The Original Tree
Diamond Member
People who have never served in The Military, or are completely clueless about Military Strategies have No Understanding of what Sappers are.
What are The Illegal Aliens doing to our Democracy and our Social Safety Net?
They are "Undermining It!"
Sappers are a part of an organized effort to break down the defenses of their opposition. This could be a wall, a defense perimeter, a defended border. They were used to distract opposition forces and create diversions so that others could cross in to the opposing forces territory and create further issues their opposition had to deal with. The purpose of a Sapper in Medieval times was to literally Sap their opposition's resources to make them weaker.
Sappers do not have to be armed to be considered invaders or enemy combatants.
They often dug tunnels to try to get under walls, and defenses, and undermine the foundations of a castle's walls or the castle itself.
Medieval Warfare during the Cathar Crusades
Successful sapping usually ended the battle since either the defenders would no longer be able to defend and surrender, or the attackers would simply charge in and engage the defenders in close combat.
The practice has left us reminders in English. "undermining" has acquired figurative as well as literal meanings. And military engineers are still known as Sappers
A"mine" was a tunnel dug to destabilize and bring down castles and other fortifications. The technique could be used only when the fortification was not built on solid rock. It was developed as a response to stone built castles that could not be burned like earlier-style wooden forts.
A tunnel would be excavated under the outer defenses either to provide access into the fortification or more often to collapse the walls. These tunnels were supported by temporary wooden props as the digging progressed, just as in any mine. Once the excavation was complete, the mine was filled with combustible material. When lit it would burn away the props leaving the structure above unsupported and liable to collapse.
What are The Illegal Aliens doing to our Democracy and our Social Safety Net?
They are "Undermining It!"
Sappers are a part of an organized effort to break down the defenses of their opposition. This could be a wall, a defense perimeter, a defended border. They were used to distract opposition forces and create diversions so that others could cross in to the opposing forces territory and create further issues their opposition had to deal with. The purpose of a Sapper in Medieval times was to literally Sap their opposition's resources to make them weaker.
Sappers do not have to be armed to be considered invaders or enemy combatants.
They often dug tunnels to try to get under walls, and defenses, and undermine the foundations of a castle's walls or the castle itself.
Medieval Warfare during the Cathar Crusades
Successful sapping usually ended the battle since either the defenders would no longer be able to defend and surrender, or the attackers would simply charge in and engage the defenders in close combat.
The practice has left us reminders in English. "undermining" has acquired figurative as well as literal meanings. And military engineers are still known as Sappers
A"mine" was a tunnel dug to destabilize and bring down castles and other fortifications. The technique could be used only when the fortification was not built on solid rock. It was developed as a response to stone built castles that could not be burned like earlier-style wooden forts.
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