A Brief Look Into the Underground World of World War I

In his analysis, Simon Jones’s ‘The War Underground 1914–18’ presents the tactics, equipment, and underwhelming results of mining.

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A Brief Look Into the Underground World of World War I — “The War Underground 1914–18: Tactics and Equipment" discusses a lesser-known aspect of the Great War.

By Dustin Bass

6/26/2024Updated: 6/26/2024

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World War I warfare has been greatly studied over the past century-plus. From the use of chemical warfare with chlorine gas to the rise of the machine gun and from the use of air balloons for scouting to the digging of trenches, The Great War changed the way wars were fought. One typically overlooked method is the use of underground tunnels. These tunnels were dug by the belligerent militaries in order to sneak under the enemy, set explosives, and destroy their lines.

Mine exploding in front of French positions in World War I. (Public Domain) — Mine exploding in front of French positions in World War I. Public Domain

In his work “The War Underground 1914–18: Tactics and Equipment,” Simon Jones discusses how European combatants conducted these time- and energy-consuming efforts. Though their methods were similar, Mr. Jones showcases the differences in mining technology and tools. Experienced civilian miners were consulted and even led these military efforts, as they already understood the dangers of digging so deep and far underground: the lack of oxygen and the exposure to carbon monoxide and phosphine gases. They also knew ways to keep the ground from caving in.

The author best sums up the use of civilians and the variance of technologies when he states, “Voluntary enlistment in 1915 meant that Britain was best able to incorporate civilian expertise into its mining units, but in several respects Germany and France used technology and mechanization more effectively to complement human capacity and skills.”

Underwhelming Results

Regardless of experience or technology, with high explosives and close quarters, the effort didn’t always outweigh the risks. Mr. Jones writes that “mining reinforced rather than broke the deadlock of trench warfare, even while the opposing sides had little choice but to engage in it if they were to keep their defensive lines intact, preserve the status quo and enable their men to survive.”

In time, the militaries either decreased the use of mining toward and under enemy lines or abandoned the practice altogether. It was the destructive and debilitating potential behind these efforts that often encouraged high officials to continue mining. As Mr. Jones notes in his work concerning one country, “The effort required to lay, maintain and keep secret the mine charges for in some cases more than a year, is a testament to the resources ... which the British command was willing to devote to mining.”

There is an element of science in Mr. Jones’s work. He considers the number of explosives in a specific charge needed for a desired result. Furthermore, Mr. Jones discusses that enemies could hear each other underground and could distinguish their approximate distance, what tools were being used, and when the enemy was likely to detonate their devices. The latter was soon used as a method for deception, as enemies created contraptions to simulate the sounds of digging. This method made it seem that the enemy was hard at work instead of preparing for imminent detonation.

Interesting but Brief

Mining warfare is an interesting topic, and Mr. Jones provides us with a glimpse of it. It is, however, merely a glimpse. Mr. Jones touches on the practice of this underground warfare without going too deep into the subject (no pun intended). It is rather unfortunate that he didn’t provide more, but the book is an acceptable introduction to the topic.

As always with an Osprey Publishing book, plenty of images, graphics, and maps illustrate the topic. Some of Mr. Jones’s explanations can be a little confusing, as his explanations and descriptions take the longer rather than brief route.