Probably the worst thing about being underground was the thought of a cave-in and being buried alive underneath all that rock with no air. That's horrifying.
Compared to what? Hold your breath. Keep holding for 2 minutes. Now imagine passing out. Now you die. Wasn't hard, was it? Compare that to burning alive or a number of methods...
Who's seen Beneath Hill 60? There are some great examples of underground combat with cutdown rifles and pistols/revolvers. The portrayal of the Canadian miners the main characters (ANZACs) relieved at Hill 60 was very fascinating and honest.
If you like the subject look up "crumps and camouflets". A great book about ww1 tunnelling. Woodwards memiors are amazing too but near impossible to get due to being in private collection. I read it at the australian war memorial and at the state library in melbourne.
I first learned about the tunnel digging in ww1 from peaky blinders. And i remener tommy saying he could hear digging while he was trying to sleep years later
Indy: The greatest one was built by the Austrians Me: Oh wow maybe the Austrians weren't that incompetent after all Indy: which caused casualities on both sides Me: Ok nevermid
I would say that the western front was technically the modern version of a siege, a siege that lasted 4 long years spanning from the Netherlands to Switzerland. Like in the sieges of years passed it involved artillery, defence networks sapping, and brutal melee combat, the only new thing was the edition of smokeless powdered rifles and machine guns in which you could say formed an impassable wall of bullets and despite the latest modern editions of poison gas, aircraft and rudimentary tanks, the siege was essentially won by starving out the enemy, the royal navy’s blockade of Germany was depleting Germany’s war effort, so the British were like the attackers in an ancient siege that they had to starve out the enemy. So trench warfare is no different from a siege in ancient times really except on a much larger scale and fought with modern weaponry
I found out about this when I was a kid and it intrigued me. It seemed so strange that in the age of mechanized warfare that humans would bother fighting in such conditions
There once was a girl from Arras, Who suffered from terrible gas, Her mate was a miner, From South Caroliner, But all of that's now in the past. Hi Flo! Hi Indie! And a special shout out to the Chair of Wisdom! You may not be a rocker, but you're a rockin' chair!
I really hope the Great War team continue this series after 2018, I know they can't do the weekly reports but there must be so much more they could talk about. This has been one of my all time favourite channels the last few years.
I have my fingers crossed that as the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1 slips by, they gear up to cover WW2 from the 80th anniversary in the same style.
Last year you guys made an episode about weird guns in World War One. I was wondering if you could do an episode about trench weapons such as the Gauntlet Dagger and Trench Club.
Thanks for the rare photo of where the trenchline stopped at the Swiss border and also apparently the North Sea in the sand. I have had a fascination of how those trenches "suddenly stopped"
The first video I saw of yours was on Shell Shock after The Great War, and how it was handled in each country (basically) and it was fascinating. Great work
Beneath Hill 60, great World War One movie I can never recommend enough. Australian miners tunneling under no man's land and even risking themselves on the surface a few time's. A rich, colorful, and strongly emotional film showing the many layers of ingenuity and humanity.
I saw in the Gallipoli TV series that just before the Battle of Lone Pine, Australian forces dug tunnels across no-mans land until they were about half way in between the trenches and burst up through the to give an element of suprise. I'm not sure weather this actually happened but its pretty cool nonetheless
Anybody see the documentary about the massive flamethrowers the British constructed in tunnels under no man's land? They popped up above ground and unleashed on the German trenches. Not sure how effective it was but pretty cool none the less!
the crater pictured at 8:25 is not one of the Messines Ridge craters. The crater pictured is the Lochnager Crater located near Albert in France, 80 miles away. please note correction.
Question for OOT: How did the tunnelers block the mineshafts on their own end, to prevent blowback? Im my incomplete knowledge of subterranean explosions, it would seem that the blast would seek the path of least resistance, therefore seeking an exit through the mine tunnels first. Thanks
I remember watching a history channel thing where I saw the remained of two New Zealand tunnelers got blown up by german counter charges :( being a New Zealander myself this was quite sad, but a happy moment as the french people had actually up a massive effort into restoring the whole tunnel and found the bodies of the two lads. They also left the two guys to rest and left them in the same position they were when they got killed. Rest in Peace fellas Rest in Peace
Hello Indi and crew, love the show and everything you are doing with this show. here in Australia i found a Television show that mentioned that mentioned a Australian-Chinese sniper named Billy Sing, the T.V show was informative but would you PLEASE do a bio special on him. Thank you regards from Australia.
