Humankind has sought the means to protect self since the dawn of time. At first, human sought protection from the environment as self-preservation was foremost in his mind. Caves and caverns provided shelter which was the primary need for protection. The caves structures provided warmth to the inhabitants and most importantly protected from possible attacks from wild animals and probably enemies. In the present time, subterranean structures are tunnels and underground cavities constructed for military defensive or attacking purposes.
In human history, the subterranean warfare has been used in different periods for various purposes. The tunnels have been used as the weapon between the weak and the strong as well being used for the cover-up (Shapir, & Perel, n.d.). The emergence of world powers and the capability to engage in total war through the use of advanced weaponry, like guns, artillery, tankers, and warplanes brought about the need for advanced measures of protection. The underground tunnels turned cities were established on what would later become a battlefield tactic for military throughout the years.
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Through the world wars and the Korean and Vietnams conflicts, tunnelling tactics and subterranean structures were extensively used for both defensive and offensive purposes. Army
Air services and Navy warplanes, in World War II, dropped millions of pounds of missiles onto islands but making little or no damage to the underground tunnels belonging to the Japanese defenders. Use of Air Force tactic to counter the underground structures and trenches did not bear much during the Vietnam conflict. In World War II the United States got into the battle with the agreement of popular support unique in its army history after the surprise and overwhelming attack on Pearl Harbor and other bases in Hawaii on 7th December of 1941 (Heilig, 2000). In the war, the United States military was faced with entrenched forces from the Asian Axis and European Axis Powers. The most inventive and purposeful use of caves, trenches as well as tunnels were in the operations area of Pacific as the fighting in and around the entrenchments in the European Theater deepened. Even though the United States forces had a superior number, the Japanese forces bravely delayed and fought causing fatalities while firmly being entrenched in the mountains and hills of the Pacific Island. Throughout the islands of Biak, Rabaul and Iwo Jima, extensive and ferocious close fighting in the tunnels and caves caused fatalities in the American military.
References
Heilig, D. (2000). Subterranean warfare: a counter to U.S. Airpower. Air Command and Staff College , 04 (078).
Runkle, B. (2015, August 10). Preparing for warfare's subterranean future - war on the rocks . Retrieved from https://warontherocks.com/2015/04/preparing-for-warfares-subterranean-future/.
Shapir, Y., & Perel, G. (n.d.). Subterranean warfare: A new-old challenge . Retrieved from http://www.inss.org.il/he/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/systemfiles/SystemFiles/Subterranean%20Warfare_%20A%20New-Old%20Challenge.pdf.
