Simple Sabotage Field Manual

This manual is designed to instruct you in the art of simple sabotage, a method by which ordinary citizens, without special tools or equipment, can undermine the enemy's efforts. The acts described herein require no direct connection to organized resistance groups, minimizing the danger of detection and reprisal. Your objective is to create delays, reduce efficiency, and foster disorganization, thereby weakening the adversary's capacity from within. This is not about grand explosions, but rather the insidious erosion of productivity through countless small, seemingly innocuous acts.

Consider your workplace, whether it be an office, factory, or transportation hub, as your primary theater of operations. In organizations, insist on doing everything through "channels," never permitting shortcuts that might expedite decisions. Refer all matters to committees for "further study and consideration," ensuring these committees are as large as possible - never less than five. Bring up irrelevant issues frequently, haggle over precise wordings of communications, and constantly refer back to previously decided matters to reopen discussion. Advocate for "caution" and urge your fellow conferees to avoid haste. These actions, individually minor, collectively create a paralyzing bureaucracy.

Should you find yourself in a managerial or supervisory role, your opportunities for disruption are amplified. Be pleasant to inefficient workers, even granting them undeserved promotions, while discriminating against efficient ones and complaining unjustly about their work. When making work assignments, prioritize unimportant jobs, and ensure critical tasks are given to the least capable individuals or assigned to faulty machinery. Insist on perfect work for insignificant products, sending them back for refinishing over the slightest flaw, while approving other defective parts whose flaws are not readily visible. These tactics will sow discord, lower morale, and cripple overall production.

In any setting, cultivating a non-cooperative attitude and inducing others to follow suit is paramount. Engage in bickerings, display surliness or feigned stupidity, and create an unpleasant atmosphere among your fellow workers. Misplace tools, files, or important documents. Make faulty decisions, even if seemingly minor, such as placing tools in the wrong spot, to introduce errors and delays into the workflow. Remember, this "human element" frequently causes accidents and general obstruction even under normal conditions; your task is to enlarge this "margin for error."

For those involved in production, the methods are more direct yet still subtle. Work slowly. When possible, use the wrong tools for the job, or mishandle tools to cause damage or breakage. Jam machinery by introducing foreign objects, or apply the wrong lubricants. Make small, difficult-to-detect errors in measurements, calculations, or assembly. For instance, if you handle raw materials, hide small quantities or mix in improper materials. If you are responsible for maintenance, perform it poorly, ensuring that equipment breaks down more frequently or requires more extensive repairs.

In transportation, the goal is to create delays and confusion. If you are a telephone operator, delay calls, give out wrong numbers, or "accidentally" cut people off. Forget to disconnect lines so they remain busy. If you handle tickets or schedules, issue incorrect ones. Ensure that passengers or goods are misdirected or delayed. The cumulative effect of these small impediments, from a delayed train to a misrouted package, can significantly impact the enemy's logistical capabilities.

The success of simple sabotage lies in its pervasive, almost invisible nature. Each act, taken alone, might be dismissed as incompetence or accident. However, when these acts are multiplied across many individuals and various sectors, they collectively create a profound drag on efficiency, morale, and resources. Though your individual acts may seem limited, remember that you are part of a vast, unseen network of saboteurs, all working towards the same objective. The knowledge of this shared purpose should serve as your motivation, knowing that every small disruption hastens the day when the adversary's power will crumble.