Method and apparatus for sinking pipes (8) or cables into a pilot borehole (4) by use of a drill string (3) including an expansion drill bit driven to rotate and pull is disclosed. The expansion drill bit is supplied with a wash fluid and is coupled with the pipe or cable (10) to be sunk into the borehole. The pulling force between the expansion drill bit (5) and the pipe or cable is continuously measured and the measurement values are transmitted to a drive for the drill string in real time. The advance speed and/or the advance force and/or the rotational speed and/or the torque and/or the wash fluid quantity and/or the wash fluid viscosity are adjusted as a function of the measurement values to be within predetermined values determined by the load capacity of the pipe (8) or cable.