View Full Version : History of Tactical Breaching.
Since I am retired now I am working on a little research project. I am trying find some historical context for modern CQB breaching. Looking at all aspects; manual, mechanical, ballistic, thermal, and explosive. I realize that a lot of the manual and some of the mechanical and even explosive stuff originated in the firefighting/rescue world eg. Halligan tool, hydraulic spreaders, & the Jet-Axe. I assume that a lot of the other stuff came about with the ascendance of national level counter terrorist units like GSG 9, SFOD-D, & SAS Special Projects Teams in the 1970s but I am not positive.
I found the following quote in the Assault Breacher Course Manual put out by Fort Leonard Wood back in 2000, "During 1977, the first documented breaching tests were conducted by the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division (NAVEODTECHDIV), Indian Head, Maryland. The test subject was “Rapid Entry Into Locked Buildings Using Explosive Devices.” This test was followed by a second test again conducted by the NAVEODTECHDIV in 1983. This test investigated the feasibility of using explosives to gain rapid entry into rooms containing improvised explosive devices (lED) and where hostages might be involved. The tests resulted in the collection, for the first time, of significant amounts of data concerning air-blast and cutting effectiveness of various forms of explosive charges contemplated for use in gaining rapid entry to rooms."
Any of you old timers have any historical input from our side of the house perhaps from Blue Light or SOT? Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. If anyone knows how to get in touch with Booger, that might be helpful too. Thanks.
x/S
CSM Tabata, RIP, I could imagine would say NAVEOD learned everything from him. He was doing the shit before people started writing it down. :D
The pre-WWII Shanghai(international settlement) Municipal Police(specifically the Reserve Unit) with the direct support of folks like Fairbairn/Applegate and collaborative sharing with folks like Carlson/Edson might be worth looking into.
It's my understanding that pre-WWII Shanghai was a quite "interesting" environment in terms of illicit networks and some of the earliest SWAT like lessons were learned there.
I know there's a lot of content out there about the unarmed/armed CQB/CQC side of things as well as riot control experience gained from pre-WWII Shanghai.
I'm assuming there might be a little bit around early iterations of mechanical breaching due to the extremely dense urban terrain and broad/deep illicit networks operating there.
Certainly not the modern and refined interpretation of breaching as we know it today or recently, but might be of some limited historical/contextual value.
The Reaper
06-05-2018, 17:52
He was doing the shit before people started writing :D
Fixed that for you.
ET was a genius.
SF had people (an SFOD-A, IIRC) at IHP doing targeting, vulnerabilities, and barrier penetration since the mid-80s and 90s at least, and publishing their results..
Great manuals.
TR
Peregrino
06-06-2018, 08:03
I received my first explosive breaching class JAN 80 while attending SOT at the Mott Lake Compound. TTPs were both comprehensive and imaginative given what was available at the time. Tells me there were people doing it long before the cited Navy tests.
I received my first explosive breaching class JAN 80 while attending SOT at the Mott Lake Compound. TTPs were both comprehensive and imaginative given what was available at the time. Tells me there were people doing it long before the cited Navy tests.
Ahhh, the days of the old High-Low Criss-Cross... showing our age...
Are manhole platter charges out of vogue these days?
miclo18d
06-07-2018, 05:14
Are manhole platter charges out of vogue these days?
I know for a fact that there were quite a few manhole covers missing around Ft Benning and Columbus, GA back in the late 80’s. I cannot confirm or deny that the fun started to wear off trying to adhere that much C4 to the back of one of those damn things!
(All that work and it pretty much just vaporized it)
:D
miclo18d
06-07-2018, 05:27
Since I am retired now I am working on a little research project. I am trying find some historical context for modern CQB breaching. Looking at all aspects; manual, mechanical, ballistic, thermal, and explosive. I realize that a lot of the manual and some of the mechanical and even explosive stuff ori use in gaining rapid entry to rooms."
x/S
Certainly I would forward this with ancient historical references to siege engines of the ancient world. I was always fascinated by the TTP/Counter TTP aspects of breaching and obstacle reduction. The approach to target analysis has been around for a long long time.
Golf1echo
06-07-2018, 06:26
I know for a fact that there were quite a few manhole covers missing around Ft Benning and Columbus, GA back in the late 80’s. I cannot confirm or deny that the fun started to wear off trying to adhere that much C4 to the back of one of those damn things!
(All that work and it pretty much just vaporized it)
:D
Well those will hide a British Minister's car up on the other side of the roof of a 5th story building...took a while to find it according to the version we got.
Interesting history, obstacles and breaching...:D
Reaper:
I am not familiar with "IHP". Can you elaborate? PM is perfectly acceptable if more appropriate. Thanks.
x/S
The Reaper
06-09-2018, 10:32
Reaper:
I am not familiar with "IHP". Can you elaborate? PM is perfectly acceptable if more appropriate. Thanks.
Michael
Sorry.
Indian Head Point.
TR
demodude
06-28-2018, 06:01
You may want to look at the oil industry. The majority of the really efficient linear charges where designed for clean cuts on high pressure oil pipelines. Then several with upgraded casings where adopted by NASA for cleanly separating fuel tanks from the space shuttle.
We taught a lot of it outside Hertford NC prior to 911. I use to help Jack and
Mitch, a couple of retired 18Cs that worked for DOE.
Team Sergeant
06-28-2018, 11:34
Are manhole platter charges out of vogue these days?
I remember that..... I also remember what a manhole cover weighs........... who the fook thought that was a good option ?;)
demodude:
I was able to find some history published by Ensign Bickford regarding their development of linear shaped charges in the late 1950s / early 1960s for use in the space program. When I went through the course at Hertford we didn't use any linear products but we did use some of the small explosive perforators used in the oil industry.
x/S
Golf1echo
12-15-2018, 10:50
I received my first explosive breaching class JAN 80 while attending SOT at the Mott Lake Compound. TTPs were both comprehensive and imaginative given what was available at the time. Tells me there were people doing it long before the cited Navy tests.
Draper Kauffman, UDTs and the “naked warriors” made some contributions. After seeing a piece on actions on our Normandy landing beaches clear they were doing some dedicated work.
Reference...take it in context: https://sealfit.com/kauffmans-naked-warriors/.
Draper Kaufman is the name sake for the NAVSCOLEOD school house building at Eglin and is considered the father of Navy EOD. I would place him next to Dr. Lambertsen in the pantheon of WWII US frogmen. Lionel "Buster" Crabb, OBE, GM is the British equivalent to Draper Kaufman as far as impact and influence. All three are great characters to study if you are a combat diver like I was.
x/S