Guerrilla Navigation – Learn the Basics because Murphy is Watching, by GuerrillaLogistician

Part One – The RAZORBACK Submarine and the Guerilla Unit: Why are Guerrilla Units and Submarines Similar?

Part Two – Are Guerrilla Units like Submarines? My Creative Case to Spark Your Thinking, by GuerrillaLogistician

Reference 9A – Manuvering

Among the multitude of skills that you will need to know, regardless of how the world turns out, navigation will always be important. Modern navigation for most relies on computer technology, GPS, and servers. For most of you reading this, many will remember printing out maps, and those in the military may know how to read a compass and map. Modern submarine technology relies on many devices to understand where it is going. From sensitive Electro gyroscopic positioning systems and GPS systems to computerized and print-out charts, they have the world at their fingertips.  Yet somehow, these marvels of the unseen depths still have accidents.  During the First and Second World War, this was not an option, and the reality is that most of our technology relies on the Internet, so you may have to go back to maps, compasses, and even draw your navigation aids.

This won’t be a discussion or deep dive into the subject because there are too many excellent classes and too much detail for one article. What I will say is whatever options you have available, remember a few key points. If it connects to the Internet through a cellular service or wifi, it can be tracked as quickly as you can find your position. Modern cell phones even come with GPS and satellite communication for emergency use. Again, this is an article I won’t touch on because others do a far better job with it. We will discuss the things that you as a person should be keeping in your pack.

Article on a submarine hitting an undersea mountain
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2022/03/02/heres-the-damage-the-submarine-connecticut-sustained-when-it-hit-an-undersea-mountain/

People can travel long distances using rafts coming up from Cuba to guys taking on physical and mental endurance challenges.
https://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/kayaking-from-florida-to-the-bahamas-faster-than-anyone-again-20160303

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Conrad_Wise_Chapman_-_Submarine_Torpedo_Boat_H.L._Hunley,_Dec._6,_1863.jpg

Many moons ago, I had a friend who was in the military. He had gotten the idea that he could navigate himself from the coast of Florida to the nearest Caribbean Island. I won’t go into significant detail to protect his privacy; let’s just say he had a sail, foot, and paddle-powered Hobbie kayak across this stretch of ocean, approximately 50 miles.  This feat is possible and has been done several times, although my friend had an excessive payload beyond his own weight. I won’t bore you with the details, but he took an old waterproof Garmin GPS and a newer model, which both had been used by myself or other people in the military. We’d use these civilian models, beating them up and submerging them for long durations in both salt water and fresh water. Before this little jaunt across the ocean, I can tell you for a fact that if either one died, the other would survive.

I also knew that you should have a compass anytime you go anywhere. Maybe it’s a heavy military one or, maybe it’s a small escape and evasion model. He refused to bring a compass, sighting the backup GPS and extra weight.  After constant badgering, we found him a small one he could mount on his kayak out of the way.  Due to apparent complications with this kayak and overbearing it with too much gear, my friend made it over the horizon before his kayak decided it didn’t want to be a surface vessel any longer. Like the old Civil War submarine the HL Hunley, this kayak sank below the surface but didn’t go crashing to the bottom. A Hobbie kayak is a rugged little craft, even if the operator has made horrible mistakes and ignored leaks. The closed cell foam and sure determination kept the little craft from being lost, his sail the only thing above the water.  His expedition was cut short, and both GPSs died, not because of battery loss but because these waterproof devices somehow had gotten damaged enough to leak water. The trusty little compass probably saved him from randomly paddling off to his death.  Regardless his trip back was extra difficult and several boats ignored him to continue fishing.

There are several great compasses in the market, and I won’t directly point at one, but I will say that if you have the money, definitely purchase a tritium compass and always have a backup. One of the other most needed things is a good protractor with your map. While you may not always have an official map, a handy protractor with a map can tell you where you are and where things are relative to you. If you want to learn more about how to use a protractor, YouTube has what you need.

With a bit of compass work and reading some of the information in Guerrilla Dispatch Vol 2, you will understand the necessity of not only why you would want a protractor but its validity in combat. So, what protractor should you get?  A basic off-the-shelf military protractor will do you a lot of good, and they are readily available online sometimes for exorbitant prices, though, so shop around. Another option is going to any outdoor store with markings for military and civilian-style maps. Your last option, one of my favorites, is what Brush Beater sells.

Guerrilla Dispatch Vol 2
https://brushbeater.store/products/the-guerrilla-dispatch-vol-2

Military style protractor

Range Card with protractor corners
https://brushbeater.store/products/brushbeater-range-r-card

One of the significant things you want to do is have multi-purpose devices. Not only does this save on weight, but your device can be a little redundant.  The one downside to the range card I don’t like is the gap between the measurement and the actual map itself. This becomes a little more difficult to use on less detailed maps. What I have done with mine is cut off the scale numbers and etch them on the inside of the protractors’ corners. This allows me to get closer with a pen to the accurate position and gives me a better view.

If you go to any hobby shop, you can get a nice little delicate tooth pull saw blade to cut the plastic. These are commonly found in the modeling section and are well worth the few dollars to cut the plastic accurately. If you want to use a file, that is also OK; just be careful with cutting or filing these cards. You don’t want to wear away the hash marks while cutting. The card is thick enough that you shouldn’t worry too much about being overly rough with it; pay attention as it flexes. I took some sandpaper blocks from the same modeling section and cleaned off the edges after I had done my cutting to make sure it was pretty level. Remember to put the scale’s numbers so you don’t confuse yourself.  This mod will drop those numbers off, and without the maps reference, you might get confused.  You may only have one map so that copies might be made, and those key details may not make it to the copy.  Also, these cards are highly resistant to being marked with pens, so don’t try to use a permanent marker and expect those numbers to stick.

With a simple compass map and protractor, you can do everything the GPS can, especially in rugged terrain. This includes finding your location and those of observed enemies. This is the fundamental element of most infantry units and should be something everybody in your team understands how to do, even if they are not as skilled as your team leader. Everyone should have a protractor or two, any available maps or copies, and their compasses. Even if you guys don’t buy the same thing, you must know how to operate these simple devices in case you’re separated or things go South. Do not rely just on technology, even if it is disconnected from the Internet, for your survival. Even if you use GPS, ensure these skills and these items are packed with you just in case.

As for me, none of my team members ever went out and did anything without full knowledge of the area by satellite images, maps, and both if possible.  They were reviewed along with plans for fall back locations, exfil, and infill were all discussed in advance, but sometimes things on the ground were not what maps or satellite images had shown us.  We also made sure everyone had some compass on them not only for navigation but so we could reference things we saw.

While these items may not be needed every second, they are handy when traveling in areas you are not as familiar with or conducting reconnaissance on the movement of enemy forces. The military didn’t fit us out, but everyone always had these items, especially when we were operating in new areas; protractors at the time sometimes had to be handmade from overhead projector plastic. This also meant that we could use the protractors to mark outbuildings and draw in reasonably accurate information on our maps when we did our initial reconnaissance. These little devices in skilled hands make short work of site surveillance and updating outdated information, Which was more common in the early 2000s when satellites weren’t updating maps as quickly as they do now.  Without access to modern technology you may be forced to go back to making your own maps and a protractor is a great start on making accurate representations of what you see. Let’s hope that we never have to fall back to this rudimentary skill but it’s something you should know.  Just like the submarines today things can fail with technology and you may be left with paper compass and your skills to prevent horrible things from happening.