Military vehicle stealing and commandeering

Commandeering and Stealing Enemy Vehicles

The stealing or commandeering of armored cars belonging to police or military forces, or even a bank armored car. The vehicles can be repainted, camouflaged, hidden in a garage etc. and used against enemy forces. Can be done in large numbers in a larger more conventional conflict or done for a particular operation during a guerrilla war.

18 MAY 1995- A man goes on a rampage in a stolen M60 tank in San Diego, California. The tank was stolen from a National Guard armory. Police later managed to open the hatch and shoot the man to death.

Commandeering and Stealing Enemy Aircraft and Fighter Jets

Commandeering helicopters

Outside of commandeering U.S. trucks, there are examples of Viet Cong sappers attempting to infiltrate american bases and commandeer U.S. helicopters as well.

There are a few examples of the Provisional IRA stealing light civilian aircraft and using them to bomb enemy targets from the air or to rescue prisoners.

11 OCT 1973

23 JAN 1974

29 SEP 1974

31 OCT 1973
IRA prisoner escape from Mountjoy prison using a commandeered helicopter.

Commandeering and Stealing Enemy Ships

Possible use of anchor chain to climb up enemy vessel.

06 FEB 1981- IRA team of twelve volunteers carrying two large explosive charges, commandeer a boat and  force the skipper to take them to the British coal ship "Nellie M" anchored at Lough Foyle. The crew of the coal ship are put on a life boat and the explosives are placed on the coal ship. Explosives detonated. Ship sank.

23 FEB 1982- Another IRA team of twelve perform a similar operation against the British coal ship "St. Bedan" while anchored at Lough Foyle.

Stealing Cars

Hot Wiring Cars

Capturing Enemy Tanks and armored vehicles

During the civil war in Yugoslavia, a Croatian grandmother named Rozika Militic (also spelled Rozsika Milicic), "the battling granny", along with her sons and grandsons, captured a Serbian tank, then sent a request to Croatian military headquarters in Karlovac for an operations manual. The Croats then turned the tank against the Serbs with Rozika commanding the tank, and her progeny driving and operating the weapons.

 Tanks and armored vehicles captured by Hezbollah forces

Tank captured by Tamil Tiger forces