BOOKS & MORE: The Lost Art of Reconnaissance

Thanks to drones, hardly anyone goes on a reconnaissance mission to scout out the enemy's situation anymore. An old master of this art is Hans Edelmaier, retired First Lieutenant. He acquired the skills of stalking and lurking at the Jagdkommando, but unfortunately, the skill of conducting reconnaissance patrols has been lost over the years in the field troops.

The book tries to preserve some of the knowledge of the "old ones." In essence, the content is still valid today, even though optoelectronic night vision equipment, drones, battlefield radars, and seismic motion detectors have made things more complex and challenging.

The basics of conducting reconnaissance patrols are very exciting and educational. There is much to consider here, and most of it sounds quite logical, yet one would likely do it wrong if they have not read about it. Edelmaier has collected many good tips that will particularly interest practitioners.

Many of the basics and experiences are based on the good individual behavior of each soldier. The classic "Y" has proven to be the best combat formation for the reconnaissance patrol.

At the end of the book, various myths surrounding the reconnaissance patrol are addressed. Very informative and exciting to read.

CONCLUSION: The compilation of reconnaissance patrol experiences presented in this book does not aim to be a textbook that comprehensively presents the art of reconnaissance patrols. However, it is definitely worth a look because many suggestions for combat behavior can also be applied outside of reconnaissance patrols.

“The Lost Art of Conducting Reconnaissance Patrols,” Austrian Militia Publishing House, 166 pages, Euro 18.00 – directly order HERE.