with the hollow surface (concave side) facing the
enemy, so friendly small-arms fire will not ricochet
back toward your position. An expedient picket
driver, which can be fabricated locally, is shown in
figure 8-11. Constructed as shown, it weighs
approximately 5 1/2 pounds and is operated by two
men. One man holds the picket in a vertical position,
and the other slides the driver over the picket and
drives it into the ground. Then both men work the
picket driver up and down until the required depth is
reached. Drive short pickets by turning the picket
driver upside down and using the head as a hammer.
Use the bucket of a front-end loader to push U-shaped
pickets into the ground when the tactical situation
permits the use of equipment.
In locations where frozen ground prevents driving
of the U-shaped pickets, use an Arctic adapter. The
adapter is made of steel and consists of a baseplate
equipped with an adjustable channel receptacle and
two anchor pins. Anchor it by driving the anchor pins
through holes in the baseplate into the ground. One
anchor-pin drive sleeve with a driving pin is provided
with each 20 adapters to aid anchor pin emplacement.
When adapters are not available, start a hole with a
Figure 8-11.-Expedient picket driver.
picket. The picket can be frozen in place by pouring
water and snow into the hole.
picket inserted in the bottom eye of the picket for
leverage. Use the bottom eye in order to avoid twisting
WOODEN PICKETS
the picket. Install screw pickets so the eye is to the right
of the picket, as seen from the friendly side, and standard
You can use expedient wooden pickets of several
ties can be made easily. Screw pickets tend to be less
types.
rigid than other types but are desirable because you can
install them rapidly and silently. When silence is
Cut round poles 4 inches in diameter to standard
necessary, wrap the driftpin used in installing the pickets
picket lengths, sharpen them on one end, and drive them
with cloth.
with a maul. Use the pickets without peeling the bark to
prevent the wire from sliding on the picket and to
simplify camouflage. You need longer pickets in loose
U-shaped Pickets
or sandy soil and when driving through a snow cover.
Driving wooden pickets is not as noisy as driving steel
The U-shaped picket is a cold-formed steel picket
pickets, and you can reduce the noise further by
with a U-shaped cross section, pointed at one end for
fastening a section of tire tread over the face of the
driving. It is notched for wire ties and the pointed end has
hammer or maul. For driving in hard earth, wrap the
a punched hole for wires used in bundling the pickets.
picket tops with wire to avoid splitting. Hardwood
Drive the U-shaped pickets with a sledgehammer. Use
pickets, properly installed, are sturdy and rigid.
a stake driving cap on the tip of the picket to prevent
You can use dimensional lumber that is ripped to a
the sledge from deforming it. Driving the pickets is
square cross section instead of round poles. This is
noisier than installing screw pickets. However, you can
equally satisfactory except that it is more difficult to
reduce the noise by placing a piece of rubber tire over
camouflage. These pickets may be dipped in
the driving face of the sledge. The pickets are rigid and
camouflage paint before driving.
sturdy when installed properly. They are preferable to
screw pickets in situations where noise is not a
Standing trees and stumps may be used as pickets
disadvantage and time is available. Drive the pickets
when their location permits.
8-7
