effectively.

It is best to approach the building from the end, in the direction of 45 degrees to the corner of the building. So fighter after fighter, a group under cover of fire (if necessary) accumulates from one or two corners of the building. Moreover, the first numbers keep the perimeter in front of them, the second look through the windows a little higher, the third bristle with trunks into opposite buildings, the fourth look for other dangerous points where the enemy could fortify, the fifth hold the rear and the zone for emergency withdrawal.

In most cases, it all depends on the number of people, the complexity of the terrain, the surrounding buildings, and the ability to use them to support the assault group. An important factor is the features of the stormed building itself, the number of those who entrenched in it, and many other detailed features. All these things must be taken into account to the smallest detail, since any mistake in the calculations will cost someone's life.

Fire from the building should be in the depths - the darkness of the room. This will hide your firing point, and, therefore, make it more difficult for the enemy to find and hit the target. For the same purpose, the position is equipped with a translucent mesh curtain, which is used to cover the window.

Having reached the closed doors or gates of the building, you should carefully hold the door so that the alleged enemy cannot open it. You can hold the door by the door handle, supporting the door from below with a boot, block it with a pre-prepared wedge or other improvised object. When performing blocking actions, you should only be on the side of the door, but not directly opposite it.

You should also remember that it is not safe to enter the room immediately. Locked or ajar doors and windows, all kinds of hatches and gateways should be opened with caution, since the enemy could install a trip wire on them. To open doors or clear a passage, use any hook made of hard wire and a long nylon rope.

It is advisable to roll a grenade into the room on the floor. When the first grenade works, then immediately roll up another one (maybe not cocked). Next, we clean up the premises and only after that we go into it, strictly distributing each according to its own sectors of fire. Peeking out from behind a shelter or looking into a room should be as fast as possible and several times.

If you know for sure that several opponents have settled in the room, then throw two cocked grenades at once, this is necessary so that they do not have time to throw them away. After stripping, only as many fighters enter the room as necessary for its further inspection. The rest of the fighters should in no case go into a room that has just been cleared, but not completely inspected!

Before you throw a grenade into the room, you should raise it up so that all the fighters in the group can see what you are going to do. I'm not talking about the fact that all fighters must clearly know the algorithm for the procedure for cleaning rooms. At the same time, neither your silhouette, nor your shadow, and even more so, no part of your weapon should be visible to the enemy.

It should be remembered that in conditionally cleaned rooms there may be hidden gaps, passages and manholes, disguised by various objects, furniture, carpets or curtains. Inspection of all these suspicious objects must be carried out by at least two fighters. In this case, one fighter directly inspects the object, and the second fixes the inspected object at a safe distance, pointing the barrel of his weapon at it. If the room or premises is very large and has a lot of suspicious objects that require inspection, then another person is put up to control the rest of the zone. At the same time, it is desirable that he be in the safest place, outside the premises being inspected.

Do not open any boxes, boxes, packages, shelves, cabinets and the like to avoid undermining during stretching! Do not disassemble or turn on consumer electronics, even if everything is sealed in appearance and has no visible damage. There is only one rule - do not touch anything on the territory where the enemy has visited before you. This is especially true of the most attractive things, such as: firearms and edged weapons, ammunition, communications equipment, jewelry, and even the bodies of dead soldiers. Such conspicuous objects can be specially left in visible places and be mined by the retreating enemy.

If you understand that in manpower you are numerically losing to the enemy, then think over a plan in which key positions will be occupied by you. Positions must be chosen in such a way that the enemy cannot deploy in full force. Moreover, if in one direction you can simply hold back the onslaught, then in the other you can try to push through the enemy’s defenses and even lead offensive actions. Of course, it will not be possible to fully resist an enemy that is numerically superior to you, but it will not work to crush you either.

With proper fixing at key points, the enemy can be held back for a very long time. At the same time, it is worth mentioning an important point here. It's about freedom of movement. That is, the occupied defensive point must be in such a place that it can provide you with a safe retreat. This is necessary so that you have the opportunity to reliably hide for a short time from enemy return fire.

