Home hardening in a real SHTF scenario...


Found via a commenter at Max's place ( original post HERE )

"After discussing in another thread the problems with the wooden building that are so often used elsewhere in the world I thought I would post my 2 cents on how its done in Africa at many farms I have visited and read about over the years.


Rhodesian Farmers Defensive Arrangements

The following is a general overview:

1) Most farmers fitted hand-grenade grills to the outside of all windows and Doors leading outside were likewise security grilled.

2) Many farmers built thick sand bag walls in front and under bedroom windows to stop bullets passing through walls and providing secured firing arc's. Beds were never placed against the outside walls of a farmhouse.

3) It was usual to have a designated safe room within the farmhouse that could be defended until support arrived. Sometimes this was a central corridor that allowed the farmer to move into other rooms to attack those outside through the windows. In the loft or ceiling over the safe room, some farmers laid sand bags to deal with possible mortar attack.

4) Every farmhouse in a given area was linked by a radio system called “Agric Alert”. This allowed radio contact with other farmers who formed their own defence units, usually under the umbrella of PATU (Police Anti-Terrorist Unit), which would react to a call from one of their neighbours for assistance. Another means of alarm raising was the use of a signal rocket - The Agric-Alert system was not done away with after the war, such was the lack of trust in Mugabe`s promises. It performed admirably as well when dealing with criminal activity such as stock theft. The alert system arranged for all farmers to check in with each other at a given time in the morning and evening as a means of monitoring their status.
South Africa also had such a system Called MARNET.


5) Around all farmhouse gardens were erected security fences with barbed wire (or razor wire) and which often had simple alarm systems built into them.
There were usually 2 fences were placed about 50 m apart with a ditch dig close to the inner one - the inner fence was usually very high 10 feet with barb wire and close to the main house, about 4 meters away, the outer fence was lower and alarmed with simple soda cans with stones inside that would rattle and wake the dogs if there were disturbed.

the reason for the 2 fences and ditch was much like todays BAR Armour on Hummers that you guys use .. the inner fence would catch grenades and they would then roll into the ditch and explode there causing little damage. and an RPG fired at the house would also be caught by the fence and do little damage to the mail house

Within the inner fence boundary, every farmer usually had a couple of large dogs. The dogs were fed their largest meal in the morning instead of the evening, in order to help keep them awake at night. Other farmers had geese or ducks, which made excellent guard “dogs.” Gardens were kept deliberately trim so as to keep clear fields of view and fire etc. The farm houses also had outside flood lighting erected in such a way as to blind those outside the fence, but not to interfere with the vision of those within the farmhouse.

the flood lighting often included hardened lighting, usually behind sand bags , reflectors were used to provide light from lights shining vertically upwards because lights are the first targets and if the reflectors were shot they still worked ... albeit with a few holes


6) All farmers and their wives were armed with an assortment of weapons, and most farmers were trained military men. They had at least one assault rifle, usually an FAL 7.62, assorted shot guns, .303 hunting rifles and so forth. It was also not unusual for wives to carry Uzi`s around with them, or other equivalents such as the Rhodesian Cobra. All members of the family were trained on the various weaponry available to them, including the kids. In one famous incident a child successfully fought off the attacking terrorists after both of his parents were wounded. The main defensive weapons were at all times within immediate reach of the adult farmhouse occupants, and were placed next to the bed at night.

7) Some farmers used mine protected vehicles, as a favourite of terrorists was to landmine the driveway outside the fence. A great deal of time was spent looking at the dirt roads for freshly dug earth points and so forth when driving around the farm.

8) Some farm gardens and particular points external to the fence were wired with home-made claymore like devices strategically placed in areas where attackers were likely to take cover. In a few instances farmers deliberately erected “cover positions” for the terrorists to use outside the fence, which were then blown up upon attack. A particular favourite was a section of plastic piping filled with nails, nuts, bolts, screws and so forth. I witnessed tests with these and the tubes cleared large areas of their intended aiming point of all bush cover and leaves from trees etc for about 30 meters into the bush. By placing a number of figure 8`s in front of these tests, it was apparent from the strike patterns that not one of them would have walked again had they been terrorists.


9)Out buildings were often fitted which screens of thin steel or wood the provide false cover to intruders who would have to stand behind the sheets to fire around the corners of buildings but could easily be picked off if they did, by firing through there cover."


Those farmers learned some hard lessons....take notes.


(H/T to Max Velocity, Tea Party Guy and xizero)


Comments

  1. Farmers also used local plants as a defensive barrier. There was a particularily tough thorn bush that would take a lot to get through. It was planted as an additional barrier.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In SA its called 'wait a bit' thorn or 'cats claw'. VERY TOUGH

      Delete
  2. The farmers' vehicles were also armed with anti-ambush weapons too, one such weapon was the KQ anti-ambush weapon which was essentially 29 zip guns fastened to their vehicle of choices. I've read anecdotal stories of a farmer who came under attack whilst driving in to his farm, he sped through the killbox and having forgotten to employ his anti-ambush devices then proceeds to reverse back in to the killbox and set them off! Now that's dedication!

    The South African MARNET was a good plan, the South African commando system would also work really well in the USA.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'd rate this article "A" for relevancy and "F" for originality.

    See this more detailed February, 2012 article from SurvivalBlog:
    http://www.survivalblog.com/2012/02/could-americas-farmers-and-ranchers-face-a-rhodesian-future.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yeah, we need to think up new things because the old ones never do work.

      Some of us might not read Rawles. Or cursive.

      Delete
    2. Rawles was hardly original:
      http://selousscouts.blogspot.com/2008/04/security-measures-for-retreat.html

      Delete
    3. Even small governments betray their own people. I will never understand Ian Smith thinking Mugabe could be reasoned with.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous 1508,

    I don't think that Ian Smith had much choice, given the economic pressures Rhodesia was under and the collapse of morale brought on by the successes of the terrorists.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rhodesia was sold out by the UK and the USA. Thanks Pres. Carter.
    The Soviets supplied the African Communists and trained Mugabe.
    Rhodesians were some damned fine troops (White and Black), but they were outnumbered and starved of supplies for decades. Free men and civilized men crushed under an iron boot, and the breadbasket of Africa became a big broke food importer.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rhodesian troops won virtually every military engaagement they fought against the Marxist Terroriist's with superior tactics and highly motivated disciplined troops. Despite their being hamstrung by the US and British economic sanctions they had amazing success on the battlefield. In the end they were defeated politically by 2 countries thought to be Allies. Mugabe proved to be nothing but a criminal which anyone from Rhodesia or S.A. could have clearly pointed out in the 1970's. The Whites had their land stolen and received nothing in return and Mugabe's cronies profited on the inevitable corruption that comes along once the Colonial Administration and political apparatus was dismantled (White rule). Does anyone care to share a success story in this regard? As I thought, there are none.

    ReplyDelete

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