Vietnam tunnel rat

The Viet Cong were well known for their devious jungle ambushes and cruelly ingenious booby traps. Operation Crimp, undertaken by U. Jonathan O.

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.

Vietnam tunnel rat

The film is based on the factual duties of tunnel rats during the Vietnam War. In a documentary for the film, Boll revealed the film did not have a script, and instead the actors improvised their lines. A group of US Army soldiers, trained in underground warfare , arrive at base camp in the jungle of South Vietnam. The soldiers spend the first day and night getting to know each other. Armed with nothing more than bayonets , pistols, grenades and flashlights, the US soldiers take to the tunnels in search and destroy operations, and begin to encounter dangers including primitive but lethal booby traps , such as punji sticks , grenades rigged with tripwire , as well as roving Viet Cong troops. Meanwhile, Garraty and Johnson are killed first, and later Sergeant Heaney and Verano are both killed as Green escapes, and up on the surface Harris and Lidford escape to the bottom of the tunnel, and Lidford is killed later on, Porterson successfully escapes through the tunnels. On the surface, the Viet Cong also attack the US base. As things escalate above and below the ground, soldiers for both sides are pushed to the limits of their humanity. Miller and Graybridge try to escape, with the former barely making it, but Graybridge is killed. The events implicate that all or almost all the protagonists are killed by each other, by boobytraps, or by the airstrike ordered by the wounded US commanding officer Hollowborn, who called on it when everything seemed to have been lost. Green dies in the tunnels. Harris convinces Vo Mai Jane Le that he isn't a threat to her or her family. Porterson retreats to the surface and later meets Miller at the camp where many soldiers have been slaughtered by the North Vietnamese Army. Porterson and Miller witness the bombings and their ultimate fate or survival is left ambiguous.

Get Involved Learn how. The events implicate that all or almost all the protagonists are killed by each other, by boobytraps, or by the airstrike ordered by the vietnam tunnel rat US commanding officer Hollowborn, who called on it when everything seemed to have been lost.

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 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. Brodbeck, commander of 3rd Brigade, and staff member 2nd Lt. Leo J.

Vietnam tunnel rat

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.

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Brodbeck, commander of 3rd Brigade, and staff member 2nd Lt. Enemies Under the Ground Leaders speculated that the enemy had fled in the face of the initial allied advance. But these weapons were very few in number and wanted by a number of other special units. The labyrinth had taken years to destroy. Tunnel construction occasionally included anti-intruder features such as U-bends that could be flooded quickly to trap and drown the tunnel rat. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. A firefight ensued below the earth. While only one tunnel rat could fit abreast in the tunnel, occasionally a second rat would enter behind to provide assistance to the lead rat particularly when the lead rat was new. Night engagements continued as the enemy sought to avoid a set piece battle. Some even had theaters and music halls. When found, tunnels often contained valuable intelligence or supplies. Airmobile forces struck around a. The tunnel rats were American , Australian , New Zealander , and South Vietnamese soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War. After becoming a naturalized citizen while recovering from injuries sustained in combat, he immediately returned to the tunnels and was one of the few rats to survive the deadly game of cat and mouse. Back About Us Learn More.

The Viet Cong amassed around kilometers of underground tunnels. This network connected villages, cities, and districts.

The Soviet 40th Army therefore fielded their own tunnel clearance and demolition units, which were given the task of clearing the tunnels of enemy combatants, disarming booby traps, and destroying the underground complexes. Germany Canada. Both the VC and NVA built tunnel complexes when the terrain was suitable, the most infamous example being the extensive tunnels around the village of Cu Chi, near several bases of the 1st Infantry Division. Ian Fisher, approached the clearing that was originally supposed to have been their landing area. Enemy snipers and small units targeted these forces. Uwe Boll also presented a video game of the same name based on the film. Tunnels were dug to dissipate shock waves from explosions. Washington, D. Eventually they came upon an underground dispensary with 30 Viet Cong inside. They were also fired on. Once artillery shelling and airstrikes ended, the rd was supposed to initiate an airmobile attack from both the north and west, while the 3rd Brigade sealed off the area to the south, in preparation for a sweep designed to force enemy combatants to flee east toward the Saigon River where they would be annihilated. On the surface, the Viet Cong also attack the US base.