If you know for sure that the advancing enemy is superior to you in manpower, then it is advisable to give him most of the territory you have occupied, equipping its key places with tripwires and surprise mines in advance. When the battle starts, the enemy will begin to look for convenient firing points for himself and stumble upon your traps over and over again.

In the event of a breakthrough in defense in any areas, it is necessary to send additional forces there. If such a step is impossible, one should retreat in an organized manner deep into the defended territory.

If you notice a multiple increase in the firepower and manpower of the enemy, then you should collect the remaining fighters and simultaneously break through with all your forces in one (predetermined) direction.

If during the movement of the group you heard a suspicious sound, then you should stop, disperse, and, if necessary, lie down. Take up all-round defense (each fighter should have his own sector of fire) and take a good look around. It would not be superfluous to send forward patrols for reconnaissance, bypassing in the direction of the alleged source of noise.

During long movements, hold your weapon on your arms bent at the elbows, crossed in the chest area. So your weapon will less rattle and catch on ammunition. With this method of transportation, favorable conditions are created for quickly removing the weapon from the fuse and then taking it to the ready. Before fire contact with the enemy, the weapon must be on the safety lock, and the cartridge is driven into the chamber.

It is best to catch the enemy in open places where there are no natural shelters, as well as in forced areas where fighters gather. These can be: spans between floors, exits or entrances to stairs, a narrow space in front of an exit to an open gallery, a half-collapsed fence, an exit from a basement, detached armored vehicles, and the like. Behind all these shelters and cramped spaces - it is impossible to accumulate.

If you understand that you have almost no cartridges left in the magazine, then do not shoot it to the end, but rather change it to a full magazine. In between firing, you can fill your half-empty magazine with ammo from your loose pocket. When reloading a weapon, be sure to notify your partners about it.

If you feel sleepy at the post, or there are urgent circumstances, then take all measures in order to avoid leaving the sector unattended. As a last resort, swap with a partner, but never leave a position unattended, since not only your life, but also the safety of your comrades directly depends on this. To control the combat readiness of security points, a person should be allocated who will constantly bypass the sentries.

During dense night fight, be it in a city or a wooded area, the statement that "at night all cats are gray" is proved once again. When colliding with an enemy and starting a fight at a short distance, after some time it will be almost impossible to determine where is your friend and where is someone else's. The difficulty lies in the fact that in modern armed conflicts, often the weapons and clothing of the fighters are almost identical, so the differences at night can only consist in unfamiliar voices and dialogues between the fighters.

During night skirmish light markers could help, but in case the enemy is literally spitting away from you, this option would serve as an unmasking factor. A bright beam of a flashlight, which allows you to highlight the enemy, can also be your position. It can only be used when you yourself are in a safe shelter and only for short-term illumination - to indicate the target to your fighters. Alternatively, a flashlight can be tied to a long stick.

AT urban environment fast response to constantly changing combat conditions is very important. So, for example, you can easily face the enemy literally head-on. Moreover, you will need some time to identify the enemy in the silhouette that appeared, and not your comrade, who managed to move a little further than you during the sweep. To avoid such things, you need constant coordination of actions and identification marks that clearly define the position of "friend or foe."

The range of fire in the city also varies greatly. It can be tens of meters in one case and many hundreds of meters in another. Moreover, the difference in shooting distances is constantly changing depending on the location of the group. Such sharp fluctuations in distances, peaks and depths of the relief urban area, will require maximum concentration and concentration from the groups storming the city.

