The Italian Military Tunnels in World War I* Le Gallerie Militari Italiane Nella Prima Guerra Mondiale
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Legatoria: - CD Negri Tipografia Stampatore: Brossura Confezione: mm 210x297 16MO Rivista Interno Piegatura: 16 In Girato B+V STAMPA: mm 640x880 foglio: Formato Data Uscita Lastra: Lastra: Uscita Data 16:05:37 Lastra: Uscita Ora 20-07-14 3x3 3 2x2 2 Yellow Magenta Cyan Black COLORE: B Lato: | 2 FOGLIO: | 133.job PT51579-GALLERIE Lavoro: 1x1 1 /0 /929 /749 /51/02/03/04/050 40/60 1/99 30/70 2/980/100 3/97 20/80 4/96 5/95 10/90 Device Resolution 2400 DPI 2400 Resolution Device -- 16:05:37 20-07-14 133.p0023.pdf Gallerie 16:05:37 20-07-14 133.p0026.pdf Gallerie 16:05:37 20-07-14 133.p0027.pdf Gallerie 16:05:37 20-07-14 133.p0022.pdf Gallerie Info: $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE - Seg.: 2B - Pag.: Pag.: - 2B Seg.: - $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE Info: Pag.: - 2B Seg.: - $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE Info: Pag.: - 2B Seg.: - $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE Info: Pag.: - 2B Seg.: - $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE Info: GALLERIE E GRANDI OPERE SOTTERRANEE n. 133 – marzo 2020 The Italian Military Tunnels in World War I* Le gallerie militari italiane nella Prima Guerra Mondiale Santina BELLINI a Enrico Maria PIZZAROTTI a,** Sergio PEDEMONTE b a Pro Iter S.r.l., Milan, Italy b Military history enthusiast, Loc. Isola del Cantone (GE), Italy *La traduzione in italiano dell'articolo è disponibile su www.societaitalianagallerie.it nella sezione del sito dedicata alla rivista **corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract During World War I, particularly in the years 1915-1917, all along the Italian front, spreading from the Aosta Valley to the Gulf of Trieste, intense tunnel excavation works were carried out for diverse military purposes. Some of these underground works, many of which are still well preserved and can be visited thanks to the constant effort in conservation and restoration done by local Authorities, are impressive considering the difficult environmental conditions and the technical challenges that had to be faced for their realization. A remarkable literature exists on this subject both from the historical and biographical point of view. This paper, instead, focuses on technical and technological aspects, on material resources, manpower, design and construction means and methods used to build tunnels which nowadays seem to be extraordinary in relation to the period in which they were completed and to the difficulties encountered during the execution. Sommario Durante la Prima Guerra Mondiale, particolarmente negli anni 1915-1917, lungo tutto il fronte italiano che si estendeva dalla Valle d’Aosta al Golfo di Trieste, furono portate a compimento intense attività di scavo di gallerie per diversi scopi militari. Alcune di queste opere sotterranee, molte delle quali ancora oggi ben conservate e visitabili grazie al costante sforzo di mantenimento e restauro delle Autorità locali, sorprendono in considerazione delle difficoltà ambientali e delle le sfide tecnologiche che hanno dovuto essere fronteggiate per la loro realizzazione. Sussiste una vasta letteratura che tratta questo argomento soprattutto sotto i punti di vista storico e biografico. Questo lavoro vuole invece focalizzarsi sugli aspetti tecnici e tecnologici, sulle risorse umane e materiali e sui metodi di progetto e di costruzione utilizzati per lo scavo di gallerie che, oggi, appaiono straordinarie in relazione al periodo storico e alle difficoltà incontrate nel corso degli scavi. Keywords: war, military, tunnel, mine, explosive. Parole chiave: guerra, militare, galleria, mina, esplosivo. 