Camouflet

Common card · No. 474197

A camouflet, in military science, is an artificial cavern created by an explosion; if the resulting structure is open to the surface it is called a crater. The term was originally defined as a countermine dug by defenders to prevent the undermining of a fortress's walls during a siege. The defenders would dig a tunnel under the attackers' tunnel. An explosive charge would be detonated to create a camouflet that would collapse the attackers' tunnel. More recently, the term has been used to describe the effects of very large bombs like the Grand Slam bomb, which are designed to penetrate next to a large target structure and create a camouflet to undermine the foundations of the structure. It has been observed that it is more efficient to penetrate ground next to the target than to hit the target directly. A camouflet set describes a system used in the British Army for cratering tracks and other routes. A tube is driven into the ground using a manual post driver. The end of the tube is a disposable...

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