If you want to read an account of a WBTS battle plan gone wrong, but on the other side of how this discussion has been going, read about the Battle Of The Crater. This was a battle that took place during the Siege of Petersburg, VA in 1864. Union forces determined to dig a tunnel to, and underneath, the opposing Confederate forces entrenched opposite them. After months of digging, and being "led" by Gen. Meade, they set off a charge of some 8000 lbs. of black powder underground which resulted in the death of some 278 Confederates. The resulting hole was roughly 170 feet long, 100 to 120 feet wide, and at least 30 feet deep. The ensuing battle saw the Union forces milling about the crater, many down in it, where they were sitting ducks for Confederate forces. Union losses were 3798. U. S Grant called this "the saddest affair I have witnessed in this war".
