Fighting the Boche Underground

A combat memoir by an engineer recounts underground warfare during the Great War, detailing tunnelling operations, mining and countermining, crater fighting, gas hazards and breathing apparatus, and raiding parties. The author describes specific sectors and battles including operations around Vimy Ridge, the Somme, the Ancre, Arras, and the Hindenburg Line, and includes practical diagrams and illustrations. Technical chapters explain mining principles, trench mortars, chalk caverns, and logistics of explosives, while reflections address the psychology of fear and the daily hazards faced by sappers. The account combines tactical description, procedural detail, and personal observations of small-unit actions beneath and around the trenches.