The Free guide to Sabotage
The Simple Sabotage FIELD Manual was a secret document produced by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which was the precursor to the CIA, during World War II. It was designed to help ordinary citizens living under Axis powers (mainly in Nazi-occupied Europe) to disrupt the enemy's war effort in subtle, low-risk ways........ and it was handed out for free.
The manual provided everyday, seemingly harmless suggestions for how civilians could sabotage the German war machine without attracting attention. The idea was that widespread, minor acts of sabotage could add up and have a significant impact. Some examples included things like:
- Deliberately misdirecting workers (such as demoting productive workers and giving incompetent staff a raise or promotion ...... and scheduling unnecessary meetings)
- Messing with factory machinery (like leaving a valve open or damaging parts slightly)
- Spreading misinformation (for example, bridges are out, roads not passible, suspicious packages)
- Messing up transportation (like slowly boarding trains to delay them, or giving incorrect directions to military personnel, changing road signs).
The manual was distributed in 1944 to occupied countries like Norway, France, and Denmark, and it was a clever and covert way for the Allies to engage civilians in undermining the Axis war effort. The overall goal was to create confusion and inefficiency, making it harder for the Axis forces to maintain their operations.
The Manual include several pro tips such as
"Whenever possible, arrange to have the fire start when you have gone away"
"Water, urine, wine or any other simple liquid you can get in reasonably large quantiles will dilute gasoline fuel to a point where no combustion will occur in the cylinder and the engine will not move"
The Soviet Union also developed a manual for its partisan units operating behind German lines. These partisans were responsible for conducting sabotage on a massive scale, particularly in areas like Ukraine and Belarus, where German forces were stretched thin. The manual included
- Destruction of Railroads: This was one of the most common sabotage activities. The manual provided instructions on how to plant explosives on rail tracks and destroy locomotives or rolling stock, which severely disrupted German military supply lines.
- Targeted Attacks on German Supply Depots: The partisans were also taught how to sabotage German supply depots and fuel reserves to create logistical headaches.
- Impersonation and Deception: Partisans were trained in the art of impersonating German soldiers or officers to mislead and confuse German troops.
If your interested in reading this 20 historical manual it is declassified and available on the historical side of the CIA's website - The simple Sabotage Field Manual
