Vietnam tunnel rat

Hi, my dad just passed away and an ex cop partner of his told us my dad was a "Tunnel Rat" during the war. My dad only mentioned a couple vietnam tunnel rat vague hand to hand combat situations he and his guys got into but never mentioned anything about being a Tunnel Rat, vietnam tunnel rat. One aspect of the Vietnam War that contributed to the difficulty in defeating the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army was their extensive use of tunnels and underground fortifications to avoid losses to massive American firepower.

The Viet Cong were well known for their devious jungle ambushes and cruelly ingenious booby traps. Operation Crimp, undertaken by U. Jonathan O. Seaman, commander, 1st Infantry Division, was the overall allied leader. The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, operating as part of the rd, played a significant role in the operation. The mission, according to the After-Action Report written by Col. William D.

Vietnam tunnel rat

The Army faced two different threats in the Vietnam War, preventing it from focusing on exceptional performance in either conventional or unconventional warfare. The conventional forces of the North Vietnamese Army demanded respect from the U. At the same time, the unconventional insurgency of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam known as the Viet Cong presented a very real threat to Soldiers throughout the conflict. Tunnels were particularly useful in the insurgency and a series of tunnel networks provided the Viet Cong with manufacturing, resupply, and planning space within easy striking distance of their targets. Few Soldiers could fit into the tunnels and follow the guerillas into their lairs. While ordinary Soldiers occasionally went into the tunnels the Army recognized the need for a select group of experts to solve this unique problem. Aside from helicopter pilots and Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols, few conventional non-special operations Soldiers would place themselves so consistently in danger in Vietnam. III Corps estimated one such tunnel network had been made over the course of up to 20 years and had small, well-camouflaged entrances. Viet Cong tunnels were generally either simple, shallow structures used as refuges and fighting positions or large, complex networks used to evade detection of medical, staging, or command areas. The layers of clay used to construct the walls and ceiling defied easy demolition or collapse of the tunnel.

Typically, a tunnel rat was equipped with only a standard issue M pistol or M revolver[4] a bayoneta flashlightand explosives.

The tunnel rats were American , Australian , New Zealander , and South Vietnamese soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War, "tunnel rat" became an unofficial specialty for volunteer combat engineers [1] and infantrymen from the Australian Army and the U. Army who cleared and destroyed enemy tunnel complexes. In the early stages of the war against the French colonial forces , the Viet Minh created an extensive underground system of tunnels, which was later expanded and improved by the Viet Cong. By the s, the tunnel complexes included hospitals, training areas, storage facilities, headquarters, and barracks. These diverse facilities, coupled with sophisticated ventilation systems, allowed VC guerrillas to remain hidden underground for months at a time.

The tunnel rats were American , Australian , New Zealander , and South Vietnamese soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War, "tunnel rat" became an unofficial specialty for volunteer combat engineers [1] and infantrymen from the Australian Army and the U. Army who cleared and destroyed enemy tunnel complexes. In the early stages of the war against the French colonial forces , the Viet Minh created an extensive underground system of tunnels, which was later expanded and improved by the Viet Cong. By the s, the tunnel complexes included hospitals, training areas, storage facilities, headquarters, and barracks. These diverse facilities, coupled with sophisticated ventilation systems, allowed VC guerrillas to remain hidden underground for months at a time. The men of the 3 Field Troop, an Australian combat engineering unit that served in Vietnam from to , have made a convincing argument that they were the first allied troops to enter the tunnels. Typically, a tunnel rat was equipped with only a standard issue M pistol or M revolver , [4] a bayonet , a flashlight , and explosives.

Vietnam tunnel rat

The Army faced two different threats in the Vietnam War, preventing it from focusing on exceptional performance in either conventional or unconventional warfare. The conventional forces of the North Vietnamese Army demanded respect from the U. At the same time, the unconventional insurgency of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam known as the Viet Cong presented a very real threat to Soldiers throughout the conflict. Tunnels were particularly useful in the insurgency and a series of tunnel networks provided the Viet Cong with manufacturing, resupply, and planning space within easy striking distance of their targets.

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While ordinary Soldiers occasionally went into the tunnels the Army recognized the need for a select group of experts to solve this unique problem. Army Unsuspecting U. Based on tactics derived from World War II, Americans often either sealed, blew up, or poured smoke, tear gas, or napalm into the tunnels to render them unusable. Once he had him in tow, both clawed their way out of the tunnel. The engineers from No. They organized makeshift units made up of volunteers, necessarily men of small stature, to go into the tunnels to confront the enemy. Others fired on the intruders. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Sure enough, Maj. Concerned about an ambush, Preece drew his units into a tight perimeter. Soldiers in tunnels had to travel light and abandon their technological advantages.

These American, Australian and New Zealander soldiers infiltrated and sabotaged the intensely-claustrophobic labyrinth of underground tunnels used by the Vietcong to launch surprise attacks and set up ambushes. Most of these subterranean tunnels were dug by hand and only covered a short distance, but over the course of the war which lasted until , when the French were defeated and expelled from the region the network of tunnels was greatly expanded.

To deny tunnels the rats filled deeper tunnels with riot control agents like a powdered form of tear gas while collapsing the entrances with explosives. Read Edit View history. Hidden Tunnel Networks These tunnels were able to withstand most explosions—the soil contained clay and iron which created a cement-like binding agent. The 1st Infantry Division created the most formal tunnel rat organization; however, any infantry unit that encountered tunnels would have their own tunnel rats, if only for a short time. Back Get Involved Learn how. For his courage and daring, MacGregor later received the Military Cross. It looks like our community members have responded to your inquiry and provided you with background information on the Tunnel Rat groups during the Vietnam War. Uwe Boll also presented a video game of the same name based on the film. Army This was the first American engagement fought at divisional level and, despite significant casualties, most leaders viewed it as a success. Some tunnel rats even abandoned their uniform coat. Jeff, One aspect of the Vietnam War that contributed to the difficulty in defeating the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army was their extensive use of tunnels and underground fortifications to avoid…. Army At one point, Green heroically crawled back to save a comrade. Public Programs Symposium. The mission, according to the After-Action Report written by Col. JeffWyatt Thank you for posting your question on History Hub!