Civil engineer guide to fighting positions, shelters, obstacles

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AFH 10-222 Volume 14 1 August 2008 72 Table 4.1. Description of Natural Obstacles. OBSTACLE DESCRIPTION Steep slopes, particularly those with ruts, brush, and Steep Slopes felled trees, can stop movement of different types of vehicles. Vertical or near-vertical 1 1/2-meter high cuts in slopes or walls can be used to stop vehicles. Thick Escarpments rock walls, railroad embankments, and steep fills along highways are examples of escarpments that can be used. These obstacles can stop most wheeled vehicles. Ravines, Gullies, However, they should be over 5 meters wide to be and Ditches effective against tracked vehicles. To overcome rivers, streams, and canals, an enemy force must find a fordable shallow crossing, rely on special means for deep water fording, or find an ele- Rivers, Streams, and vated crossing. The width and depth of the water, the Canals water velocity, and the condition of the banks and the bottom of the water determine the ease of crossing by shallow or deepwater fording. These natural barriers are effective obstacles to mobility. They can stop personnel and all types of vehi- Swamps and cles when there is either no firm ground or the sub- Marshes merged ground is more than a meter below the water surface. Snow over one meter in depth can be a major obsta- Snow cle for personnel and vehicles. Heavy stands of trees, eight or more inches in diameter and spaced less than 20 feet apart will build Trees up into an obstacle when tracked vehicles attempt to push them over and force their way through.
AFH 10-222 Volume 14 1 August 2008 73 4.4. Field Expedient Obstacles. During initial beddown it may be necessary to use whatever means available to construct obstacles for protection. However, once material and equipment are more readily available, these measures should be complemented or replaced with more effective means of protection. The following paragraphs describe expedient methods that can be used to construct and employ obstacles when time and materials are limited. 4.4.1. Abatis. During initial beddown, trees can be used to construct an abatis, one of the oldest forms of barriers (Figure 4.2). The term “abatis” is a French word meaning “a heap of material thrown.” It is constructed by cutting down trees, leaving them attached to the stump, and arranging them in a row with the branches facing towards the direction of the enemy to impede movement. To ensure the tree remains attached to the stump, cut the butt of the tree two-thirds through on the opposite side to which it is to fall. The trees are then forcefully pushed over in the required direction. The branches can be sharpened, making the barrier a primitive version of barbed wire. To be even more effective, tree branches can be interlaced with barbed wire if available. Although this type of expedient barrier may be necessary during the early stages of a contingency due to severely limited resources, it should not be used as a permanent barrier for a deployed site unless combined with more modern forms of obstacles to enhance the level of protection. Figure 4.2. Abatis.
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