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Due to the nature of the Vietnam War...infiltration into South Vietnam by NVA troops, and VC guerillas living by day as peaceful civilians and fighting by night as guerillas; plus the ever present deployment of US/Allied jet & propeller driven aircraft and helicopters, communist forces (NVA/VC) relied upon under-ground systems (tunnels) to provide CONCEALMENT & PROTECTION from the aforementioned circumstances. Since the US/Allied forces fought the enemy, by methods of SEARCHING & DESTROYING; patrols and military sweeps often discovered tunnels in the mountains, forests, swamps, jungles, and villages in South Vietnam. When these tunnels were found, a volunteer from the patrol or unit would enter the tunnel, normally armed only with a .45 pistol in one hand, and a flashlight in the other hand; these men were labeled TUNNEL RATS, and the Press picked up on that term. If no man volunteered to go into the tunnel, a man was chosen...or the leader went in. If no one wanted to enter the tunnel, it was blown. If the tunnel was found by a Mechanized Infantry or Armored Cavalry or Tank Unit, sometimes the tunnel's entrance would be crushed by running an ACAV (M-113), M-48 Patton Tank, or M-551 Sheridan Tank over the entrance of the tunnel; to collapse it (destroy it).
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What is a Vietnam tunnel rat?
During the Vietnam war the Vietcong made a tunnel network under Vietnam which they used for communication and supply routes. When the American troops found the entrance to one of these tunnels they would send one soldier down into the tunnel armed only with a gun, a knife, a flashlight and a piece of string. These soldiers were called 'tunnel rats'. They would explore the tunnels and then bring any papers or information back to the rest of his troops at the entrance to the tunnel. Many 'tunnel rats' were killed while down in the tunnels as the Vietcong set booby traps to kill the 'tunnel rats'.
What role did the tunnel rats play in the Vietnam War?
Many of the tunnel and bunker complexes encountered in Vietnam had been under construction since the early days of the WWII occupation by the Japanese. They were more than places to hide, they were virtual cities under ground and contained most of the amenities found topside. While most units had daring young men willing to go anywhere and try anything, the US Army actually trained a specialist soldier for this purpose. The Australians and New Zealanders were also highly skilled in this special form of warfare. The primary objective of a "tunnel rat" wasn't to flush out the enemy forces, but to gather intelligence from the complex and they were very effective at this task. One thing that set them apart from most grunts was their weapon of choice. They used 38 calibre revolvers or even a 22 calibre Colt Woodsman for defense. The standard issue 45 was far too loud to use in the confines of a tunnel and could cause permanent hearing loss. These guys were awesome.
What is the underwater tunnel that links Great Britain to France?
the buut tunnel
What is the nickname of the territorial army?
rats
Did trench rats kill people?
yes
