Chinese tunnel warfare

The Chinese had many tricks up their sleeves after the japanese invaded China. This is a thread about one of them. The Japnese normally set up camp near a chinese town or village and then take it over. Since the 8 route Army can not be everywhere, the residents of towns and villages begain devising their own defense. the people regularly dug underground tunnels connecting every house and building, when the japanese attack, the residents would go under ground then some would pop up in houses with guns. they would make small holes in walls just big enough for the gun barrel to fit through an see a bit, then the chiense would "snipe" the japanese soldiers. when the 8 route army arrived, they supplied the residents with guns,gernades, and mines. The army regiment would then stay and fight with the residents. When the japanese invade, the mines would be trigered. When the time is right, the group invades the nearby enemy base. This idea did not work out well in the begining, the japanese found some entrances to the tunnels and either poured water to drown the people in the tunnels or kill them with poisonous gas. Later tunnels included filters for the gas and tanks for the water.

:china:

If you ever wish to see a something about how the 8-Rout army fight against the Japanese, here is a movie currently on shown on CCTV-4 every evening 7:00PM Beijing time. The movie is called "亮劍" (to show the sword), one of the best movie about the 8-Rout army I've ever seen. Enjoy!

What is the 8-route army? I've never heard that before. Is it some name for the Nationalists or the Communists?

The Chinese are very skilled at tunnel building. They did quite a lot of it in Korea. Mao, for a while, tried to move the entire country's defence industry underground to safeguard against American nuclear attack, and was successful with the most critical parts of it. Kinmen and Matsu are probably the most-tunneled place on Earth. Let's not forget that Chinese people built that too.

What is the 8-route army? I've never heard that before. Is it some name for the Nationalists or the Communists?

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The 8th Route Army was a very famous and prominent Chinese Communist army that operated against the Japanese during WWII. During the war, the communists maintained two armies of regular fighting forces, in addition to militia and guerillas, the New Fourth Army and the 8th Route Army. Both were formed from existing communist units following the formation of the United Front against Japan. The 8th Route Army was comprised of 3 army divisions, totaling some 30,000-40,000 men and headquartered at Jiangsu.

Not related to the Chinese use of Tunnels in WW2 (an intresting subject) but I could not help but think of this when I saw this topic.

I remember hearing awhile ago about an aincent method the Chinese used for detecting a tunneling army underground way back in the time of the dynasties (not sure which one, but if anyone knows feel free to elaborate). They would get large drums and plant them underground several feet. Then, they would have the best ears they could find to man these posts. The drums would beat whenever a vibration from a pick hitting earth and rock was created (Rocks have amazing acustic properties. There are some places in Japan and in the Mojave that sand actualy 'sings' due to grains rubbing acainst each other).

They recently tested it on Mythbusters, and proved that it worked (though you would have to have VERY good ears) but that it was only used in theory or was just hear-say. I forget which. Anyone catch this episode and remember the details?

Getting back on task: It sounds pretty creepy for both sides. The thought that Chinese soliders could be right under your feet must have been pretty unsettling to the Japanese, and the Chinese must have thought it claustrophobic and terrifying to think of what could happen to them. When your in a small space like that, the 'What Could Go Wrong's' fly though your head like machine gun bullets.

The thing is, it wasnt the army that thought of this tunnel idea, it was the civilians, in attempt to protect their homes, when the 8 route army arrives, they join in the tunnel war. In the begining, the tunnel was used as a hiding place when the japanese invade. Later this is then used as a secret command post. Tunnels became so advanced, their were several levels dug, several behind walls (not house walls, just normal ones) where lookouts could look for japanese troops, when they are spoted, the chinese grab their guns and go to a hatch under a house and shoot through the small holes in the walls. from the tunnels, the chinese also activate lever trigered bombs planted just under the ground blowing the japanese to bits.