A Sappers War

We make and we break. They were the forward scouts, the mine clearers, the bridge builders, and the tunnel rats. They were frequently not just on the front line, but right at the sharp end of the action. They were the legendary Aussie Sappers, the army engineers, who were literally everywhere in the fighting against the Vietcong. This special breed of soldier lived hard and played hard. They were there at the beginning of the war; they were also among the last to leave. And along the way, they fought with their mates in the infantry and in the tanks to bear the brunt of the Vietcong's revenge. To the rest of the world, Vietnam was a conflict of ideologies. On the ground it was a battle of wits and the sappers were at the forefront. This is their story.

'We make and we break.' They were the forward scouts, the mine clearers, the bridge builders and the tunnel rats. They were frequently not just on the front line, but right at the sharp end of the action. They were the legendary Aussie sappers, the army engineers, who were literally everywhere in the fighting against the Vietcong. This special breed of soldier lived hard and played hard. They were there at the beginning of the war. They were also among the last to leave. And on the way, they fought alongside their mates in infantry and tanks and bore the brunt of the Vietcong's revenge. To the rest of the world, Vietnam was a conflict of ideologies. On the ground it was a battle of wits and the sappers were at the forefront. This is their story.

An account of the costly 1971 surprise attack on Firebase Mary Ann draws on declassified documents and interviews with more than fifty veterans of the 1st Battalion of the 46th Infantry. Reprint.

The first history of a military tunnelling company published since the 1920's, Subterranean Sappers is a comprehensive survey of the 177 Tunnelling Company and the crucial role that they played during World War I. It details the entire history of the Company, from its formation on the Western Front in 1915 to the reasons for its eventual disbandment after the war. There is also a close study of the men of all ranks who made up the Company, including where they were from and what specific roles they played in tunnelling operations. Iain McHenry focuses heavily on the daily struggle the Company faced underground, due to the ever-present mine threat from the Germans, and details the tunnel systems and dugouts they constructed, with accompanying color plans. He also includes tense first-hand accounts of hand-to-hand altercations with German soldiers that occurred underground. Most important, Subterranean Sappers explains the vital role of tunneling companies in the greater scheme of the war and offers fascinating details on an understudied military tactic, which will be of interest to war historians and tourists alike.