Underground warfare
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Mary Evans Picture Library
Underground warfare
Men working a mine-drill in a gallery, making a bore-hole for a camoflaut or secondary chamber, intended to cause the enemy work to fall in. Underground mines became a major feature of warfare during World War I with miners and tunnel-workers recruited from Britain and France to work as sappers in the tunnels
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Media ID 4385153
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10215258
Bore Chamber Drill Enemy Feature Gallery Hole Intended Major Mine Miners Mines Recruited Secondary Tunnel Tunnels Under Ground Warfare
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative image captures the grim reality of underground warfare during World War I. In the dimly lit gallery, a team of British and French miners and tunnel-workers, recruited from their home countries to serve as sappers, are making a bore-hole for a camouflaged or secondary chamber in the tunnel system. The intent is to cause the enemy's work to fall in, disrupting their progress and gaining a strategic advantage. Underground mining had become a major feature of warfare by December 1915, with over 21,000 miners and tunnel-workers employed on both sides of the Western Front. The use of tunnels for offensive and defensive purposes was a new and deadly dimension to the war, requiring specialized skills and expertise. The men in this photograph are carefully working on the mine-drill, their faces obscured by protective masks to shield them from the toxic gases that permeated the tunnels. The drill bit is making slow progress through the hard rock, a laborious and dangerous task that required immense physical and mental fortitude. The date on the photograph is July 7, 1915, and it is part of the Illustrated London News collection at Mary Evans Prints Online. This historical image offers a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by these brave men, who worked in the dark, cramped conditions of the tunnels to gain an edge in the deadly game of trench warfare.
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