• Mistakes in tactics can be corrected by quick and accurate shooting, errors in shooting cannot be corrected by anything.
• A reliable shelter should stop the bullet, make it possible to navigate the situation in the first seconds of the battle and not become a trap from which it will not be possible to get out.
• Do not ignore the false provocations of the enemy, one of them may turn out to be the main attack.
• Never move in front of a comrade's barrel, thereby blocking his view, preventing you from covering your advance, and also making it impossible to open fire on an enemy that suddenly appears.
• Before the group leaves, jump in place. If your equipment is assembled correctly, then nothing should strum. Eliminate all items of equipment capable of making even a small noise.
• Protect your eyes from splinters, concrete chips and dust with goggles. Always wear protective gloves - they will protect your hands from minor abrasions, cuts, dirt, etc.
• When storming a building, its elements can catch fire, carry with you, if not a gas mask, then at least a wide scarf or scarf. They can be used instead of a filter, pre-moistened with water.
• Take care of your personal hygiene, and especially your feet and shoes, as this is one of the important factors in field life.
• Saw the target, think and specify whether it is worth shooting at it. It is possible that this is not included in the goals and objectives of your group.
• If the enemy clearly shows his weakness, then he wants you to fall for his cunning and fall into the trap set by him.
• Avoid dead ends, overly traveled and traveled places - there you will most often be in danger, traps and ambushes.
• You should not neglect the frequency of changing previously occupied positions, as the enemy may eventually shoot at you.
• No technology or engineering object cannot be a reliable cover if the enemy has the means to defeat it.
• In any conditions, find time to rest and sleep. Even if you have the opportunity to take an extra ten minutes of sleep, take this chance, because no one knows when you will be able to sleep in the next time.
• Do not neglect the value of your own life. Do not let others convince you of the complete safety or reliability of a quick plan.
• Always think and check everything for yourself and feel free to offer alternatives, even if they seem absurd at first glance.

The manual has been prepared on the basis of materials from various sources, as well as on the basis of personal experience.

Humanity is constantly at war. But what if the enemy army outnumbers you? Tactics come to the rescue. With the help of certain techniques, you can defeat even a stronger enemy. It is no coincidence that the names of the best military tacticians and strategists are known to everyone, and their actions and steps are studied in military academies as an example of art.

But there are some tactics that initially look crazy. The most interesting thing is that they, being desperate and hastily accepted, sometimes turn out to be successful. And although it seems that such tactics are actually a death sentence for the performer, in fact they bring him victory. The most unusual such manifestations of martial art will be discussed.

Army cat. Throughout human history, animals have been used in the military. But usually they played an episodic role, not influencing events in a decisive way. But the Persian king Cambyses II used cats so elegantly that it never occurred to anyone before him. He fought the Egyptians at the Battle of Pelusium in 525 BC. In those years, cats occupied an important and high place in Egyptian society. That is why the Achmenid Empire used this status of an animal to its advantage when invading Egypt. Cambyses ordered his soldiers to draw cats on their shields, and hundreds of representatives of the family marched along with the attackers. And this plan worked - the Egyptian archers refused to shoot at the sacred animals and their image. After all, the death of a cat was a crime punishable by death. Together with the battle, the Egyptians chose to retreat, most of them died. So the cunning Persians forced the pharaoh to capitulate.

Sikh Spartans. When it comes to the Sikhs, the Indians are usually presented as warlike. But just how brave are they? Few people know that in one of the battles 48 soldiers opposed one hundred thousand soldiers. These Sikhs fled from the Mughal Empire after the fall of the city of Anandpur Sahib. A few days later, the warriors took refuge in a dilapidated, dirty fortress, but were awakened by the Mughal forces surrounding them. Most would have preferred to surrender without waiting for the assault to begin. But the brave Sikhs decided to hold the line against a vastly superior enemy, just like the representatives of Sparta once did. They needed time for their leaders to escape. One way or another, but 48 men distracted the enemy all night. The brave Sikhs killed 3,000 people but were able to ensure the survival of their religion.

A siege within a siege. After the uprising of the Gauls in Alesia in 52 BC. Julius Caesar, with his 60,000 legionaries, besieged the city, which was defended by an 80,000 army. But envoys managed to get out of the city, calling on the Gauls for help. Caesar heard that a new, 120,000-strong army was moving here. Then he decided not to retreat, but simply to build fortifications on the other side of his army. Over the next few weeks, the Romans not only besieged Alesia, but also defended themselves from the other side. And on October 2, the Romans were attacked from two sides at once. But Caesar personally led a cavalry attack of 6,000 horsemen and attacked the Gauls besieging him outside. The commander defeated ten times his superior forces and forced the city to surrender.

