The amazing Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam - a genious warefare!

The Cu Chi Tunnels lie 75 kilometres northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, also called Saigon. These tunnels are probably the major reason for that USA failed in the Vietnam War. Even the USA military forced were superior in weapon power, they were almost helpless frightening against an invisible enemy.

The Cu Chi Tunnels system is an underground network of tunnels dug in the 1940s by the Vietnamese as a place to hide during the fight against the French. The network was later expanded and used in the American War. The system consists of more than 250km (150 miles) of tunnels and unlit offshoots, secret trap doors connecting narrow routes to hidden shelters, local rivers and tunnels to the Cambodian border.

In the jungle near the village Ben Binh, there is an extent network of tunnels. At my first glance in the area, it gives little indications of that it is something interesting to see. My first reaction was: why do the guides take me here? As far I could see there were no signs of fighting, bombing and destruction as it went on in the 1960s.

After my guide revealed the hidden door to a hole in the ground, I wondered again: what is the purpose with this hole? What kind of stuff did you hide here during the war? The guide laughed again, and told me this was the entrance to the cave system just as he has told me. Yes, I remember that, but I couldn't imagine how a person could climb down such a narrow and shallow hole.

Photo. Squeezing me down to the hole was impossible. © Travel Explorations. If I tried to hard press me down, I feared I would be stucked in the hole. Another thing that scared me was that I didn't new what kind of creeps who were hiding there.

Then he showed me what I thought was impossible: he slided down the hole easily. Evrn it was only around 80 centimetres across it was no problem for him. Afterwards he told me that the hole was 1 - 3 metres deep and there was an extensive tunnel system underground. The guide wanted me to try to. I was in big doubt if I could make it. I tried little bit, but was worried about being stucked in the hole. And even worse: trapped underground, or I could be lost in the labyrinths of the tunnels. I guessed it was no signs underground written in English which could direct me to the exit.

Photo. Another secret trap door to the amazing tunnel system. © Travel Explorations. Based on this unique warefare, the Americans were combated. The world had never seen a war been fightened liked this before.

Walking and crawling around in the tunnels was for me a scary experience. I got the feeling of being trapped in a sauna - hot bath room. In addition it was also totally dark some places. Here it was no fresh air or good view. It's not the best place to stay for persons who have claustrophobia. I really hope that I found my way out again.

I also wondered what could show up in the dark and by the next curve. It could be snakes, spiders, scorpions, aggressive ants, and other danger creeps, and I can ensure you that these kind creatures I would definitely not like to encounter. For me it was better to stay on the ground together with the bloodthirsty mosquitoes and irritating flies. I could understand that people who lived in these tunnels for so many years must have been under a big pressure.

I noticed that the pulse speeded up. It was an extreme heat down there and I breathed heavily. Climbing up to the ground again was a big relief, and I felt it was like cool air condition leaving the tunnels - even though standing in a lush jungle.

Fighting with one arm behind the back
There are several reasons for that USA lost the war against the Northern Vietnamese. The American soldiers had some restrictions as not running military operations north for the demilitarised zone, not crossing the borders to Laos and Cambodia for military operations, not bombing targets before it was clarified with the byracracity in Washington, not bombing temples or other holy sites, not dropping bombs near dwellings, and it was big restrictions regarding targets for bombing in North Vietnam. Due to these restrictions it was difficult for the Americans to use the full potential of their strong military power, but in some cases they did it anyway.

Many soldiers from USA were young and poorly trained. They were not experienced with the environments and the Viet Cong`s creative warfare. Well camouflaged tunnels were an important part of the North Vietnamese tactic, and it gave good protection against the American bomb rain. This tunnel system looked like anthills with people. Through the tunnel system the North Vietnamese soldiers could appear suddenly in towns, villages, cities and camps, and cause terrible damages. They had the initiative and could decide who should live and who should dye.

The American soldiers used advanced equipment for communication, but the North Vietnamese exchanged messages through the network of tunnels. There were always a way to combat the Americans. Anyway it was an exception. One of the most successfully American military achievement, was the retaining the control over the Khe Sanh hills.

At the height of the Vietnam War, the tunnel system stretched from the outskirts of Saigon all the way to the Cambodian border. It was something like 250 kilometres of tunnels. Viet Cong soldiers could show up almost everywhere with surprising attacks.

The tunnel system, built over 25 years, starting in the 1940s, let the Viet Minh and, later, the Viet Cong, control a huge rural area. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals and command centres.

Photo. Underground room - kitchen and dining room. © Travel Explorations. But how could hide the smoke when they cooked the food?

It amazing to hear the story about that people dug all this with hand tools, filling reed baskets and dumping the dirt into bomb craters. They installed large vents so they could hear approaching helicopters, and they made smaller vents for air and baffled vents to dissipate cooking smoke. Everything was so well constructed for living and hiding that it was impossible for the USA military to find them.

These tunnels were the home to 10,000 people who lived underground for years. Some people lived in the tunnels for seven years, the guide told me. The social life went on in a special way. At that time Vietnamese people got married, become born and went to school. They only came out at night for gathering food and making traps.

On my way in the jungle I observed hidden trap doors, several tunnels and gruesomely effective bamboo-stake booby traps. It really scared me, but at same time impressed me how people with such limited armed resources could be so creative. I also observed a bombed M-48 tank and some bomb craters.

Photo. Me on the M-48 tank. © Travel Explorations. Despite being well armed and bombing heavily around, the effects was not what the American soldiers expected. It was mostly "a shot in the blind".

The history about the tunnels is still unknown for most people around the world. Many movies have been produces about the Vietnam War as Platoon, Apocalypse Now, Heaven and Earth, We Were Soldiers, Full Metal Jacket, The Deer Hunter, The Hanoi Hilton, Born on the 4th of July, but as far I know, no one have actually focused on what was the main military strategy and success of the Viet Cong: the incredible tunnels systems. It explains most of the outcome of the war.

Stein Morten Lund, 5 March 2006

Additional information
The Ben Binh tunnels, which are open for visitors, are located 30 kilometres (19 miles) northwest of Ho Chi Minh City at Tay Ninh.