1. Introduction territory, often at altitudes above 2000 m a.s.l. and therefore in logistical and environmental conditions decidedly more difficult This paper deals with the tragic relationship between the art of (think about the extremely snowy winters back then, with very tunnelling and war, the latter synonymous with death, suffering, rigid temperatures), in generally good rock masses, requiring the deprivation. This relationship deserves to be recalled, beyond the continuous and massive use of explosives. Their construction co- mere technical interest of the topic, in honor to all soldiers who vers a period that extends from a few years before the declaration took part in this tragedy. of war (24 May 1915), for the preemptive preparation of defensive In its present form, this paper represents a further improvement fortifications, until the end of war (4 November 1918) and their and elaboration of that presented at the World Tunnel Congress geographical location involves the whole front the Gulf of Trieste 2020 in Naples [29], that was inspired by two interesting articles to eastern Lombardy and extends further West to include the Tici- appeared on Tunnels&Tunnelling [6] [27] and from watching the nese region (Figure 3). The paper only concerns the works carried Australian movie Beneath Hill 60 directed by Jeremy Sims, both out by the Italian Army, although the Austrian works can certainly relating to the military tunnels excavated during WWI on the not be considered inferior both from a technical point of view Franco-German front of the Marne. For this reason, the first part and for the commitment and value shown in their accomplishing. of the study refers to experiences that were gained in theaters This essay will focus primarily on the most relevant underground of war having different geological and geomechanical contexts works, completed in the period 1915-1917 on the eastern-central as well as very different boundary conditions compared to the portion of the front itself, bounded on the West by the Adige Italian-Austrian front. valley and on the East by the Tagliamento river (Dolomites region). Along this last theater of war, tunnels were built in a mountainous This is in fact the sector where, with few exceptions, the opposing 31 n. 133 – marzo 2020 Info: $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE - Seg.: 2B - Pag.: Gallerie 133.p0018.pdf 20-07-14 16:05:37 Info: $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE - Seg.: 2B - Pag.: Gallerie 133.p0031.pdf 20-07-14 16:05:37 Info: $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE - Seg.: 2B - Pag.: Gallerie 133.p0030.pdf 20-07-14 16:05:37 Info: $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE - Seg.: 2B - Pag.: Gallerie 133.p0019.pdf 20-07-14 16:05:37 2 9 2 8 2 7 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 2 2 1 2 0 1 9 1 8 1 7 6 1 1 5 1 4 3 1 1 2 1 1 0 4567891 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 B Y M C B 80% 40% Y M C B Y M C B 80% 40% Y M C B Y M C B 80% AG Druckmaschinen FOGRA/Heidelberger 2004 © 105 Format 2.1 Dipco 4 Prinect/FOGRA Y M C B Y M C B 80% 40% Y M C B Y M C B 80% 40% Y4 M4 C4 B4 Y M C Y M C Y M C B 80% 40% Y M C B M C Y C Y M Y4 M4 C4 B4 80% 40% Y M C B Y M C B 80% 40% Y M C B Y M C B 80% 40% Y M C B Y M C B 80% AG Druckmaschinen FOGRA/Heidelberger 2004 © 105 Format 2.1 Dipco 4 Prinect/FOGRA Y M C B Y M C B 80% 40% Y M C B Y Y B C M Y 40% 80% B C M Y B C M Y Prinect/FOGRA 4 Dipco 2.1 Format 105 © 2004 FOGRA/Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG 80% B C M Y B C M Y 40% 80% B C M Y B C M Y 40% 80% B C M Y B C M Y 40% 80% B4 C4 M4 Y4 MY CY CM B C M Y 40% 80% B C M Y CMY CMY B4 C4 M4 Y4 40% 80% B C M Y B C M Y 40% 80% B C M Y B C M Y Prinect/FOGRA 4 Dipco 2.1 Format 105 © 2004 FOGRA/Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG 80% B C M Y B C M Y 40% 80% B C M Y B C M Y 40% 80% B C M Y B 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 45678910121131415161718912012223242562278229 Info: $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE - Seg.: 2A - Pag.: Pag.: - 2A Seg.: - $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE Info: Info: $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE - Seg.: 2A - Pag.: Pag.: - 2A Seg.: - $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE Info: Info: $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE - Seg.: 2A - Pag.: Pag.: - 2A Seg.: - $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE Info: Pag.: - 2A Seg.: - $CUSTOMER_$JOB_TITLE Info: 16:05:37 20-07-14 133.p0020.pdf Gallerie Gallerie 133.p0032.pdf Gallerie 16:05:37 20-07-14 133.p0029.pdf Gallerie 16:05:37 20-07-14 133.p0017.pdf Gallerie 16:05:37 20-07-14 2020 marzo – 3 13 n. 32 Quartz-porphyry of the Porphyric Atesina Platform [10]. 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