Unique Ground Transportation

Listen to "Unique Ground Transportation"

Ski Warfare:

• In the Winter War between the Finns and the Soviets, the Finnish ski troops used guerilla tactics to stop a much larger enemy. Their high mobility gave them an advantage in the cold conditions (of which the Soviets were not used to).
• The 10th Mountain Division, a special operations unit in the US, is trained in harsh terrain operations, including ski warfare. They are a rapid-response unit and have conducted many operations in the 1990s.

Bicycle Warfare:

• Bicycles are cheap, light, fast, and can carry a surprisingly large amount of baggage
• When Japan invaded Singapore in WWII, they used bicycles on gravel and pavement to give the impression of a much larger tank force. This prompted a British garrison that was 3x the size of the Japanese invading force to surrender.

For more information, read:
Military History Magazine (Feb 2000): Bicycles in War
Special Forces by Samuel Southworth
Military Blunders by Geoffrey Regan
Japanese Army by Geoffrey Forty

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine