Cu Chi tunnels and the most dangerous traps in the world "Viet Nam"

Overcoming numerous B-52 bombing raids and sweeps of enemies. Although rain storms bomb shells, Cu Chi is still the basis of copper adjacent to the city of Saigon

Tenacity and combativeness intensity of military and civilian gesture is maintained by a system of tunnels - tunnels multiple laminated floor extends to 200 km, is the army and people of Cu Chi is continuing in many years, with numerous hatches a secret up to the surface, crenellated - firepower secret bunkers, the factory underground, warehouses and barracks were billeted, above layout mine dense and blind ditches, pitfalls.

Description of the Cu Chi tunnels is simple: this is the system of secret underground submarine, the system of this disguised the deep and very thorough in tropical jungle. The purpose of the Cu Chi Tunnels system - inflicted stab  attack  surprise on the enemy during combat phase of the year by the US military in Vietnam.

Tunnel system - of the fighting has been studied and thought very carefully with calculations can attack and kill the enemy from all sides. Complex network of tunnels that zigzag path spread in all directions from the shaft tunnels Main and spread into numerous branches, which branch is the secret bunker shelter, there are also branches abruptly into a dead end due conditions special terrain.  

But guerrillas clever and ingenious Vietnam, to save energy and time, were digging the tunnel was not deep, but calculations designed so that, even in the case of tanks and armored vehicles moving switch on the tunnel roof, above the shelling was thrown bom- tunnels and also not collapse, subsidence, collapse and still persisting serve those who have built up. 

Until today, the system of tunnels - tunnels multistage, multi-layered complex remains unchanged as during the war, with the hatch cover and hatch a secret, connecting the underground passage between the basement .

In the tunnel system, in different places with the door closed special button, which is used to prevent the enemy or prevent toxic gas. On his wrists for the length of all tunnels are carved the vents and ventilation confidential information up on the ground and camouflaged very discreet. Part of the secret louver can use fire as a secret location, and it's always one big surprise for the enemy. 

For guerrilla intelligence, it was not enough, the tunnel and the path to be arranged countless pitfalls deadly clever and skillfully combined with blind ditches and holes traps and other dangerous .

Roads in and out of the tunnel tunnel, to ensure the confidentiality and safety, layout of the battlefield anti-tank mines and anti-infantry mutual dense interwoven. 

During the war period, there are times in the tunnel system containing both one army or the population of a village, it helps to Vietnam protect more lives.

In tunneling have stockpiles armament, ammunition and explosives of all types, food and facilities medical field, there are kitchens without smoke (kitchen Hoang Cam), field hospital battle for the wounded, the cellar - the bedroom, the makeshift command post, shelter and activities for women, children and the elderly. To be more precise, it is not a village but a whole city underground.

Even during the war, the Vietnam also not forget the culture and education: in the basement is arranged the classrooms, and there may also be used to film the revolution and cultural performances of paragraphs of the battlefield. But more specifically, the world that secret hidden deep in the ground.

Using both the bombers B-52 and heavy artillery, the Americans rub the Cu Chi for many years, but numerous raids and round shelling constantly not bring the desired results,  Cu Chi  is still the land of death for US Marines and squadrons of Saigon, Americans are forced to squeeze themselves into the dark tunnels that.

Unlike Hollywood movies, (rats tunnel - Tunnel rats) were selected from these soldiers are not tall, skinny and reckless, ready with a shotgun slip into the darkness of death , in that tunnel, waiting for US troops is crowded to suffocation, dark shadows, mines, traps, poisonous snakes, scorpions, and then again as the combative partisans.

Masking tunnels

Map of Cu Chi Tunnels

3-storey tunnel system dug into the hard clay soil with rudimentary agricultural implements many of the groups of people of many generations of  the people  of Vietnam, each of tunneling have 3 to 4 people. a peach, a pull soil from the tunnel to a deep well vertical, a drag baskets excavated soil is upward, a porter go somewhere, pour sign secret under the dense bush or pour sprayed into the river.

When the nest was informed by the tunnel together, dug wells are located a bamboos information wrists for doing snorkel and be filled up, compacted and vents disguised as a termite nest or root directory or any other shapes ....

 

 Secret hatch

Americans decided to use hounds to search the vents and doorways tunnels. The Cu Chi guerrilla fighters used clothing US soldiers, usually jacket M65 (the Vietnamese call a US vest) usually throw away when US troops wounded or wound.

Hound familiar smell of Americans ignored. Later guerrillas used small pepper mill disable departed feeling of terriers or American soap, work longer, to deceive the enemy hound.

Many cases the secret cellar door is found, the Americans tried to pump water or gas CS gas (stinging, watery eyes) in the tunnel. But the system many stories, many niches of the tunnel with a multitude of closed doors and tunnels flooded disabled the efforts of  military  US , guerrillas in Vietnam simply lost a single tunnel, demolish the walls of the tunnel are sealed both ends and forgot the tunnel that they dug a tunnel bypassing other and all the efforts of US troops does not bring any result is considered to be.

Tunnel with the air filter door and door water filter, preventing toxic chemicals.

Cu Chi Tunnels in Throughout the years of  war  not only is the, is the shelter but also plays an arsenal, provided weapons, equipment war rudimentary and primitive combined with modern aimed kill the enemy.

For partisans, steel and explosives is the matter extremely valuable, and the Americans provided regularly through periods of raiding rain bombs storm ammunition (just sign doubt - light, smoke , noise ..) immediately the B-52 carpet bombing will wipe out trees in the area, turned into a large area of ​​the surface of the moon.

Homemade anti-tank mines, cluster bombs homemade launchers of guerrilla Cu Steel Belt

But guerrilla bravely collect the bombs, large and small - from bombs, bombs regularly to cluster bombs, artillery shells of the enemy, some large bomb was removed shortly, sawing off to get explosives, the smaller type easy to carry as 105 artillery shells, cluster bombs, bullets 20 glass is used as a homemade mines. Steel used for forging up the nose husband and spikes serve pitfalls and other war supplies.

In addition to the arsenal, in the tunnels are full collective dining hall, kitchen collective Hoang Cam, dressed in military clothing factory and civilian. The jungles of Vietnam and ground steel Cu Chi brought in it a lot of surprises dangerous to the enemy, it could be mines homemade, enough to pierce tanks M41, or can be rudimentary homemade traps, are Hollywood films used in his famous war. The reality of these weapons are still on display at the Museum of Cu Chi.

Tanks booty M48

Pitfalls, rudimentary weapons of guerrilla Vietnam

During the American war, rudimentary weapons have played an important role, it will break the enemy's invasion. We often see these homemade weapons - fear that Vietnam is for the invaders. 

Pitfalls of Vietnam, is the crude homemade weapon, but extremely dangerous and effective, made the American expeditionary force losses plenty of vitality. Maybe, someday, we must also use the same type of weapon.

 

 

Blind ditches tiger traps - GIS (Americans) are gently maneuver on the trail, suddenly the earth beneath him dropped and Americans fall into a pit filled with child-resistant or anti sharp iron. If he was lucky and did not die immediately, he screamed in pain, the remaining troops will be gathered into had sought him up from the pit terrible husband. Usually around blind ditches that the secret door, the fire marks the fear of guerrilla sniper shooters.

  

Gifts of Vietnam (Vietnamese souvenir) - also known as Chong sticking. A homemade weapons technological nature. In crater husband plug iron cross, sent on a round board has full stretch, connecting with long iron nails sharp.

When GIS walked on pit camouflaged thoroughly with dry leaves, grass or dirt, legs are indented down and pulling the thin boards, the nails of iron from 4 sides pierced in the thigh and the tree husband stabbed cross into ankles, unable to pull the wounded out of the hole without extensive digging out and pulled up all the nails.

Often in such cases, soldiers do not die but certainly hurt quite footer, have quickly taken to military hospital in Saigon to the operation, the soldiers were given the nails as a souvenir, so Chong sticking Celebrations also called Vietnam.

Chong cuttings - A kind of husband is structured such that both the hom basket, the key is not only responsible for crashing into the ankle, but also forced GIS can not move.

Chong cuttings usually soaked under water or exposed mud fields by the river. Soldiers jump from landing on the helicopter down or from boats on the river and ... stand with the iron cuttings penetrate deeper into hock.

Those weapons also create not just the damage, but also to the horrific nightmares for the rest - husband rotation axis. 2 cylinder mounted to rotate freely of the anti - iron nails, walked on, GIS quickly generate a lot of holes in the body.

