← Back to Concept Index

enemy-tunnel-strategy

A new tactical doctrine orders troops not to close enemy tunnels but to let hostile forces emerge and be killed on the surface.

1 chapter across 1 book

Starship Troopers (1960)Robert A. Heinlein

4. Get my own boys spread out to their initial points as fast as possible by shortest routes.

In this chapter, the platoon leader organizes the rapid deployment of his squads into a standard square formation across a hostile terrain riddled with enemy tunnels and hazards. He grapples with incomplete intelligence, broken command chains among allied units, and the tactical doctrine of allowing enemy forces to emerge rather than sealing their tunnels. The chapter highlights the challenges of coordinating dispersed troops, managing risks such as radiation and enemy ambushes, and adapting plans in real-time under uncertain and dangerous conditions.