Review (PDF) Boobytraps FM 5-31
Field Manual FM 5-31 BOOBYTRAPSPurpose and Scope. This manual contains procedures, techniques, and expedients for the instruction of the use, detection, and removal of boobytraps in the field.Take a look at the sample for this book and for details about downloading 500 free US military manuals as a thank you for taking the time to look at our book.Chapter 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF BOOBYTRAPS I. Introduction II. Principles of operationChapter 2. USE OF BOOBTRAPSI. Basic doctrineII. PlanningIII. InstallationChapter 3. BOOBYTRAP EQUIPMENTI. Firing devicesII. Demolitions materialsIII. MissilesChapter 4. CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES I. Boobytrapping mines in minefieldsII. Boobytrapping buildingsIII. TerrainChapter 5. MISCELLANEOUS BOOBYTRAPSI. Standard boobytrapsII. ImprovisationsChapter 6. BOOBYTRAP DETECTION AND REMOVELI. Clearing methodsII. Disarming methodsAppendix I.CHAPTER 1 CHARACTERISTICS OF BOOBYTRAPSSection I. INTRODUCTION1. Purpose and Scope a. This manual contains procedures, techniques, and expedients for the instruction of the soldier in the assembly use, detection, and removal of boobytraps in combat. b. Included are descriptions and discussions of the design and functioning characteristics of standard demolition items — firing devices, explosives, and accessories — and missiles, such as hand grenades*, mortar ammunition, artillery ammunition, and bombs.c. This manual also contains information on a variety of items and indigenous materials useful for improvising firing devices, explosives, and pyrotechnic mixtures for guerrilla warfare applications.d. Factory-produced boobytraps (dirty trick devices) are described. Most of these have been developed and used in the field by foreign armies.e. Safety measures pertinent to boobytrapping operations are provided for the protection of troops from casualty.f. The contents of this manual are applicable nuclear and non-nuclear warfare.2. Comments Section II. PRINCIPLES OF OPERAIION 3. Types of Boobytraps A boobytrap is an explosive charge cunningly contrived to be fired by an unsuspecting; person who disturbs an apparently harmless object or performs a presumably safe act. Two types are in use — improvised and manufactured. Improvised boobytraps are assembled from specially provided material or constructed from materials generally used for other purposes. Manufactured boobytraps are dirty trick devices made at a factory for issue to troops- They usually imitate some object or article that has souvenir appeal or that maybe used by the target to advantage.4. Assembling Boobytraps A boobytrap consists of a main charge, firing device, standard base (not always used),and detonator. Another item universal destructor, is an adapter for installing a firing device assembly in a loaded projectile or bomb to make an improvised boobytrap. Also, firing device assembles are often attached to the main charge by means of length of detonating cord.5. Boobytrap Firing ChainTHE FIRING CHAIN IS A SERIES OFINITIATIONS BEGINNING WITH ASMALL QUANTITY OF HIGHY SENSITIVEEXPLOSIVE AND ENDING WITH A COMPARATIVELYLARGE QUANTITY OF INSENSITIVE EXPLOSIVE.
File Size: 8386 KB
Print Length: 230 pages
Publisher: www.surivivalebooks.com (April 13, 2013)
Publication Date: April 13, 2013
Sold by: Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00CCJB588
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
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This is a DoD publication that assumes you have access to military munitions. If you don't have access to C-4, RDX, Claymores, satchel charges and the like, it will be hard to make full use of this book. If you don't have mil-grade explosives, study some chemestry and buy a book like "Improvised Munitions".That said, it gives ideas on how to make use of various situations, e.g in buildings, roads, forests, etc. to slow and demoralize an enemy.
This book is a scan of an Army manual. I'd guess it dates from the 1970's or so. The quality is *terrible*. It's hardly readible, and the text is NOT able to be enlarged on a Kindle. It is not worth the $1.99 I paid. I'm sure this content is available for free on the internet, but I have not yet spent the time to do a google search to locate it. Save your money and invert some time searching for it. A good place to start is Google doesn't turn it up would be the Library of Congress. Search by the DOD publication number of FM5-31.Note that I'm not criticizing the content of this booklet, just the scan quality of this version.
I bought this book solely because I am the curious type. I found it interesting in its presentation of so many ways to hurt people, but not necessarily useful in actually duplicating the traps. This is probably one of those books used to back up whatever an instructor is trying to convey, but without the instructor some of the language is vague and some of the illustrations are less than clear. I don't think there is much danger of an untrained person actually building most of those contraptions, so fear not America. You're still safe from me.
The kindle version of this manual is worthless. It is nothing more than tiny scans of the pages from the original manual. I have owned the paper version but have misplaced it over the years and it was a very interesting book but the kindle version is terrible.
This book seems to concentrate more on the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) rather than the classic non-explosive traps. I had hoped more for the non-IED coverage but it is still an interesting collection with plenty of pictures to help illustrate the devices described.
Realize that this is an old book that was designed to provide useful information to field Soldiers, particularly Infantry troops. It provides the kind of information useful to my generation, a Vietnam Vet. Unless the reader is interested in learning 50 year old doctrinal principles regarding the emplacement and neutralizing booby traps, there is no reason to read this book. Times have changed and as we have painfully learned the hard way in the Middle East, booby traps are still used but employ current technology to enhance the effectiveness of these devices.
It's an Army manual. I'm only part way through it. You would need hands on training to go with this to not blow yourself up and much of it is for devices made from military hardware that most of us will never see. Perhaps later there is more on improvising. But it is educational.
I bought this book on a lark like I said. I have a journal from the 1700's where a intruder alarm system was used to warn of an approaching enemy. It consisted of a flint lock mechanism to set of a load explosion of 70 grains of black powder. I wanted to see if things have changed over the years.....in many cases NO THEY HAVEN"T. We still use trip wires.
Boobytraps FM 5-31