For the guy who likes to break into the house without knocking, or break the door with a kick of spikes, guerrilla Vietnam generously donated to them kind Chong complement other structured special, simple as 2 bars T-connectors together like anchor threshing, tied up on the ceiling and connected to the door, when the door is opened all-range, anti-lock will break down and GIS go straight to hell, if he could put guns to support, from the thigh and abdomen section will hurt for sure.

Chong Wing. This is a very simple type of husband. The young guerrilla fighters of Vietnam has made it in the hours of practice. Really simple principle. Place two planks tightly plugged into a pit iron husband have two small steps and the enemy stepped into the hole, the sharp nails, was contaminated penetrating into hock. Make sure to wound infections and blood infections if not promptly taken to the hospital.

Chong barren - Built on the principle of leverage, on the boards both ends should have a sharp husband. When enemy trampling the one end, the other end will pop up and knock on the chest and head straight to the husband.

Chong nach- generated from two long planks with nails piercing plug, can move to both sides and sealed with a rubber band or other by springs. The two boards are stretched out and fight with the horizontal struts - often hard bamboo stick.

When US troops stepped up on the pit and dropped struts, he will fall down and stretch your arms out prop shot indented holes, two planks with nails move in between the body lodged in ensnare.

 Chong rake. Open to the GIS is the door of Vietnam hospitality. Fabrication of this trap is quite simple. Just two bamboo tubes characteristics tied together into a T-shaped, the horizontal bar is closed to the anti sharp long, antilock hung up, connected to a rope and the small rope was hanging across the ground - usually use fishing line to be detected, when the enemy troops entered the gates and entangled in the rope, the result will be two legs or thighs husband will be penetrated.

In addition, there are anti door, automatic husband, has a structure similar to the kind of pitfalls mentioned, but depending on the situation and terrain to arrange installation.

In the tropical jungle area has not been the destruction of artillery herd and intense carpet bombing, US troops faced the traps as large as buffalo hunting bison, tigers.

Traps should enable - Use a bamboo old bent, head trunk cover is attached to bamboo or wood tapered, tied to a rack to hold and connect with jute traps, usually fishing line fishing rod fragile unfurl par knee somewhere on the trail. When caught in wire traps enemies, zipper stretch will remove cotters need to turn, and bamboo with bamboo slats, horizontal wood tapered body will whip unfortunate soldiers. Usually when hit, soldiers killed instantly.

Trap anti hanging, similar traps need to turn a piece of wood, a bag of ice or how rock and hook the nose husband of bamboo or iron sharp, usually placed, hung above the high trunk out of sight, connecting with wire traps, the enemy entangled or a guerrilla hiding somewhere jerk, logs, which has banned husband would plunge from top to victims, usually to attack crowded group of soldiers.

Traps husband fall, similar to anti hanging, a broken wicker slats old bamboo, firm, association bristling the nasal anti sharp, placing additional heavy objects such as stones, bricks to strengthen the attack, the enemy fall into the trap, staging husband will break down with stones enemy damage.

Apart husband traps quite complex, US soldiers also face the homemade weapons dangerous but very annoying because the search difficult. and creativity of all kinds of weapons that it seems the damage is extremely, from the forest hunting spear, grenade speculum, to bullets 7,62mm, conventional 12.7mm ammunition, more a little creativity into, and that is the death trap.

 

Spear trap. A sample combination crossbow of the Highlands and discharge tube skewers Fish Delta, nose oblique compressed spring or placed on the launch pad tension rubber, cotterpining twigs with 1 fishing line used removable cotters, when US soldiers kicked in the wire, cotters unwind and spear, were contaminated - be it oil or fish blood regularly across people or legs, thighs, make sure septicemia .

 

Straight bullet trap; a bamboo tube, plugged into a piece of iron with a metal lug like fire, a ballpoint pen springs and bullets. Traps buried it on the trail, when GIS walked on, bullets go down and touch the metal lugs fire. Lighter then the bullet through the feet, more serious injuries can be both foot or death.

Trap grenade: grenade withdrawn speculum insertion tube latch and dairy cows or bamboo tubes, the horizontal force in the bush or soaked in mud puddles or canal. When the marines or commandos, infantry passing gotten into the rope, grenade unwind. The result was really understandable to the group of soldiers unlucky.

Vietnam