Hammers against submarines. German submarines played an important role in disrupting American, French and British supplies during World War I. Single submarine captains such as Kretschmer were responsible for sinking up to 200,000 tons of cargo. This led to the fact that Europe was left without a Christmas turkey and potatoes for Christmas, replacing the holiday dish with canned food. Without the support of submarines, it was quite difficult for sailors to take any measures on their own. Strange decisions were made. The most insane was the use of a hammer with a bag against submarines. The convoy sent a blacksmith on a raft in the dead of night and several gunners on a raft. After the team noticed the periscope, she had to quietly swim up to it and either wrap the optical instrument in a bag, or even simply smash it with a hammer. So the submarines were blinded and forced to rise to the surface. The method turned out to be so simple and effective that it made it possible to neutralize as many as 16 submarines.

Using the worst technology. Taking a knife with you to a shootout is a rash step; in this case, spears with arrows will not work either. This is how many peoples turned out to be defenseless against Europeans with their research. That is why it seems strange to use biplanes on the Eastern Front of World War II. And it was precisely such obsolete aircraft that the Soviet army put into operation, although the Luftwaffe owned much more advanced equipment. Surprisingly, women flew on the Po-2 plane, and even at night. They were called night witches, they were not afraid of death. Perhaps it was precisely because the pilots were women that such a lag in technology was ignored. But the night witches proved to be excellent - having carried out more than twenty thousand sorties by the end of the war. The secret of success was also in the fact that much more modern fighters simply could not fly so slowly and shoot Po-2s in one go. The slow-moving bomber carried only two bombs, but its outdated wooden structure was invisible to radar. The plane was so simple that literally yesterday's schoolgirls boarded it after several hours of training.

Christian burial. The legend of the Trojan horse is useful for city guards who need to be careful about unexpected gifts. In this case, a similar step was taken by quite historical Vikings. Their leader, Hasten, decided in 860 to conquer Rome itself. But the Vikings were much better at plundering villages than besieging cities. Here Hasten pretended to be dying, who certainly wants to accept Christianity before his death. And for this it was necessary to be baptized in a church inside the city. So the Vikings passed in the "funeral" procession through the central gate. And Hasten even managed to go through all the mysteries before he jumped off the stretcher and began to attack. According to another version, he even made his way into the city in a coffin, feigning death. And 50 warriors came to the city to honor the memory of the leader, each of whom carried a sword under his mantle. And although the plan was successfully carried out, the robbers themselves quickly realized that instead of Rome, they ended up in another city, in Luni.

Patient waiting. In 1191, King Richard the Lionheart clashed with Salah ad-Din's army at Arsuf. The crusader army was almost three times smaller, but it had much fewer horsemen, which deprived it of mobility. Meeting troops face to face would be suicidal for the Europeans. Instead, Richard formed an all-round defense, covering his backs with the river. The crusaders had to withstand a constant powerful attack from the Ayyubids. This went on from early morning until noon. The king's tactics were one of patient waiting. Finally, Sadah ad-Din showed impatience. He ordered his archers to come closer, believing that the crusaders were incapable of resistance. But Richard gave the signal to counterattack. The heavy cavalry crushed the unfortified positions of the Saracens, and the battle was won.

Burning camels. This tactic is very different from the previous one. The great descendant of Genghis Khan, Timur, decided not to wait, but chose the means of his salvation by setting fire to camels. And this happened during the capture of Delhi. In 1398, the conquering army clashed with the Sultan and his 120 war elephants. Then Timur ordered the soldiers to dismount and load the pack animals with the maximum amount of hay. As soon as the elephants went on the attack, the conquerors set fire to the camels and drove them towards the enemy. The sight of living torches running at them frightened the elephants. They turned back and rushed to the Indians. As a result, the giant beasts, well protected by chain mail and having poisoned tusks, trampled their own army. And Timur himself got the very 120 elephants that he later used during the invasion of India.

Enemy of my enemy. On May 5, 1945, one of the strangest battles in World War II took place. Just three days before the formal surrender of Germany, Major Josef Gangl, along with nine soldiers and French prisoners, surrendered Castle Itter to fourteen American soldiers. When the Americans entered the fortress, they were forced to defend themselves against units of the 17th SS Grenadier Division, which were sent here to destroy the prisoners. Gangl realized that the prison would be overrun before help arrived and offered to help along with his subordinates. All morning German and American soldiers fought side by side. It was the only such case in the history of World War II. A little later, help arrived to the Americans, but by that time Gangl himself had already been killed by a sniper. It is worth noting that the provision of weapons to prisoners of war is considered permissible only in special cases.

