As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
Heinous warfare did not originate with Muslims. It is a tradition of all peoples to be abhorrently brutal in peace and war, until the penalty of their actions harms them so personally as to make it a reason to not engage in murderous activities.
The first IED's were nothing of Russian invention for Muslim militants, but in reality they were a Confederate invention. All types of mines have always been a part of warfare. The earliest ones were simply metal spikes which would ram into the person's foot who stepped upon them.
There is a recording of land torpedoes being unleashed on Union forces under the leadership of General Robert E. Lee, and Union General Philip Sheridan recorded their use.
Sheridan had challenged his superior Genearl Meade to let him have a go at Cavalry General Jeb Stuart, and did just that in taking the Union Cavalry behind Lee's lines and breaking it there in a brilliant battle plan which killed Stuart in the first battle.
On the way out, or the way north in the circuituous route, General Sheridan was marching toward Richmond to join Union infantry forces. On this journey, one of the earliest forms of IED's or landmines, or as they were called torpedoes were implemented on the road.
I post the quote as it explains all, and how the remedy was accomplished.
"The enemy, anticipating that I would march by this route, had planted torpedoes along it, and many of these exploded as the column passed over them, killing several horses and wounding a few men, but beyond this we met with no molestation. The torpedoes were loaded shells planted on each side of the road, and so connected by wires attached to friction-tubes in the shells, that when a horse's hoof struck a wire the shell was exploded by the jerk on the improvised lanyard. After the loss of several horses and the wounding of some of the men by these torpedoes, I gave directions to have them removed , if practicable , so about twenty-five of the prisoners were brought up and made to get down on their knees , feel for the wires in the darkness, follow them up and unearth the shells.
The prisoners reported the owner of one of the neighboring houses to be the principal person who had engaged in planting these shells, and I therefore directed that some of them be carried and placed in the cellar of his house, arranged to explode if the enemy's column came that way, while he and his family were brought off as prisoners and held till after daylight."
Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, General, United States Army
As you can assess, the mines were quite brilliant in being tripwire bombs. The remedy being having the Confederates blow themselves up disarming the mines.......but as was the case, the Confederates were more than ready to finger the civilian terrorist who was aiding them.
Frankly, the man behind this should have been gagged with a mine tied to him in the road with trip wires coming in to greet the Confederates.
I do not much care about Soldiers or Troopers dying in war as that is their purpose, but I do not like seeing horses killed, and this terrorist was killing horses, because he was unfamiliar with shrapnell. His ignorance was in he should have packed metal objects on top of the explosive charges to direct them at a 30 degree angle with a clay pack. A little bit of knowledge and he could have sprayed shrapnell like having 4 Napoleons going off with effect.
Calculations point to 40 KIA and WIA's on each detonation, but then it would kill more horses too and wound them, which would be distasteful to me.
In any event, the Confederacy had bright people who progressed iron and tin clads, submarines and IED's, attempted to incite the Indians into terrorism and with guerilla warfare against their own people, they had things well in hand.
No condemnation of their methods as the North was making exploding type shells for killing people from muskets, so it was the human genius at work in making war more lethal for an edge.
I just do not like the killing of horses or mules in war, am pleased it is now Hummers and things, as no one cares a thing about ordnance.
agtG
