Mining (military) facts for kids
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Military mining, also called landmining or undermining, is a special way soldiers attack during a siege. A siege happens when an army surrounds a walled city, fortress, or castle to try and capture it. In military mining, soldiers dig secret tunnels underground. These tunnels can help them get inside the enemy's defenses or even blow up their walls. People have used this tactic for a very long time, even before the Middle Ages.
During the Middle Ages, these underground tunnels were called mines. Soldiers would dig them under castles. The goal was either to let their own soldiers sneak into the castle or to destroy the strong walls above.
Military mining was also used in more recent wars. For example, during the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War, a famous event called the "Battle of the Crater" happened. This battle took place inside a huge hole created by a massive mine explosion.
In World War I, soldiers used tunnels to try and break the deadlock of trench warfare. They dug under the area between enemy trenches, called no man's land. Then, they would place powerful explosives right beneath the enemy's trench. On June 7, 1917, during the Battle of Messines, the Allies set off hundreds of tonnes of high explosive in 19 mines all at once. This huge explosion killed about 10,000 German troops.
Images for kids
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Diorama of defensive tunnels dug during the Second Sino-Japanese War
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A Confederate counter mine burrow at Fort Mahone, Petersburg, Virginia
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Example of a mine gallery with timber roof support
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Explosion of a mine seen from a French position. 1916
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Plan of British tunnels, galleries and ventilation on a front in World War I
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Access to German counter-mining shaft – Bayernwald trenches, Croonaert Wood, Ypres Salient
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Mine craters – Butte de Vauquois memorial site, Vauquois, France
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See also
In Spanish: Uso de túneles en combate para niños
