It was one of Professor Mahan's maxims that the spade was as useful in war as the musket ...
 General of the Army William T. Sherman

DIGGING really falls under the category of annoyances and included laying or clearing mines (very carefully), digging latrines, digging up unexploded munitions, building trenches and sangers and grave digging.

Some areas of the fortress had a layer of sand on top of hard, almost impenetrable, limestone rock. In these areas, pneumatic drills and compressors, explosives and even unexploded enemy bombs were used to create 'oles. Needless to say that pneumatic drills and compressors were in short supply.