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Trenches WWI history homework.?
- Thread starter Charlotte
- Start date
http://www.helium.com/items/1100339-trench-warfare-ww1-trench-building-trench-building-during-ww1-types-of-trench?page=2
Trench building during WWI encompassed reinforcing the sides of the trenches with wood, tree posts, and sand bags (usually filled with clay). Dug by hand, or, for the luckier soldiers, using shovels, WWI trenches were usually built at night, before the enemy encroached upon the area. There were three main types of trench construction during WWI;
* Entrenching. A line of soldiers, side by side, would dig down to about ten feet deep, and this line would then repeat itself to allow a large digging contingent to dig a large section of the trench simultaneously. The diggers were exposed to the enemies' firepower, as they were at ground level, so most entrenching went on at night, or before the enemy encroachment. Additions were made after the initial trench was dug, and the depth and intricacy of the trenches were constantly improved upon.
* Sapping. The trench was started by digging a short trench, then extended by digging at either end of the trench. Additions were made as the positions for them were dug, and the sides reinforced as the digging went on. The problem with this method is that only one or two men, at the most, could dig at either end, as they were only dug wide enough for two men to pass unencumbered. But, in the face of the enemy, this was the safest method for extending trenches, and making shorter, "rescue" and "retreat" trenches.
* Tunnelling. Similar to sapping, except the roof, or ground level, was left intact until the trench was ready to be used. When needed, all the soldiers needed to do was to remove the roof and raise the barbed wire and sand bags.
* Sand-bagging. This was done in areas with very high water tables, and/or low levels of dirt and clay. As dug trenches would flood above chest level, mainly in the Flanders area, the trenches were devised to "appear" to be underground, by raising levels of sandbags and covering them with dirt and camouflage. Sandbags were filled with clay, and formed together to make an above-ground trench. This form actually turned out to be more sanitary, with much less flooding and the muddy floor-related problems of trench foot, lice, mice and disease bearing rats.
All trenches were dug into softer soil and clay, which normally has a high groundwater table than a rocky terrain, meaning that they flooded quickly and frequently. Maintenance was one of the biggest parts of trench digging, as the mud made for unhealthy living conditions. Many soldiers lost their lives to small, minor wounds due to infections because of the rat-infested muddy floors of the trenches.
Most trenches in WWI were built in the eight to ten feet deep range. If more than one level of trench was required, they could be built three to four stories underground, with the only limit being the depth of the soil and clay, before bedrock is encountered
the cases where wood was not available to reinforce the trench walls as the digging went along, sandbags were used as a replacement, thus requiring the trenches to be dug a little wider than normal (normally only dug wide enough to allow two men to pass each other unencumbered). Bunkers were installed at equal distances apart, allowing officers and their entourages, radio rooms and even sleeping quarters to be fairly safe from enemy fire. In extreme cases, command posts were dug three stories deep, to ensure the safety of the command and radio personnel. Over a period of time, the trenches would become more and more fortified and useable, as they were constantly enlarged and improved upon.
Digging deeper to allow for more protection from flack or other debris from bombs, mortar fire and hand grenade
Trench building during WWI encompassed reinforcing the sides of the trenches with wood, tree posts, and sand bags (usually filled with clay). Dug by hand, or, for the luckier soldiers, using shovels, WWI trenches were usually built at night, before the enemy encroached upon the area. There were three main types of trench construction during WWI;
* Entrenching. A line of soldiers, side by side, would dig down to about ten feet deep, and this line would then repeat itself to allow a large digging contingent to dig a large section of the trench simultaneously. The diggers were exposed to the enemies' firepower, as they were at ground level, so most entrenching went on at night, or before the enemy encroachment. Additions were made after the initial trench was dug, and the depth and intricacy of the trenches were constantly improved upon.
* Sapping. The trench was started by digging a short trench, then extended by digging at either end of the trench. Additions were made as the positions for them were dug, and the sides reinforced as the digging went on. The problem with this method is that only one or two men, at the most, could dig at either end, as they were only dug wide enough for two men to pass unencumbered. But, in the face of the enemy, this was the safest method for extending trenches, and making shorter, "rescue" and "retreat" trenches.
* Tunnelling. Similar to sapping, except the roof, or ground level, was left intact until the trench was ready to be used. When needed, all the soldiers needed to do was to remove the roof and raise the barbed wire and sand bags.
* Sand-bagging. This was done in areas with very high water tables, and/or low levels of dirt and clay. As dug trenches would flood above chest level, mainly in the Flanders area, the trenches were devised to "appear" to be underground, by raising levels of sandbags and covering them with dirt and camouflage. Sandbags were filled with clay, and formed together to make an above-ground trench. This form actually turned out to be more sanitary, with much less flooding and the muddy floor-related problems of trench foot, lice, mice and disease bearing rats.
All trenches were dug into softer soil and clay, which normally has a high groundwater table than a rocky terrain, meaning that they flooded quickly and frequently. Maintenance was one of the biggest parts of trench digging, as the mud made for unhealthy living conditions. Many soldiers lost their lives to small, minor wounds due to infections because of the rat-infested muddy floors of the trenches.
Most trenches in WWI were built in the eight to ten feet deep range. If more than one level of trench was required, they could be built three to four stories underground, with the only limit being the depth of the soil and clay, before bedrock is encountered
the cases where wood was not available to reinforce the trench walls as the digging went along, sandbags were used as a replacement, thus requiring the trenches to be dug a little wider than normal (normally only dug wide enough to allow two men to pass each other unencumbered). Bunkers were installed at equal distances apart, allowing officers and their entourages, radio rooms and even sleeping quarters to be fairly safe from enemy fire. In extreme cases, command posts were dug three stories deep, to ensure the safety of the command and radio personnel. Over a period of time, the trenches would become more and more fortified and useable, as they were constantly enlarged and improved upon.
Digging deeper to allow for more protection from flack or other debris from bombs, mortar fire and hand grenade