Mouse-holing

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Mouse-holing is a technique or tactic used in urban warfare (also known as Fighting in Built-Up Areas (FIBUA)). Specifically, it is the act of creating small passages through walls between adjoining rooms or buildings, either by manually breaking or tunnelling a hole in the wall, or by use of explosive devices like satchel charges.

In urban warfare open streets quickly become death traps to advancing infantry, as they present open areas where soldiers are easily caught in enfilade, and can be raked by machine-gun and sniper fire from hidden positions. It is therefore paramount that troops avoid open streets, and clear urban areas building by building, while exposing themselves to enemy fire as little as possible.

The technique allows combatants to move around urban battlefields under cover, preventing them from having to expose themselves to enemy fire or observation. The passages are normally just large enough to accommodate the passage of soldiers in single file; large unrestricted holes offering no resistance to potential enemies while also compromising the structural integrity of the buildings they are moving through. They are akin to underground tunnels used in more rural battlefields, and similarly, can also allow forces to infiltrate behind enemy lines providing significant tactical advantages to the fight. In some cases, mouse holes may be camouflaged with articles of furniture, especially when they are created as an aid to defending an area or when clandestine infiltration is the purpose. When used in defencive positions, mouse holes often join and combine with underground tunnels.

This tactic is first noted in World War II military manuals. It was notably used by Canadian soldiers with great success during the Battle of Ortona. The tactic was also used successfully by Soviet forces in the Battle of Stalingrad, who were able to constantly infiltrate areas to the German rear that were supposedly cleared.