If i was British general i would order to make secret tunnel behind my line and then began to retreat to develop a new Line of defense so i can send elite troops or small detachment like stormtroppers through that secret tunnel to have an offense behind enemy line, Harrash their suply line or conduct a new offensive... It would like Hindenburg line but with tunnel as its offense
“I do not know whether or not we shall change history tomorrow, but we shall certainly alter geography!” Major-General Charles Harington, on the day before the mines at Messines were blown.
As far as detonating mines goes, similar tactics were used during the American Civil War at the sieges of Vicksburg (MS) and Petersburg (VA). I've been to Petersburg, it's pretty crazy to see - there's an enormous crater, and you can follow (and clearly see) the collapsed tunnel all the way from the entrance.
I have been on Mt. Pasubio. The engineer work there is stunning, and it would be an excellent place for a special episode (although it is quite difficult to reach...)
I remember as a kid, reading about a flying ace, i believe it was Albert Ball, who originally set out to be a tunneling officer. He plannec to "dig under 'em and blow 'em up" as he said. You find interesting things at school book fairs. This was in a book about WW1 aces including von Richthofen, Ball, Georges Guynemere, Rickenbacher, and 1 or 2 others i can't remember. I also had a book on Old West lawmen. Wish i still had it too. However, i do still have Theodore Taylor's "The Battle off Midway Island" [4th grade i think], which helped spark my interest in history, and a paper airplane book
If anyone was really interested in this episode, there is a fantastic Australian movie called “Beneath Hill 60” about the Berlin tunnel. I honestly can’t recommend it enough.
One of my grandpas was a vietnam vet and the day I think I earned his respect was the day I showed him I could use a shovel. His house was flooding during the summer and my family was there for summer vacation. He lived on the side of a small mountain in the ozarks and the french drain had clogged and deformed so water was pooling on the uphill side of the house. I got woken from a dead sleep, was told what was going on and ran outside to help dig during the thunderstorm. Grandpa had to rest a lot and when he did I could feel him watching me dig, at one point with my bare hands. He looked really troubled, and proud. It was weird, but even as a teenager I knew he was seeing me and also lots of other scared kids frantically digging in a rainstorm in a forest. It still matters to soldiers now, being able to sling a shovel. It can make the difference and I think my jumping up and diving in the way I did made an impression on the man that i had never managed to make before. Dont underestimate the power of a shovel
Until Messine Ridge, the largest ever manmade explosion had been the Union mine detonated under the Confedrate lines to begin the "Battle of the Crater" during the Siege of Petersburg in 1864. The Battle of the Crater can be seen at the beginning of the movie 'Cold Mountain'.
![KSI - Dirty [Official Visualiser]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VoDh1h1dPUE/mqdefault.jpg)
tommy Shelby still has nightmares about them tunnels
at last,someone from the Birmingham gang
Nathan Sellars I scrolled to find this comment
You must be one those Bleinderrs devils!
mayrbek ermagerd me too
That's what made me look for this vid haha
rip in peace french cow your name is unknown your deed will eternal
that day my komrade was killed I still mourn to this day
Why R.I.P.(Rest in peace) en the in peace but poor cow
F
F
F
I'm digging this episode. huehuehue
Flakfire HAHAHA!
Flakfire oh hey flakfire I love your stuff
Bruh nice joke😂😂😂😂
Luv yo videos
Flakfire haha
6:27 So, a warfare with the enemy holding the high ground and a lot of sand... Fortunately Skywalker wasn't in command.
Podemos URSS you mean specifically Anakin
Yes.
Alistair Shaw Anakin is a Skywalker
2:36 Positively British no-entry sign gave me a chuckle.
+SuperKami Guru we loved that too
RIP COW
Rest in pieces
She was just some Collateral Of War.
+MrTohawk Did you mean Cattlelateral?
According to the laws of the Internet, Indy is responsible for the demise of that cow.
BOO!
The action of 1955 was a prime example of Lightning War. But the casualty was a cow-ard
Old beef was finally settled
I hear they're making that into a moovie.
A positive moo-sacre.
Udder destruction!
After the cow died, its owner wondered: "where's the beef?"
Peaky Blinders anyone?
Daniel Dan I’m hear by order of the peaky blinders.
Yup, " Bie owdah of the Paiky Blinduz!"
Ha yeah
Hahahah HERE BY ORDER OF THE PEAKY BLINDERS!!
Being a wartime tunneler in the Great War sounds like a horrible nightmare, unlimited respect to those who did it
Nothing better than a morning coffee and a new episode of The Great War!
+Scott Taylor and the smell of napalm?
