Black And Tan's Tactics During The Irish Civil War
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government acts and laws, as around 20% of NA officers and 50% of NA soldiers were former members of the British military . With many of the soldiers already having military experience, the NA was far more skilled then the IRA, so military engagements during the Irish Civil War often reflected this. Another interesting aspect of the NA was that the British supplied much of the armaments the NA used during the Civil War, leading to even more similarities of the tactics the NA would use against the IRA. During the Irish War of Independence, the British attempted to use their superior numbers and equipment to contain the IRA. When discussing the Irish War of Independence it is important to note that the British military stationed in Ireland were not supposed to engage with IRA forces, nor were the IRA prone to targeting British…show more content… As such, the main fighting force of the British were the Royal Irish Constabulary (IRC), the Black and Tans, and the Auxiliary Force. Although none of them were strictly the military, the vast majority of the Black and Tans and the Auxiliary Force (Auxies) were WWI veterans who treated their police work in the same way as military duty. The service record of the British forces fighting the IRA meant they adopted many WWI era tactics against the IRA. Both the Black and Tans and Auxies are notorious for their treatment of civilians and their overall behavior, as many treated the Irish similarly to the natives of the lands they occupied during WWI . A very effective early war tactic the British used was their strategic deployment of artillery. Artillery was used whenever the British had the IRA cornered and wanted to demoralize them into surrendering or simply kill them with the least amount of