Chapter 10

Underground Accommodation and Communications

In 1917 the Russian sap evolved into the infantry subway when the use of underground galleries to get men across no man’s land gave way to the use of tunnels to allow safe movement up to the front line. This chapter will examine the use of tunnels for communication and of deep dugouts for accommodation. Underground accommodation became a major feature of trench warfare from 1915 when the Germans in particular began to excavate deep and extensive dugouts.