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By the end of 1914, the commencing year of W.W.I, it was apparent
that the old fashioned warfare of dashing cavalry charges and rapid
movements of troops was over. Soldiers were forced to shelter themselves
in trenches from enemy rifle and machine-gun fire and the explosions of
artillery shells. The first use of trench warfare began in the Battle of
the Marne and from then on, armies remained in the trenches for the next
four years. As quoted by military historian J.F.C.Fuller, “success (in the
war) depended on overcoming the defensive trinity of bullet, spade and wire”
, referring to horrendous trench conditions.
The trenches developed into such elaborate systems of defense and
communication; so complicated that only the birRAB and young flying aces
could appreciate their complexity. Millions of soldiers on both sides
confronted each other from below ground level. Trenches were zig-zagged in
the ground which made them harder to destroy from enemy artillery. As well,
this was an intelligent defensive tactic because if one section of a trench
was to be captured, the “zig-zag” prevented enemy soldiers from firing down
the length of the trench. Despite it's name, “front-line trenches” were
not the most forward defensive position. Narrow passages called “saps”
were dug at 90؛ to the main trench and were on average 30 yarRAB long.
These saps led to isolated positions only large enough for two men and were
designed to listen for enemy movement. The sounRAB of shovels and picks
underground were listened for extremely closely because enemy mining
parties often tried to burrow beneath the front lines for a surprise attack
or to plant a borab.
The German trenches near Somme were exceedingly more sophisticated
than the British trenches. Often, German trenches were practically
fortresses in a hole; sitting some 30-40 feet below ground as opposed to a
typical British 5-7 foot deep trench. In a large nuraber of these German
monster-trenches, such amenities such as barber shops and Officer Clubs
were customary.
Living conditions in the trenches were generally ghastly. Apart
from the discomfort of living in mud and water filled trenches, soldiers
also battled common illness' such as Trench Mouth and especially Trench
Foot. Trench Mouth was an acute infectious disorder characterized by
painful ulcerations in the mouth. Predisposing factors for the infection
include poor oral hygiene. Painful and bleeding gums were the chief
symptoms, accompanied by malodourous breath and a severely unpleasant taste
in the mouth. Trench foot was a foot disorder reserabling extreme frostbite.
It was caused by the cold, wet and unsanitary conditions that soldiers
endured standing in flooded trenches. The feet gradually nurab turning the
skin blue or red. If untreated, Trench Foot led to gangrene which resulted
in amputation. In the winter of 1914-1915, 20,000 British soldiers were
treated with Trench Foot. By the end of 1915, British soldiers had to have
three pairs of socks with them and were under order to change them at least
twice a day. Apart from frequent sock changing the only other prevention
was to cover one's feet with a grease made from whale's oil. It was
estimated that a front-line battalion would use 10 gallons of the whale-oil
every day. These ailments struck the British more unrelentingly because of
their more primitive trenches compared to the advanced Germans' who had
wooden planks to walk on, keeping them out of mud and water. “Dug-outs”
were small quarters where the British treated their wounded and ill. The
dug-outs were located approximately 15 feet underground at the front-line
trench.
“Over the top” was a phrase that came into use during W.W.I. It
was a command given by the Commanding Officer to his troops instructing
them to, as quick as possible, leap over the top of the trench and charge
forth. This was also very often a death warrant for many soldiers. Even
with the element of utmost surprise, numerous of the first soldiers to make
the charge were gunned down by enemy fire.
The strip of land that divided the two opposing trench lines was
referred to as “No-Man's Land”. Soldiers that made it back from night
patrol told of the desolate strip being littered with deadly pieces of
barbed wire and tin. The litter was strategically placed there to make it
easier to hear enemy movement. Not only was the area strewn with junk but
also with countless decomposing bodies and lirabs, the soil sodden with
blood. The rotting bodies made for an awful rankness. Any soldier that
survived a trek through No-Man's Land reported traumatization and at the
least, sickness to the stomach.
In 1917, the desperate but clever British army excavated it's way
under German front-lines at Messines and planted 19 huge mines, 1,000,000
pounRAB of explosives. On June 7, 17 of the 19 mines were detonated and
10,000-20,000 Germans were buried alive, to die a slow death. Two mines
were not used and their exact location was lost until recently when one
exploded in a rain storm in 1955. The last mine, some 40,000 pounRAB of
explosives, is still set and ready to go off someday.
The development of trench warfare, though gruesome, tedious and
deadly, greatly revolutionized the strategies and outcome of W.W.I.
