A foxhole serves as a defensive military position, designed to protect individual soldiers from enemy fire. It provides a shield against artillery, shrapnel, and small-arms fire, allowing occupants to engage threats while minimizing exposure. Understanding these excavated shelters helps recognize their purpose and design.
Basic Appearance and Dimensions
A foxhole appears as a small, excavated pit, often shaped like a cylinder or a slightly widened, bottle-shaped hole. From above, it might look like a circular, oval, or rectangular depression.
The depth of a one-man foxhole usually extends to chest or shoulder height when a soldier is standing, 4 to 5 feet deep. This depth allows a soldier to remain concealed while observing and firing.
The width is typically just enough to accommodate a single person, 2 to 3 feet wide. This compact size helps reduce the target area for enemy fire.
Excavated earth is often piled around the opening to form a raised barrier, known as a parapet or berm. This earthen barrier, 3 feet wide and 6 inches high, enhances protection by absorbing incoming projectiles and providing a stable rifle rest.
Key Structural Components
Inside a foxhole, specific features contribute to its protective capabilities and appearance. The “firing step” is a raised ledge allowing a soldier to stand and comfortably engage targets with their head and shoulders exposed. This step enables effective firing while maintaining head-level protection.
Below the firing step, the foxhole often widens into a deeper area known as a “sump” or “grenade sump.” This lower section is designed to catch incoming grenades, allowing occupants to kick them into the sump where their fragments can be absorbed by the surrounding soil.
The external parapet, constructed from the soil removed during excavation, forms a visible mound around the foxhole’s perimeter. This barrier can be reinforced with sandbags, creating a robust defensive structure.
To conceal the position, camouflage elements are integrated into the foxhole’s design. Local vegetation, such as branches, leaves, and foliage, is used to blend the parapet and any overhead cover with the natural environment, making the foxhole less discernible from a distance.
Variations in Design
Foxholes exhibit visual differences based on their purpose and the number of personnel they accommodate. A “one-man” foxhole is a compact, cylindrical pit.
A “two-man” foxhole is larger, often rectangular or an elongated oval, providing space for two soldiers to operate side-by-side. This larger size allows for mutual support and continuous observation, with one soldier on watch while the other rests.
Another variation involves “overhead protection” or a “covered” design. While many foxholes are open-topped, a covered foxhole features a roof-like structure built over a portion of the pit. This overhead cover consists of materials like logs, timber, or scavenged wreckage, covered with layers of earth, sandbags, or other debris to provide defense against artillery, mortars, and aerial attacks.
Covered foxholes appear as low, mounded structures with a concealed entrance. Environmental factors, such as material availability and soil type, influence the final look, leading to diverse visual forms.