Cu Chi Tunnels, which have a very important place in the victory of the Vietnam War, are known as an engineering marvel. The enormous network of tunnels found in Vietnam’s Cu Chi District is part of a larger tunnel network that lies beneath the majority of the country. Some of these tunnels, which are quite narrow and dark, have been made open to visitors and are used as museums.
The Cu Chi Tunnels are located in the town of Cu Chi, 70 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The town is famous for its underground tunnels, some of which have yet to be discovered. There are hundreds of entry points in the forest area where the tunnels are located. However, these entry points are almost impossible to notice because they are covered with branches and leaves. For this reason, touristic trips are made in the company of guides. It is exhibited in the traps set against the US soldiers in the forest.
The Cu Chi Tunnels were used during the Vietnam War, which started in 1945 and ended in 1975. The Vietnam War was one of the bloodiest wars in history, in which nearly 4 million people lost their lives. These tunnels, opened in the war between America and Vietnam, played a major role and changed the course of the war.
The tunnels, which were the hiding places of the soldiers, were also used as a means of communication. At the same time, it was used as a need supply route, hospital, food, weapons depot and living space during the war. The tunnels, whose entry and exit points are difficult to find, were designed according to the body structure of the Vietnamese soldiers, and American and French soldiers could not enter these tunnels.
Interesting features of Cu Chi Tunnels
The total length of the tunnels built by the Vietnamese during the war reaches 250 kilometers. In the war that lasted nearly 30 years, the tunnels were first dug against the French invasions. The tunnels, which gained momentum with the USA’s involvement in the war, consist of 3 layers. The first layer is 3 meters below the ground, the second layer is 6 meters and the third is 8 meters.
American soldiers could not find these tunnels for a long time, and when they did, they could not enter due to the incredible design of the tunnels. They could never fit inside the narrow tunnels that ranged from 28 cm to 40 cm, which the Vietnamese soldiers, who were petite, dug specially for them. They threw bombs into the tunnels, but since the tunnels were curved, the bombs only affected the entrance part and did not cause any damage to the other sides.
Because of the tunnels, American soldiers had to fight an enemy they could not see and were defeated. The Vietnamese soldiers made raids through the tunnels extending under the headquarters of the American soldiers and disappeared again through the tunnels they dug.
American soldiers formed a “tunnel rat unit” consisting of 100 soldiers to deal with this situation, but it was unsuccessful. During the years of war, intense bombardments were made and even poisonous gases were used. While not a single solid structure remained above ground, Vietnamese soldiers continued their lives by opening kitchens, workshops, dormitories, and even operating theaters in underground tunnels.
In order to prevent their whereabouts from being obvious, they even gave the exits of the chimneys coming out of the kitchens through tunnels they dug and gave them from another place. They placed small reed chimneys on the surface in order to prevent the smoke from being seen from the air, and they cooked their meals during the hours of heavy fog. After the war lasted for many years, anti-war actions started in Europe and America. The American soldiers, who suffered heavy losses, could not stand the raids any longer and had to retreat.
Life in the tunnels where Vietnamese soldiers stayed for many years is very difficult. The tunnels, where air, food and water are scarce, are also filled with ants, poisonous centipedes, snakes, scorpions, spiders and rodents. Vietnamese soldiers spent most of their days working or resting in the tunnels. At night, they went out to store supplies, grow their crops, or raid the enemy. Disease has emerged among the people in the tunnels, especially malaria has become common. In addition to the deaths in the war, the majority of the people died from the disease.
