For my assigned web log, I am to be discussing the weapons used during World War I, along with what 'trench warfare.' And possibly, just maybe, what role play warfare is, he said in a creepy voice.
Trench Warefare
Trench warfare was a form of field reinforcement, and it consisted of rows of parallel trenches dug into the ground. Trenches sprouted in late 1914, when they spanned the Belgium border to the Swiss border, with millions of soldiers residing in them. The front trench of each side would be about 200-800 meters apart. The space in between the front line of defenders/attackers was dubbed 'No Man's Land.' Barbed wire would be raised in secrecy during the night.
Second and third trenches could have been used, the second being a "reserve trench" (if the first trench was captured) and the optional latter being a 'communication trench,' which would have supplies such as medicine, food, water or ammunition. At times, trenches were not deep enough more a man to stand erect, so they would have to crouch or kneel for days at a time. This was necessary, as trigger-happy enemy snipers would blow your face off if they even caught a glimpse of you.
Types of trench warfare attacks
1. Bombardment was perhaps the most common tactic when it came to capturing your enemie's trenches. The attackers would use shells to destroy the communication trenches THEN the front line trench. This was to prevent the front line from receiving reinforcement or aid from the communication trench. However, the Germans built their trenches deep enough to survive the bombardment
2. The Creeping Barrage was a very well developed method used by the British. They would fire guns and shells randomly, making the Germans be too scared to leave the trench. During this time, some British soldiers would creep towards the German trenches, catching them by surprise.
3. The third and least effective of the trench warfare attacks concerned digging a deep long tunnel towards the enemy's line, to catch them off-guard. However, the enemies would often hear them digging, so they would dig too, leading to a German-British standoff in tunnels underground.
I couldn't find anything on roleplay trench warfare. Yikes.
This is a diagram of what a trench would have looked like during WWI.
WWI Weapons (The Ultra Alliteration)
The bolt-action rifle was the weapon commonly used by the British soldiers. It could fire about 15 rounds a minute, while being able to kill an enemy nearly a mile away!
The machine guns used during WWI were extremely large and powerful in comparison to those used today. They typically required 4-6 men to operate them and need to be on a flat surface. Despite this, they had the firepower of 100 guns. Large mortar-like guns launched shells that exploded on impact needed up to a dozen men to function!
The various gases used during the World War 1 were perhaps the most painful to endure. Chlorine gases were first used by the Germans during the battle of Ypres in 1915. Chest pains and burning sensations were the effects of this gas on the enemies. The worst of the bunch was the colorless mustard gas. Effects include vomiting, internal and external bleeding, and DEATH (provided you wait about five weeks for full effect).
The Zepplin, which was a blimp-like airship used by the Germans, carried machine guns and bombs during the World War 1. The weapon was later discarded, however, because as you can imagine, they were easy to shoot out of the sky.
This is a picture of the low-flying, slow-mo zepplin.
Planes were also used for the first time in warfare. They were initially used for reconnaissance and to deliver supplies, but they were later equipped with machine guns, bombs and even cannons! I wonder what the odds of two enemy planes 'accidentally' encountering each other in the sky are, but a battle between two planes was known as a 'dogfight.'
Tanks were also introduced during this era, namely the Battle of the Somme. They were designed to survive the harsh conditions of the Western Front. The first tank, named 'Little Willie,' could only carry three men and reached a mere top speed of three miles per hour and couln't even traverse trenches. The more modern tank made Little Willie look like a red-headed step child, as it had a revolving turret, it could carry ten men and it could reach a WHOPPING 4 MILES AN HOUR! It was not developed until near the end of the war, however.
Torpedoes were used by the Germans to destroy supply ships from America en route to Britain. They are underwater missles deployed from submarines. After the Germans sank a passenger liner named 'Lusitania' and killing 1200 US citizens, America joined allies side of the war in 1917.
http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW1/weapons.htm
http://www.harris-academy.com/departments/history/Trenches/Joanna/joanna1.htm
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