The Simple Sabotage Field Manual was prepared by the OSS during the Second World War. ‘Simple sabotage’ was the OSS term for simple acts that would hurt the enemy’s war effort, from slacking off on the job to destruction of war materials. These acts of sabotage required no specialized equipment or weapons. Deniability was the key to success; even if caught, the saboteur should be able to claim stupidity or clumsiness as a defense.
This manual was not for distribution to would-be saboteurs in the occupied countries. Possessing such a manual would be as damning as having sabotage equipment or explosives. Instead, it was for the OSS operatives who would spread the word in the field. As such, it deals with motivating and educating the resistors to the technique as much as with the physical methods of sabotage.
Much of the material is out of date: there aren’t very many steam locomotives around to sabotage. However, many of the techniques are still useful today, and the concept and motivational methods are still relevant to any resistance movement.
[ The OSS Sabotage and Demolition Manual provides instruction in the use of explosives and other methods for the organized guerrilla.] ( )