Tunnel Rats in Vietnam: Fight for Life in the Tunnels (Part-2)
Viet Cong's use of tunnels was an important element of their success in the Vietnam War. It gave them a significant advantage in mobility, surprise and defense, enabling them to wage a prolonged guerrilla war against a much larger and better equipped enemy.
US Army operations against tunnels in Vietnam
There is no clear view on how the tunnel operations began. On the other hand, the Australian Forces claim that the 3rd Field Company, an Australian combat engineering unit, were the first allied troops to enter the Viet Cong tunnels in 1965-66, and that they later provided information about the tunnels to the US Army, and that the US forces completed their training based on the information they received from them before starting tunnel operations.
The US side admits that they entered the Cu Chi tunnels together in January 1966 during Operation Crimp, a joint US-Australian attack against the Cu Chi tunnels.
French sources, on the other hand, claim that the French Legion captured the tunnels during the 1947 operation against the Viet Minh tunnels in the town of Dong Trieu and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Minh. Indeed, it is known that in the 1952 operation against the Viet Minh tunnels in Hoa Binh, the French bombed the tunnels and filled them with poison gas.
In any case, the Viet Cong's use of tunnels was an important element of their success in the Vietnam War. It gave them a significant advantage in mobility, surprise and defense, enabling them to wage a prolonged guerrilla war against a much larger and better equipped enemy.
What were the advantages of the tunnels for the Viet Cong?
1) Mobility and Surprise:
Stealth:
The tunnels allowed the Viet Cong to move their men and supplies undetected, appearing and disappearing at will. This made them unpredictable and difficult to track, allowing for hit-and-run attacks and ambushes.
Escape routes:
When under attack, the Viet Cong could retreat into tunnels to escape air strikes, artillery fire and ground attacks. This helped them survive and maintain their strength.
Surprise attacks:
Using the tunnel entrances as starting points, the Viet Cong launched surprise attacks on US positions in the open near the jungle, often catching US soldiers off guard and causing heavy casualties.
2) Logistics and Protection:
Storage and stockpiles:
Interconnected tunnel complexes provided secure storage for food, weapons, ammunition and medical supplies vital for sustained operations.
Communication and command and control centers:
The tunnels housed communications networks and command centers that allowed the Viet Cong to coordinate attacks and share information efficiently.
Protection against air strikes and artillery shelling:
The tunnels provided vital shelter from enemy air strikes and artillery fire, minimizing Viet Cong casualties and protecting their infrastructure.
3) Guerrilla Warfare:
Adaptability, knowledge of terrain and situational awareness:
Familiar with tunnels, the Viet Cong were able to deftly navigate tunnels while US forces struggled to recognize the tunnel network in cramped, dark areas. This gave them a significant advantage in close-quarters combat.
Increased morale and support:
The tunnels served the Viet Cong as symbols of resilience and resistance to the onslaught of US forces, boosted Viet Cong morale, and led Viet Cong sympathizers from the local population, who often helped build and maintain the tunnels, to become more supportive of the Viet Cong, believing in their victory.
Challenges for US and Allied Forces:
Difficulties in clearing tunnels:
Clearing tunnel networks was time-consuming, dangerous, and often ineffective. The Viet Cong used booby traps, secret entrances and complex tunnel networks to impede the advance of US and allied forces.
Psychological impact:
The claustrophobic and unpredictable nature of the tunnels put a psychological strain on US and allied forces, making them hesitant to enter.
It is important to note that while the tunnels offered significant advantages to the Viet Cong, they also had limitations. Their construction was time-consuming and labor-intensive, and they offered limited living space. The flooding of chemical gas and water through tunnel entrances. They could become death traps if tunnel entrances were blown up by explosives, or if ventilation shafts were destroyed by artillery or aerial bombardment.
As US forces increased the number of tunnel operations, the Viet Cong developed a tactic to make it more difficult to find tunnel entrances through the coops, pens and barns used for domestic animals in villages, if there were villages in the area. Army dogs found it difficult or even impossible to find these entrances because of the odor of domestic animals. These entrances were discovered by US soldiers while searching. The graphic above shows this tactic.
Why weren't dogs sent into the tunnels before the Tunnel Rats?
Actually, this was done, but dogs cannot move through the tunnels. If they did, they could easily get caught in Viet Cong booby traps and lose their lives. The dogs were not trained to operate in the tunnels, they were trained to track. Because of these losses, the dog trainers and those in charge of the dogs did not want to bring more dogs into the Viet Cong tunnels, so the plan was abandoned.
Were the tunnels affected by B-52 Stratofortress bombing and artillery attacks during the Vietnam War?
Yes, the Viet Cong tunnel networks were affected by B-52 bombings and artillery attacks during the Vietnam War, but to varying degrees and to a limited extent, let us try to explain this a little.
Effect of Bombing and Bombing Missions:
Direct Damage:
Both B-52 bombing and artillery fire can directly collapse tunnel entrances, damaging parts of the tunnels and potentially even killing or injuring those inside. But this damage effectiveness depended on several factors:
The depth of the tunnels:
Deeper tunnels were less susceptible to damage, especially from artillery. With their larger explosive capacity, B-52 bombs could penetrate deeper, but their accuracy was limited. The B-52s were carpet bombers.
Tunnel construction:
Relatively better reinforced tunnels with wooden supports were more durable than weaker tunnel structures without wooden reinforcement.
Bomb type and distribution:
Certain types of bombs designed for bunker destruction could have been more effective, but were not often used.
Indirect effects: Even if the tunnel networks were not directly destroyed, bombings and attacks caused various side effects.
Collapse of tunnel entrances:
Makes access and escape difficult or impossible. Even with adequate ventilation in the intact section, Viet Cong were trapped inside the tunnels and died.
Tunnel ventilation shafts hit and destroyed;
When the ventilation shafts were destroyed, the Viet Cong inside faced the risk of suffocation and had to leave the tunnels because it would take time to reopen the ventilation shafts.
Disrupting communications and supplies:
The collapse of tunnel network entrances or interconnections with other tunnel networks disrupted communications and logistics.
Psychological impact:
Even if the bombing did not cause lethal damage, it created fear and anxiety among the tunnel's inhabitants, the Viet Cong.
What were the limitations of the B-52 bombings and attacks?
Targeting difficulty:
Individual tunnel entrances proved difficult to identify and accurately target, especially in deep networks.
Collateral damage:
Bombings and strikes often caused unnecessary civilian casualties, raising ethical concerns and potentially fueling opposition in the United States.
Resource intensity:
Sustaining large-scale bombing campaigns required significant amounts of accurate intelligence, resources and manpower. Carpet bombing by B-52s was not intended to cause "friendly fire" and avoidable civilian casualties.
Limited impact on the overall network:
The vast and complex nature of the tunnel network made it almost impossible to completely destroy. The Viet Cong continually repaired and expanded the system, adapting their tactics to counter-bombing efforts.
