Do you know why combat engineers are also known as Sappers? The name comes from the French word sappe (spade or trench) and became connected with military engineering during the 17th century. Trenches and tunnels were called “saps,” and their diggers came to be known as “sappers."

Why do they call engineers sappers?

The name is derived from the French word sappe (“spadework,” or “trench”) and became connected with military engineering during the 17th century, when attackers dug covered trenches to approach the walls of a besieged fort. ... These trenches and tunnels were called “saps,” and their diggers came to be called “sappers.”

Are sappers engineers?

In the United States Army, sappers are combat engineers who support the front-line infantry, and they have fought in every war in U.S. history.