ROBERTS RULES OF WAR
First, military conflict is to be avoided. War is the tacit admission of ultimate stupidity demonstrating the inability of intelligent people to resolve differences via civil discourse. War is barbarism and those forcing war on others are deservedly referred to as warmongering barbarians. There are times when wars are forced on decent people and in such times the barbarians must be destroyed. The advice below is meant for such dire and unfortunate times.
When attacking your enemy you do not move against his strength but seek his weakness. You do not say when or how. Surprise is the queen of battle!
Always remove or degrade command and control. Create faux strikes to draw off his defenses disguising your true aims.
Actual attacks must be at maximum strength and followed immediately by ever greater destruction never allowing respite.
Wars are won only by the total and absolute destruction of the enemy, nothing less! When conducting war one must develop a plan to win or not fight at all.
There is no such thing as a successful “tit for tat” exchange. No government should ever send its fighting men into harms way absent the determination and will to win. Winning can only be defined by the total and absolute destruction of the enemy.
Never attack a fortified position when you can go around. Troops can move faster than cannon can turn. Flank attacks are superior (almost always).
Long range artillery must remain out of the enemy’s range. Logistic reliability is vital. Scouts on the flanks and rear always- double at night.
The rear guard is not a suicide force.
Air Power: When employing air attacks always degrade command and control first. Enemy radar and ground to air weapons must be rendered as ineffective as possible.
Employ jamming devices and directed air to ground weapons.
Attack first with unmanned drones to the greatest extent possible.
Use high altitude heavy bombers only following intense ground attacks by drones, fighters and hellos.
When attacking civilian targets (towns and cities) focus on principal infrastructure; water and power generating sites, air and sea airports, rail stations, civic structures, bridges & hospitals.
Navy: One of the principal purposes of any navy is to eliminate the enemy’s ability to use his ships for delivering supplies. Sink all his transport ships. If he has a fighting navy sink his warships in port (if possible) using air power in advance of contact at sea.
Submarines can deploy effective attacks on land based targets as well as sink combat ships as they prepare to leave port. Enter enemy waters using stealth and wait for the optimum time to attack. Coordinate with air power.
Keep aircraft carrier battle groups as far from the enemy’s reach as possible.
SPACE WAR: Before any attack degrade the enemy’s military and civilian satellites to the greatest extent possible.
CYBER WAR: Degrade and shut down the enemy’s communications, financial, banking, electrical, utilities, navigation and transportation related systems.
The aim of all out cyber warfare is to render the enemy’s software and hardware operating systems inert and incapable of functioning.
Special teams need to (in advance) carefully intrude into the enemy’s cyber networks so as to be ready to shut them all down simultaneously.
INFANTRY: First, do not risk human soldiers on any battlefield wherein war-bots and drones (unmanned tools of war) can be employed. When troops are required always protect them with amour, (tanks and vehicles) air power and long range artillery.
When troops are sent to fight, insure all are well equipped. Always (try to) send in a force far superior to that of the enemy. Overwhelming force often carries the day.
Infantry attacks must be coordinated with air and artillery.
Logistics, meaning constant re-supply, is vital to success in battle. Poor countries (those absent great resources) will generally lose any protracted battle and ultimately any war.
The proper ratio for successful logistical support is about 5 to 1 meaning if you have 100,000 front line war fighters you will need 500,000 men in various support areas.
Military Kitchen: Since the days of the Roman legions (and long before) all military leaders have know that an army moves on its stomach. No food, no fight! The supply officers have to work throughout the supply line to insure that the men on the sharp end are fed hot meals on a regular and sustained basis. Not always so easy.
MEDICAL: Instantaneous medical assistance must be available in all conflict areas. Injured soldiers must be evacuated to medical facilities as rapidly as humanly possible.
Propaganda: Once any conflict becomes unavoidable the enemy must be made to appear as wretched, inhuman, rabid animals to be destroyed. This is accomplished by the media, government and the military. The aim is always the same, de-humanize the enemy soldiers and leaders making them easier to kill.Â
All wars result in and end in chaos and instability. Death is the coin of the realm.
Try to conserve life but not (never) at the expense of winning.Â
The successful battle commander remains calm and selects his officers carefully considering age and experience. True war fighters are highly valuable when leading less experienced men into battle.
The successful commander values his men’s ability to innovate and adjust tactics as often as the tides of battle shift so as to take full advantage of opportunities.
Reserves: All leaders should know that after three exposures to combat (with no relief) most men will suffer “battle fatigue” and be emotionally incapable of remaining effective in the front lines. Regular relief (meaning pulling them out) is the best way to keep them capable of fighting. Send in fresh replacements on a regular basis. Use in country (or out of country) R&R.
Winning: Ground wars are won by killing so many of the enemy that they no longer have the ability to fight back. No one who dies for his country is helping to win any war. Wars are only won by the living!
The generals who win wars are those who employ all the tools of war most successfully.
Nuclear War: Once either party to conventional war (resorts to) or employs nuclear weapons, civilization as we know it will cease to exist on both sides including all non-combatants. The unimaginable destructive power of today’s nukes (if ever used) will erase humanity. If used by one side the other will retaliate and we’re all gone in a few flashes…
Motivation: The best leaders reward their best soldiers- this must never be forgotten. Honor and recognition must never be delayed. In battle, truth be told, there are no heroes, only survivors. Only those too stupid or too insane find any honor and heroism in a fire fight. Bullets and bombs kill totally at random. All too often survival is purely luck. Still, the men who carry the battle to a successful conclusion often stand out and are deserving of recognition.
My advise and direction as to the proper conduct of and in war is based on observations gained over 3 years in Vietnam and 5 more in African conflicts.Â
I have written several books on war: Sam’s Bullet (WW-I) Buckets of Blood (WW-II), Look Away (American civil war), Beat The Drum Slowly (war in general) and The Battle of Tours. (Attacks on the west by Muslim armies) All found at www.robert-j-firth and available via Amazon in print.
Robert J. Firth,
Florida 2024
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Author: Robert J Firth
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