Front-Line Intelligence

by Stedman Chandler, Robert W. Robb

Drawing on their war time experiences as US Army intelligence officers, the authors present a manual on the various aspects and elements of the intelligence function and how to get those jobs done.

Genres: Military Fiction

183 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1946

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in 1946 and is a practical guide on combat intelligence, that is - intelligence most useful to fighting units. It is obviously not up to date but it conveys useful tools and thoughts providing a foundation to the military professional working at the tactical level.

Some key tenants:
1. The S2 can never stop studying.
2. Understanding capabilities is more important than intentions. And you are more likely to get the former correct.
3. For information to be useful, it must be acted upon. To act, you need to inform. Passing information is the #1 thing that develops combat intelligence.
4. The three main topics are enemy, terrain, and weather.
5. Do not choke your boss with mass amount of information. This is even more important today.
6. Have the courage to change your commander’s mind!
7. Your job is to REDUCE uncertainty, not eliminate it.
8. Be wary of bias, especially confirmation bias!

I found this treasure in the cadet library at our university. It likely hasn't been opened in 50 years but it is an engaging and easy read. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in how the military looks at intelligence collect at the fighting level.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1946 and long out of print, I found it an outstanding read. But although I gave it four stars, I doubt if everyone would enjoy it - it is written specifically for a military audience and those with no experience and little knowledge of tactical military intelligence probably wouldn't have as much fun poring over it as I did.

The book is geared for battalion and regiment (brigade) S-2s, and distills lessons learned from WWII combat ops. It is written in very straightforward language, and covers a broad spectrum of responsibilities, from collection management, analysis, and dissemination to the use and management of CI, HUMINT, linguist and other assets. The authors speak strongly and repeatedly to issues that we continue to address today, such as clear and concise intelligence writing, effective collaboration among echelons and the importance of understanding threat and local (not always the same) culture and language even in conventional maneuver combat. A must read for anyone in Military Intelligence.