Vietcong vs. Tunnel Rats

**Beirut** · 03-14-2006, 13:45

Read The Tunnels of Cu Chi. Excellent book and it will tell you everything you want to know. (Some of it is nasty indeed.)

**Vladimir** · 03-14-2006, 14:34

It's amazing how easily low tech can beat high tech. The US was able to dominate the battlefield militarily but wasn't able to maintain security. The old "Army Doctrine" of superior, massed firepower worked wonders in conventional warfare but not against a small, determined force. The Vietnamese were no strangers to combat. The fought a very successful campaign against the French colonial forces. Small unit tactics like tunnel rats and continuity operations (?) like what the Marines did during the harvest paid off big but didn't fit into the dominant paradigm and never received much support. As far as the tunnel rats go, didn't the Australians lead the way in that field?

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 03-14-2006, 15:40

Yes, they brought in some Australian engineers to find booby traps, and those engineers found the first tunnels and saw how intricate the tunnels were. Many Australian units also, we 'Tunnel rats', but there were more United States troops in Vietnam, so more United States 'tunnel rats'.

Kraxis: Yes, that's what I meant. They were simple levers and such instead of high-tech booby traps.

**KrooK** · 03-15-2006, 23:49

These tunnels has been made to allow viectong soldiers on resting safe from us bombers. Furthermore they have kitchens and even hospitals there - i heard some of tunnels got 4 levels.
Vietnamese invented some great tricks - great because simply. To avoid gas attack they built special "holes" with water into tunnels. Soldier who entered tunnel just dived and then normally walked on 2nd side of "hole".
Other smart trick was guardian next to entrance. When he saw American enterering tunnel , he used knife and cut American into stomach or eggs.
American lived but he scream from pain there were much blood. His colleagues helped him and vietnamese soldiers got time to prepare.

Anyway notice that vietnamese used similar tactic like 800 years earlier against Mongols. Luckily their general Giap has been historician

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 03-17-2006, 01:29

Originally Posted by KrooK

These tunnels has been made to allow viectong soldiers on resting safe from us bombers. Furthermore they have kitchens and even hospitals there - i heard some of tunnels got 4 levels.
Vietnamese invented some great tricks - great because simply. To avoid gas attack they built special "holes" with water into tunnels. Soldier who entered tunnel just dived and then normally walked on 2nd side of "hole".
Other smart trick was guardian next to entrance. When he saw American enterering tunnel , he used knife and cut American into stomach or eggs.
American lived but he scream from pain there were much blood. His colleagues helped him and vietnamese soldiers got time to prepare.

Anyway notice that vietnamese used similar tactic like 800 years earlier against Mongols. Luckily their general Giap has been historician

Are you a Vietnam veteran?

**ShadesPanther** · 03-17-2006, 02:37

I think he means United States Bombers.

I have heard about the different features in the tunnels. The water in a U-bend I do remember as well as having false turns with a pit concealed with Punjie sticks below.

**Romanus** · 03-17-2006, 12:06

The role of the vietcong in the vietnam war is a bit overstated, after the TET offensive in 1969 most VC units were destroyed or at least heavily depleted from that moment NVA regulars took over.
The Tunnels were usefull but they were also very vunerable when they were found out. And you don't win wars with booby traps either.