Book review of A Historical Perspective On Light Infantry by Scott R McMichael

 

Light infantry is a much- misunderstood concept. Quite often light infantry is defined by the equipment they don’t have,  as in: “we don’t have helicopters like the cavalry, and we don’t have tanks like the mech/armor, so we must be light infantry”.  This book seeks to explain the characteristics of light infantry, and how such units are best led, deployed, and trained.

Here are a couple of points that stood out to me on the reading of this book.

1-I have always, somehow, thought of light infantry as highly trained or “elite”, but many of the forces profiled in this book were conscripts, and did not undergo extensive selection or training (their training was different from other infantry units, but not necessarily more strenuous).
2-Guerrilla/ insurgent tactics are not necessarily light infantry tactics, and vise-versa.  Prior to reading this book, those two were closely linked in my mind.
3-Dug-in positions were used extensively by many of these units. I had always thought the highly mobile nature of light infantry would preclude digging in; finding this was not so spurred me to read FM5-15
4-Marksmanship still matters. Repeatedly, the importance of accurate fire was mentioned.
5-Long- distance endurance marches were critical. I have heard more than one veteran of the Iraq war expound upon the irrelevance of the ruck march; then again, that was, by and large, not a light infantry conflict.
6-Pack animals are essential if you are going into territory without roads (see FM 31-27).
7-Light infantry is most effective when deployments are relatively short.

 

My friend and mentor, Dr. Christopher Larsen, read this review and added this comment, which is pertinent to anyone interested in the subject:

“And lastly…Light Infantry MUST NEVER find themselves in open or easily traversed terrain when combating mechanized/mounted forces!

Light Infantry can ONLY defeat Mech Infantry and Cavalry if they can channel these powerful forces into appropriate kill boxes.”