Why would they dig a huge deep hole in their own trench and risk their own men falling in?
It looked like something out of Indiana Jones, a difficulty to traverse when one of the protagonists was already blinded by dust.
So that was something that also took me out of the movie a bit as well. But I was able to get past it by just assuming that it used to have a "bridge" over it out of wood or something that's easily removable. As for why it was there in the first place? I don't know, but as I don't really know anything to about trenchwar I just assumed that there was probably some good reason for it.
shareUnderground warfare was a big part of WW1, aka "sapping". (Originating from mining under castle walls to make them collapse.)
Both sides would dig long extensive tunnels stretching out under No-Mans-Land to try and construct a large chamber below the opposing trench, fill it with explosives and then blow them all to hell. The other side would also be digging mines to try to listen for the sounds of enemy digging.
If you noticed the white chalk soil ... when mining or sapping, they needed a way to hide the huge amounts of chalk being excavated. They couldn't just pile it up in sight of the enemy as the enemy would know they where mining/sapping. Thus reverse tunnels were built to transport the material back out and somewhere away from site.
Don't forget they were there for years, with little movement until 1917, so plenty of time for digging.
Insightful. Interestingly enough I've had a book called beneath Flander Fields on my read list for a time now that I think might be related to this very thing.
shareInteresting. Thanks for this info, Supratad :)
Yes, very interesting, Supratad.
I'm currently reading, "The Great War", by Isobel Charman. It covers some of that trench life and the tactics both side used.
Worth a read.
Its more likely that they converted an old mine into a trench instead. Coal/Iron mining did happen in the area.
shareNo it isn't more likely, sorry. Trenches were dug at the lines where the two enemies faced each other across open ground. Troops had to get on the ground to avoid being shot and they started to mound up earth in front of them, and from there basic trenches were dug and then more elaborate version that you can stand up in.
Neither side wanted to engage in trench warfare but they had no option as the weapons of war had advanced so much since the 19th C. They certainly didn't pick an old mine and decide to make their front line at that point
I listened to directors commentary and the shooting location was an actual quarry.
But he did mention there were evidence of Germans digging deep underground shafts for sapping.
I'd also like to know why the collapse took like three minutes! It just kept going and going. Was there an earthquake happening at the same time??
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