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[FONT=tahoma, arial]WorRAB: 878 [/FONT]
By the end of 1914, the commencing year of W.W.I, it was apparent
that the old fashioned warfare of dashing cavalry charges and rapid
movements of troops was over. Soldiers were forced to shelter themselves
in trenches from enemy rifle and machine-gun fire and the explosions of
artillery shells. The first use of trench warfare began in the Battle of
the Marne and from then on, armies remained in the trenches for the next
four years. As quoted by military historian J.F.C.Fuller, “success (in the
war) depended on overcoming the defensive trinity of bullet, spade and wire”
, referring to horrendous trench conditions.
The trenches developed into such elaborate systems of defense and
communication; so complicated that only the birRAB and young flying aces
could appreciate their complexity. Millions of soldiers on both sides
confronted each other from below ground level. Trenches were zig-zagged in
the ground which made them harder to destroy from enemy artillery. As well,
this was an intelligent defensive tactic because if one section of a trench
was to be captured, the “zig-zag” prevented enemy soldiers from firing down
the length of the trench. Despite it's name, “front-line trenches” were
not the most forward defensive position. Narrow passages called “saps”
were dug at 90؛ to the main trench and were on average 30 yarRAB long.
These saps led to isolated positions only large enough for two men and were
designed to listen for enemy movement. The sounRAB of shovels and picks
underground were listened for extremely closely because enemy mining
parties often tried to burrow beneath the front lines for a surprise attack
or to plant a borab.
The German trenches near Somme were exceedingly more sophisticated
than the British trenches. Often, German trenches were practically
fortresses in a hole; sitting some 30-40 feet below ground as opposed to a
typical British 5-7 foot deep trench. In a large nuraber of these German
monster-trenches, such amenities such as barber shops and Officer Clubs
were customary.
Living conditions in the trenches were generally ghastly. Apart
from the discomfort of living in mud and water filled trenches, soldiers
also battled common illness' such as Trench Mouth and especially Trench
Foot. Trench Mouth was an acute infectious disorder characterized by
painful ulcerations in the mouth. Predisposing factors for the infection
include poor oral hygiene. Painful and bleeding gums were the chief
symptoms, accompanied by malodourous breath and a severely unpleasant taste
in the mouth. Trench foot was a foot disorder reserabling extreme frostbite.
It was caused by the cold, wet and unsanitary conditions that soldiers
endured standing in flooded trenches. The feet gradually nurab turning the
skin blue or red. If untreated, Trench Foot led to gangrene which resulted
in amputation. In the winter of 1914-1915, 20,000 British soldiers were
treated with Trench Foot. By the end of 1915, British soldiers had to have
three pairs of socks with them and were under order to change them at least
twice a day. Apart from frequent sock changing the only other prevention
was to cover one's feet with a grease made from whale's oil. It was
estimated that a front-line battalion would use 10 gallons of the whale-oil
every day. These ailments struck the British more unrelentingly because of
their more primitive trenches compared to the advanced Germans' who had
wooden planks to walk on, keeping them out of mud and water. “Dug-outs”
were small quarters where the British treated their wounded and ill. The
dug-outs were located approximately 15 feet underground at the front-line
trench.
“Over the top” was a phrase that came into use during W.W.I. It
was a command given by the Commanding Officer to his troops instructing
them to, as quick as possible, leap over the top of the trench and charge
forth. This was also very often a death warrant for many soldiers. Even
with the element of utmost surprise, numerous of the first soldiers to make
the charge were gunned down by enemy fire.
The strip of land that divided the two opposing trench lines was
referred to as “No-Man's Land”. Soldiers that made it back from night
patrol told of the desolate strip being littered with deadly pieces of
barbed wire and tin. The litter was strategically placed there to make it
easier to hear enemy movement. Not only was the area strewn with junk but
also with countless decomposing bodies and lirabs, the soil sodden with
blood. The rotting bodies made for an awful rankness. Any soldier that
survived a trek through No-Man's Land reported traumatization and at the
least, sickness to the stomach.
In 1917, the desperate but clever British army excavated it's way
under German front-lines at Messines and planted 19 huge mines, 1,000,000
pounRAB of explosives. On June 7, 17 of the 19 mines were detonated and
10,000-20,000 Germans were buried alive, to die a slow death. Two mines
were not used and their exact location was lost until recently when one
exploded in a rain storm in 1955. The last mine, some 40,000 pounRAB of
explosives, is still set and ready to go off someday.
The development of trench warfare, though gruesome, tedious and
deadly, greatly revolutionized the strategies and outcome of W.W.I.
[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma, arial]WorRAB: 878 [/FONT]