Ice. The history of Russia teaches everyone that an invasion of its territory in winter is fraught with serious troubles. Napoleon and Hitler also experienced this, the lesson of the Teutonic knights did not go to their benefit. In those days, the crusaders were much better armed than the Russians. The attackers were armored, even their horses were protected by plates. The light Russian army was easily defeated in open battle and retreated across the frozen ice of Lake Peipus. Here our troops began to wait for the enemy, hoping that the lake would slow down the advance. The impatient knights gave chase. They did not take into account the fact that the ice simply could not withstand such a heavy weight due to armor. The crusaders began to fall through the ice, there was panic and chaos. And the Russian archers completed the rout, forcing the Teutonic knights to retreat.

The practice of defense of the German Wehrmacht
It is ridiculous to compare the Ukrainian army with the well-functioning military machine of fascist Germany, however, tactical developments are universal and could be at least partially adopted by the Ukrainians.

We will consider two projections in the Soviet defense - Demyansky and Rzhev-Vyazemsky, formed by the end of 1941. The Wehrmacht stubbornly defended these bridgeheads until the middle of 1943, cherishing plans for a further offensive on Moscow and a deep coverage of the deployment of Soviet troops between Lake Seliger and Velikiye Luki.

For a year and a half, the USSR, in unsuccessful attempts to cut off the ledges, lost a total of up to half a million people, and as a result, the Nazis themselves left these territories, having carried out two demonstrative operations to withdraw troops to pre-equipped positions.

What is the secret of such resilience? First of all, the defense in depth and the high density of troops - the Germans pumped both ledges with infantry, tanks and artillery, which at the same time demonstrated amazing coherence and coordination, and the combat stability of both sides is still unparalleled: formations could withstand losses of up to 40-50% of their personal composition and remain combat-ready units.

The initial advantage of the Nazis in the air also played a role, both in bomber and assault, and in transport aviation. For example, in two months of the defense of the Demyansk pocket (then the Soviet encirclement was broken through), German aircraft made a total of 14,445 sorties. Every day, 100-150 aircraft arrived in the "bag", carrying 265 tons of cargo.

“In positional battles, artillery plays a huge role. In the Rzhev-Vyazemsky ledge, the Ninth Army fired 1000 tons of ammunition per day, the Soviet artillerymen were significantly inferior in this component. For each of our heavy shells of caliber 152 mm and above, two or three came from the Germans. Echelons of ammunition were sent from Germany. And excellent supply has become the most important factor in holding the ledge, ”says military historian, Candidate of Historical Sciences Alexei Isaev.

None of the above factors was adopted by the Ukrainian General Staff. In fairness, we note that in the conditions of an army that had collapsed over 20 years and demoralized over the past summer, this was not easy to do.

The military formations in Debaltsevo were replenished with recently mobilized and unfired fighters, the supply left much to be desired; in addition, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have a shortage of ammunition (Ukraine does not have its own shell production and uses far from bottomless Soviet arsenals). However, the main tactical miscalculation of the command is the unwillingness to create fortified areas in an open field, taking into account topographical advantages. Ukrainian troops huddled in settlements under the "protection" of civilians, which greatly facilitated the task of the militia to seize the territory.

The offensive tactics of the LDNR forces are simple and effective. The militias concentrate the strikes of tanks and artillery in a certain area, after which they clear the area in mobile groups of 30-90 people. With resistance, they retreat and look for another weak link in the defense or continue to iron from a distance.

The Ukrainians, on the other hand, do not “see” the enemy for a serious counterattack, but retreating, they roll back from one settlement to another, which allows the NAF to seize new territories at once for several kilometers, taking control of strategically important heights. As a result, a much smaller militia grouping pushes Ukrainians into urban areas, ignoring doctrinal figures: with the same technological level of opponents, for encirclement tasks, attackers need to ensure a ratio of forces of 3 to 1, and in breakthrough areas - 6-7 to 1.