The Great War 😂 haha
...and the smell of mustard gas.
Perhaps the smell of Phosgene would be more era-appropriate
+B.K. Laughton but I love the smell of napalm in the morning
That sign: "Positively No Admittance" So British :)
Exception of party business
Probably the worst thing about being underground was the thought of a cave-in and being buried alive underneath all that rock with no air. That's horrifying.
Compared to what? Hold your breath. Keep holding for 2 minutes. Now imagine passing out. Now you die. Wasn't hard, was it? Compare that to burning alive or a number of methods...
Probably happened on more than a few occasions
"Are those your explosives down in that tunnel?"
"No, the mine in the mine is not mine."
Who's seen Beneath Hill 60?
There are some great examples of underground combat with cutdown rifles and pistols/revolvers. The portrayal of the Canadian miners the main characters (ANZACs) relieved at Hill 60 was very fascinating and honest.
one of the best movies about the great war.
My great grandfather was a lieutenant under woodward (main character in beneath hill 60) amazing story!
then what is the best ???
for research purposes (no innuendos this time)
I've seen that film also documentary film
If you like the subject look up "crumps and camouflets". A great book about ww1 tunnelling. Woodwards memiors are amazing too but near impossible to get due to being in private collection. I read it at the australian war memorial and at the state library in melbourne.
Here after watching The War Below. What a fantastic film!
I first learned about the tunnel digging in ww1 from peaky blinders. And i remener tommy saying he could hear digging while he was trying to sleep years later
Indy: The greatest one was built by the Austrians
Me: Oh wow maybe the Austrians weren't that incompetent after all
Indy: which caused casualities on both sides
Me: Ok nevermid
I was reading this comment just as he said it, perfectly in sync haha
Underrated comment
My granny's brother was a coal miner - joined the Royal Engineers in 1914 and sent to dig tunnels and trenches - died in 1916 of wounds
Excuse me, but is this modern war, or ancient siege warfare cranked to eleven?
Both. Modern war above ground. (See the whole content of The Great War.) Siege warfare cranked to eleven below.
Yes
People still used horses and swords during WW1, what do u think?
Dan Gurău mine warfare is pretty ancient, the Greeks and Romans used is in sieges.
I would say that the western front was technically the modern version of a siege, a siege that lasted 4 long years spanning from the Netherlands to Switzerland. Like in the sieges of years passed it involved artillery, defence networks sapping, and brutal melee combat, the only new thing was the edition of smokeless powdered rifles and machine guns in which you could say formed an impassable wall of bullets and despite the latest modern editions of poison gas, aircraft and rudimentary tanks, the siege was essentially won by starving out the enemy, the royal navy’s blockade of Germany was depleting Germany’s war effort, so the British were like the attackers in an ancient siege that they had to starve out the enemy. So trench warfare is no different from a siege in ancient times really except on a much larger scale and fought with modern weaponry
Indy: "And now for something completely different."
I was disappointed no Monty Python came up next........ get on with it!!
This is silly!
I found out about this when I was a kid and it intrigued me. It seemed so strange that in the age of mechanized warfare that humans would bother fighting in such conditions
Beneath Hill 60 covers this topic. Great movie!
There once was a girl from Arras,
Who suffered from terrible gas,
Her mate was a miner,
From South Caroliner,
But all of that's now in the past.
Hi Flo! Hi Indie! And a special shout out to the Chair of Wisdom! You may not be a rocker, but you're a rockin' chair!
I really hope the Great War team continue this series after 2018, I know they can't do the weekly reports but there must be so much more they could talk about. This has been one of my all time favourite channels the last few years.
I have my fingers crossed that as the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1 slips by, they gear up to cover WW2 from the 80th anniversary in the same style.
When I was a kid I always used to have nightmares about being trapped in a narrow underground tunnel, just the thought of it makes me shiver.
Peaky Blinders brought me here
Just recently got into WW1 and I just found your channel. Great analysis on your videos!
8:40 I really hoped John Cleese would show up.
No need for him to show up, the preceeding sketch was not at all silly.
Not a well spoken reference unfortunately.
...Which later inspired Hitler to pen a treatise on the subject which he titled Mein Kraft.
It is named "Mein Kampf" and Not "Mein Kraft".
You poor souless, humorless idiot!
Anjo Shanti He was doing a joke.
*WHEEZE*
Whooosh
When the ww1 tunneler pictures were cycling I was waiting for a picture of tommy Shelby to pop up 😂
Last year you guys made an episode about weird guns in World War One. I was wondering if you could do an episode about trench weapons such as the Gauntlet Dagger and Trench Club.
