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
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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. |
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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 |
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.
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Are manhole platter charges out of vogue these days?
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(All that work and it pretty much just vaporized it) :D |
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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 |
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Indian Head Point. TR |
Oil Industry
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. |
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