The Soldier and Squad in Night Combat: An Authentic Field Manual of the Red Army (Red Army Field Manuals)

"If enemy scouts are observed, it is desirable to ambush and capture them. [...] Without letting the enemy approach to point-blank range, the patrol must leap from cover and attack the opponent suddenly, silently and without battle-cries. Anyone who resists must be immediately stabbed to death." During World War II, The Soldier and Squad in Night Combat was the official Soviet manual on night combat at the individual and squad level. Today, when we speak of night fighting, we think of things like night-vision goggles, low-light sights, tactical flashlights and other equipment that makes it easier for the fighting man to overcome the darkness. But before the advent of modern technology, warriors did not overcome the darkness – they made it their ally. They learned to exploit it, to move from hill to ditch and from bush to bush, sneaking closer to their foes. Without the tools of the modern soldier at their disposal, they were forced to be stealthy, vigilant – and extremely ruthless. The Soldier and Squad in Night Combat was the manual used to train men for this kind of combat. Now, this book is available to you with all its original illustrations. The text was translated from the original Russian by author, professional translator and graduate student of military history Boris Karpa, with the utmost care taken to preserve the meaning of the original text, without taking away its unique character.