Cool request. Its ironic, I was just imagining palm / push knives, before reading you.
What a fantastic work sir I’m getting addicted to it, hats off and thank you. All the best from Hungary
Thanks for the rare photo of where the trenchline stopped at the Swiss border and also apparently the North Sea in the sand. I have had a fascination of how those trenches "suddenly stopped"
The first video I saw of yours was on Shell Shock after The Great War, and how it was handled in each country (basically) and it was fascinating.
Great work
That was my 1st video of this channel too.
Last time I was this early, the Ottoman Empire still existed.
Great video. Reminded me of the movie Beneath Hill 60.
I love that movie! (R.I.P. Tiffin)
This RUclips channel and Battlefield 1 helped me out in my Social studies WW1 test
this tunneling episode really blew my mine!!!!!
This whole time, all I could think of was Thomas Shelby's nightmare in Peaky Blinders season one.
Beneath Hill 60, great World War One movie I can never recommend enough. Australian miners tunneling under no man's land and even risking themselves on the surface a few time's. A rich, colorful, and strongly emotional film showing the many layers of ingenuity and humanity.
I live in Cumbria. All the streets around me are named after ww1 battles. Arras. Somme. Jutland. Marne. Ect
I saw in the Gallipoli TV series that just before the Battle of Lone Pine, Australian forces dug tunnels across no-mans land until they were about half way in between the trenches and burst up through the to give an element of suprise. I'm not sure weather this actually happened but its pretty cool nonetheless
2:40 "Positively no Admittance" oh Britain please never change
Unfortunately it will *immigrants*
I'm currently reading 'Birdsong' by Sebastian Faulks, so I was quite excited to see that you made an episode about the underground tunneling!
tunnel warfare? whoa, now i´ve heard everything!
awesome show, great as always :)
My grand grandfather was a bricklayer and he was sent to the Italian front (Stelvio sector) to build trenches and dig mines
Thank you Indie, this was great!
I'm astonished how awesome this channel is!
I saw one crater in Ypres that was hill 60. It is now filled with water. Very peaceful now.
"POSITIVELY NO ADMITTANCE" 2:39
srsly don't come here
Don’t come ere, mate
Birthday today and then the Great War uploads
+Ian Worcester happy birthday!
The Great War thanks guys!
Happy Birthday!!!!
MrRenegadeshinobi thanks bro
Anybody see the documentary about the massive flamethrowers the British constructed in tunnels under no man's land? They popped up above ground and unleashed on the German trenches. Not sure how effective it was but pretty cool none the less!
You mean hot
the crater pictured at 8:25 is not one of the Messines Ridge craters. The crater pictured is the Lochnager Crater located near Albert in France, 80 miles away. please note correction.
Question for OOT: How did the tunnelers block the mineshafts on their own end, to prevent blowback? Im my incomplete knowledge of subterranean explosions, it would seem that the blast would seek the path of least resistance, therefore seeking an exit through the mine tunnels first. Thanks
I remember watching a history channel thing where I saw the remained of two New Zealand tunnelers got blown up by german counter charges :(
being a New Zealander myself this was quite sad, but a happy moment as the french people had actually up a massive effort into restoring the whole tunnel and found the bodies of the two lads. They also left the two guys to rest and left them in the same position they were when they got killed.
Rest in Peace fellas Rest in Peace
Amazing video! And a very interesting serie!!
i cant believe i’ve never heard of ww1 tunnels until now
Fascinating. Thanks for sharing.
Much appreciation to the Month Python reference at the end.
Hello Indi and crew, love the show and everything you are doing with this show.
here in Australia i found a Television show that mentioned that mentioned a Australian-Chinese sniper named Billy Sing, the T.V show was informative but would you PLEASE do a bio special on him.
Thank you
regards from Australia.
It would be so cool if tunnel warfare were incorporated into Battlefield 1 somehow. Maybe it can be incorporated into the Apocalypse DLC.
If i was British general i would order to make secret tunnel behind my line and then began to retreat to develop a new Line of defense so i can send elite troops or small detachment like stormtroppers through that secret tunnel to have an offense behind enemy line, Harrash their suply line or conduct a new offensive... It would like Hindenburg line but with tunnel as its offense
I've been to the Lochnagar crater near the Somme and the caterpillar at Messines. They are a trip worth making if your over in France and Belgium.
This made me wonder (question for Out of the Trenches?); was mining ever used to simply get troops behind enemy lines?