“The reasons for the failures of the Ukrainian army are simple. Until now, there is no unified organizational plan, a unified management system that would unite all departments. As a result, each section of the front has its own local command, areas of responsibility are not delimited, weapons are used irrationally, and orders are not executed.

There is a shortage both in composition and in technology, the logistics are weak. They have enough artillery, not enough brains,” concludes military expert, reserve colonel, editor-in-chief of Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine Viktor Murakhovsky.

Good advice from allies
The specter of a new encirclement in Debaltseve is all the more terrible for Kyiv after a dozen summer disasters. Ukraine has not known such a number of small and large boilers since the Great Patriotic War, with a discount on the number, in 1941 the Soviet encirclement died and surrendered in hundreds of thousands. Encirclement tactics have been practiced by military art for thousands of years, but it was the Germans who used them most effectively.

The principle of lightning war was based on the coverage of large military formations in pincers with the help of a deep breakthrough of mobile motorized tank groups and was successfully implemented in operations near Uman, Dunkirk, Kyiv, Bryansk. Actually, the very word “boiler” in this sense is a tracing paper from the German Kessel, the environment is Einkesselung.

“Today, the science of effective environment is still relevant. However, one must understand that this is one of the highest forms of military art, which requires the highest qualifications of headquarters, commanders and the troops themselves, experience in military operations and operations, and combat coherence,” Viktor Murakhovsky says.

“Only at first glance it seems that it is quite simple to grasp the connection in tongs. It is necessary to ensure two fronts, internal and external, to ensure uninterrupted supply inside the flank wedges. And of course, much depends on the tactical qualifications of the enemy. It is almost impossible to surround a competent and well-organized enemy, ”adds historian, military expert Boris Yulin.

However, the Ukrainian generals thought otherwise. The tactics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine last summer were almost entirely based on the desire to surround and enclose the enemy in a cauldron. This is clearly seen on the map, where we simultaneously showed all the operations of the Kyiv strategists. A few motorized formations rushed into the rarefied space of Novorossia, counting on the occupation of strongholds and the subsequent cleansing of the surrounding area by volunteer battalions.

Thus, attempts were made to cut off the LDNR from the border with Russia, cut off the Luhansk and Donetsk agglomerations, cut the territory of the "rebels" in two. Fatal for the Armed Forces of Ukraine were the underestimation of the potential of the militia, poor coordination between parts of the troops, terrible planning, lack of logistics, destroyed aviation.

How to properly “weld the boiler” was clearly demonstrated by individual parts of the NAF during the August counteroffensive. Numerous, but inactive formations of the Ukrainian army with weak rear forces in a matter of days fell into two huge encirclements near Ilovaisk and Amvrosievka. The forces of the NAF instantly flowed around the enemy from the flanks, providing fire control over communications, created two fronts - internal and external, thereby cutting off attempts to break through and supply the encircled units. Undoubtedly, this operation of staff officers will go down in the history of military art.

Returning to the strategy of the Kyiv General Staff in the summer campaign, it is worth noting a number of interesting nuances that make it possible to see in Kyiv's military decisions the influence not so much of German and Soviet experience in warfare as of consultations from overseas allies. One can recall the operation of the northerners "Anaconda" during the American Civil War (see map).

General McClellan's plan was to blockade the Confederates by land and sea and gradually stifle the southern states economically. The ground army cut through the territory of the enemy along the Mississippi River, and the fleet ensured the blockade of the ports.

This successful experience was subsequently analyzed and finalized by the Anglo-American military and adopted. The principles of the strategy lie in the following postulates: relying on an economic blockade, avoiding direct clashes with the main enemy forces, purposeful destruction of infrastructure and economic ties, powerful propaganda work and the search for allies to carry out the rough work.

One of the ideologists of this scheme, the English military historian and theorist Lidell Gard, wrote: “In strategy, the long detour is often the shortest; a direct attack exhausts the attacker and thickens the defender's defense, while an indirect approach weakens the defender, throwing him off balance.

Interestingly, almost all the points of this plan were implemented by Kyiv in the Donbass. Moreover, the summer defeats hardly disturbed the course of events in any way. In the end, mobilization will make up for the losses, and the economic strangulation of Novorossiya will allow us to play for the long haul. However, the Ukrainian economy is already on the verge of collapse...