Did the Viet Cong have underground tunnels?
Contents. In order to combat better-supplied American and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War, Communist guerrilla troops known as Viet Cong (VC) dug tens of thousands of miles of tunnels, including an extensive network running underneath the Cu Chi district northwest of Saigon.
How deep were the Viet Cong tunnels?
There were a variety of tunnel types: squad-size tunnels generally were less than 6-feet deep and 100-feet long; company-size tunnels were wider but not extensively compartmented; and battalion-size tunnels could burrow 50 feet underground and sometimes contain up to four different levels.
How did the Viet Cong dig their tunnels?
“During the monsoon season, the Viet Cong were able to dig the tunnels by hand in the moist clayey soil,” Olson explains. “The alluvial terrace soils were degraded in a tropical climate for thousands of years.
How long were the Viet Cong tunnels?
Tourist destinations The 75-mile (121 km)-long complex of tunnels at Củ Chi has been preserved by the government of Vietnam, and turned into a war memorial park with two different tunnel display sites, Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc.
Are there any Tunnel Rats still alive?
Today, some of the tunnels used in the war still exist, preserved and maintained by the Vietnamese government. Visitors can crawl through sections of the tunnels used by Vietcong troops and Tunnel Rats alike – but now, at least, there are no mines, booby traps or poisonous snakes to contend with!
What were the use of tunnels in the Vietnam War?
Tunnel Rats and Their Weapons. When tunnels became discovered,the rats went in armed with their own preferences of weapons,including .38-caliber revolvers,.25-caliber pistols,sawed-off shotguns,folding-stock carbines,grenades,…
How did the underground tunnels of the Vietnam War start?
Key tactics. As mentioned previously,tunnel rat soldiers were a last-ditch attempt and not the usual go-to solution.
What did the Vietcong use tunnels for?
Tactic 1: Win Over the Peasantry. Viet Cong Soldier Stands Beneath a Viet Cong Flag Carrying His AK-47 Rifle.
How were the tunnels in Vietnam built?
Tunnels during the Vietnam war were built the hard, old-fashioned way: by hands. The revolutionary forces (VC/NVA) and their sympathizers had no excavators, industrial drills or trucks, about the most technologically sophisticated tools they ever used were wheelbarrows, carts and pulleys.