I am curious about the respirator apparatus at 3:48. How sophisticated was that technology in 1914-1918?
His voice is so soothing. Especialy when it presents new knowlege
Excellent show.
Great job, as always!
“I do not know whether or not we shall change history tomorrow, but we shall certainly alter geography!”
Major-General Charles Harington, on the day before the mines at Messines were blown.
Such a interesting aspect of the war that is discussed so little.
You should make a video about de Winterberg Tunnel that has been recently found
This man's knowledge is astonishing
Great video. Thanks for the history.
"And now for something completely different..." - Monty Python :D
Rip cow, your service to your country will be noted
As far as detonating mines goes, similar tactics were used during the American Civil War at the sieges of Vicksburg (MS) and Petersburg (VA).
I've been to Petersburg, it's pretty crazy to see - there's an enormous crater, and you can follow (and clearly see) the collapsed tunnel all the way from the entrance.
+Mike Case and the attack afterwards didn't really work out, right?
The Great War Pretty much! It didn't work terribly well in either scenario...
I actually live near Monte Pasubio and it was great the mention in the video tnks
Interesting episode Indy. Do you know of any notable underground skirmishes?
+Thomas G these fights happened, but they were probably only notable to the men that had to fight.
The Great War, so to your knowledge, no underground battle had any substantial effect on the war.
+Thomas G If by that you mean "direct fighting of miners", no it didn't. The mines were pretty effective on certain occasions.
Love the Kukri
Heard plenty about this. And knew it was very dangerous. So I found this video to be quite informative. Great job.
Six shillings then would've been $156.40 today.
Per week?
@@Gelato41_ per day i think. Yes i checked, 6 shillings per day.
I have been on Mt. Pasubio.
The engineer work there is stunning, and it would be an excellent place for a special episode (although it is quite difficult to reach...)
+Alessio Bellotti probably especially with camera equipment?
For traveling with camera equipment, the remains at Falzarego Pass and Lagazuoi might be better suited.
This could inspire some amazing worldbuilding and science fiction worlds. Wow. Great job!
I remember as a kid, reading about a flying ace, i believe it was Albert Ball, who originally set out to be a tunneling officer. He plannec to "dig under 'em and blow 'em up" as he said. You find interesting things at school book fairs. This was in a book about WW1 aces including von Richthofen, Ball, Georges Guynemere, Rickenbacher, and 1 or 2 others i can't remember. I also had a book on Old West lawmen. Wish i still had it too. However, i do still have Theodore Taylor's "The Battle off Midway Island" [4th grade i think], which helped spark my interest in history, and a paper airplane book
Very informative video
5:04 150 charges along a 7 km front, between Oct 1915 & April 1917
Oct 15 1915 to April 15 1917 is 549 days.
3.66 days average.
RIP Nearby Cow. May the world remember your service.
If anyone was really interested in this episode, there is a fantastic Australian movie called “Beneath Hill 60” about the Berlin tunnel. I honestly can’t recommend it enough.
One of my grandpas was a vietnam vet and the day I think I earned his respect was the day I showed him I could use a shovel. His house was flooding during the summer and my family was there for summer vacation. He lived on the side of a small mountain in the ozarks and the french drain had clogged and deformed so water was pooling on the uphill side of the house. I got woken from a dead sleep, was told what was going on and ran outside to help dig during the thunderstorm. Grandpa had to rest a lot and when he did I could feel him watching me dig, at one point with my bare hands. He looked really troubled, and proud. It was weird, but even as a teenager I knew he was seeing me and also lots of other scared kids frantically digging in a rainstorm in a forest. It still matters to soldiers now, being able to sling a shovel. It can make the difference and I think my jumping up and diving in the way I did made an impression on the man that i had never managed to make before. Dont underestimate the power of a shovel
7:25
England: Positively No Admittance
America: NO ENTRY
mining / tunneling was also a tactic used on the front line at Gallipoli!
Nice khukuri!!! I bought mine from Nepal from EGKH. Amazing tool and weapon!!
By order of the Peaky Fookin Blinders!
"Hill 60" was a great movie about the Australians digging efforts.
A great book which talks about this is "Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulks.
Until Messine Ridge, the largest ever manmade explosion had been the Union mine detonated under the Confedrate lines to begin the "Battle of the Crater" during the Siege of Petersburg in 1864. The Battle of the Crater can be seen at the beginning of the movie 'Cold Mountain'.
The blade in your desk is a Kukri right? I know that its from Nepal and some brits used them
Wow I didn't know about this! So much went on in the World Wars.
This was fascinating