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| {{short description|Camouflaged one-man foxhole}} | {{short description|Camouflaged one-man foxhole}} | ||
| {{About||the 2010 British film|Spiderhole (film)}} | {{About||the 2010 British film|Spiderhole (film)}} | ||
| {{ |
{{more citations needed|date=June 2008}} | ||
| {{contradictory|date=September 2020}} | {{contradictory|date=September 2020}} | ||
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| The term is usually understood to be an allusion to the camouflaged hole constructed by the ]. | The term is usually understood to be an allusion to the camouflaged hole constructed by the ]. | ||
| According to ] historian Major Chuck Melson, the term originated in the ], when it meant a hastily dug foxhole.{{ |
According to ] historian Major Chuck Melson, the term originated in the ], when it meant a hastily dug foxhole.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} | ||
| The American columnist ] claimed in the December 15, 2003, issue of the '']'' that the term originated in the Vietnam War.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60E1FFA3B580C768DDDAB0994DB404482 |first=William |last=Safire |title=From the 'Spider Hole' |work=New York Times |date=2003-12-15}}</ref> According to Safire, one of the characteristics of these holes was that they held a "clay pot large enough to hold a crouching man." If the pot broke, the soldier was exposed to attack from snakes or spiders, hence the name "spider hole". | The American columnist ] claimed in the December 15, 2003, issue of the '']'' that the term originated in the Vietnam War.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60E1FFA3B580C768DDDAB0994DB404482 |first=William |last=Safire |title=From the 'Spider Hole' |work=New York Times |date=2003-12-15}}</ref> According to Safire, one of the characteristics of these holes was that they held a "clay pot large enough to hold a crouching man." If the pot broke, the soldier was exposed to attack from snakes or spiders, hence the name "spider hole". | ||
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| == Use == | == Use == | ||
| Spider holes were used during ] by ] on many ] battlefields, including ] in the ] and ].<ref>Cannon, M. Hamlin. Leyte: The Return to the Philippines. U.S. Army Center of Military History, 1954., p 211</ref> They called them {{Nihongo|"] pots"|たこつぼ|takotsubo}} for a fancied resemblance to the pots used to catch octopuses in ].<ref>{{cite book | last = Marston | first = Daniel |
Spider holes were used during ] by ] on many ] battlefields, including ] in the ] and ].<ref>Cannon, M. Hamlin. Leyte: The Return to the Philippines. U.S. Army Center of Military History, 1954., p 211</ref> They called them {{Nihongo|"] pots"|たこつぼ|takotsubo}} for a fancied resemblance to the pots used to catch octopuses in ].<ref>{{cite book | editor-last = Marston | editor-first = Daniel | year = 2005 | title = The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima | publisher = Osprey Publishing | isbn = 978-1-84603-212-7 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/pacificwarcompan00dani }}</ref> | ||
| Spider holes were also used by fighters of the ] and soldiers of the ] during the ] as both defensive and offensive fortifications, where VC/PAVN fighters could either seek shelter from combat with ], US or other ] forces, or could conceal themselves in preparation for a surprise attack. | Spider holes were also used by fighters of the ] and soldiers of the ] during the ] as both defensive and offensive fortifications, where VC/PAVN fighters could either seek shelter from combat with ], US or other ] forces, or could conceal themselves in preparation for a surprise attack. | ||
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| {{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
| ⚫ | {{war-stub}} | ||
| {{Fortifications}} | {{Fortifications}} | ||
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| ] | ] | ||
| ⚫ | {{war-stub}} | ||
Revision as of 04:20, 23 January 2022
Camouflaged one-man foxhole For the 2010 British film, see Spiderhole (film). | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Spider hole" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 | This article or section appears to contradict itself. Please see the talk page for more information. (September 2020) |
In military slang, a spider hole is a type of camouflaged one-man foxhole, used for observation.
Etymology
The term is usually understood to be an allusion to the camouflaged hole constructed by the trapdoor spider.
According to United States Marine Corps historian Major Chuck Melson, the term originated in the American Civil War, when it meant a hastily dug foxhole.
The American columnist William Safire claimed in the December 15, 2003, issue of the New York Times that the term originated in the Vietnam War. According to Safire, one of the characteristics of these holes was that they held a "clay pot large enough to hold a crouching man." If the pot broke, the soldier was exposed to attack from snakes or spiders, hence the name "spider hole".
Design
A spider hole is typically a shoulder-deep, protective, round hole, often covered by a camouflaged lid, in which a soldier can stand and fire a weapon. A spider hole differs from a typical foxhole in that a foxhole is usually deeper and designed to emphasize cover rather than concealment.
Use
Spider holes were used during World War II by Japanese forces on many Pacific battlefields, including Leyte in the Philippines and Iwo Jima. They called them "octopus pots" (たこつぼ, takotsubo) for a fancied resemblance to the pots used to catch octopuses in Japan.
Spider holes were also used by fighters of the Viet Cong and soldiers of the People's Army of Vietnam during the Vietnam War as both defensive and offensive fortifications, where VC/PAVN fighters could either seek shelter from combat with ARVN, US or other allied forces, or could conceal themselves in preparation for a surprise attack.
On December 13, 2003, during the Iraq War, American forces in Operation Red Dawn captured Iraqi president Saddam Hussein hiding in what was characterized as a "spider hole" outside an Ad-Dawr farmhouse (near his hometown of Tikrit).
References
- Staff (April 18, 2003), "Chapter 5 Security Operations: 5-27. Types of ground observation posts.", FM 3-21.94: The Stryker Brigade Combat Team Infantry Battalion Reconnaissance Platoon, Washington D.C.: Headquarters Department of the United States Army
- Safire, William (2003-12-15). "From the 'Spider Hole'". New York Times.
- Cannon, M. Hamlin. Leyte: The Return to the Philippines. U.S. Army Center of Military History, 1954., p 211
- Marston, Daniel, ed. (2005). The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-212-7.
- "'We Got Him,' and Then a Call by American and Iraqi Officials for Reconciliation". New York Times. 2003-12-15.
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