New Weapons For the first time in the history of warfare, the man with the biggest guns and the most cavalry was not guaranteed victory. It was discovered that courageous runs by massed horses did not help to discourage guns that could fire 60lb shells to targets 100 miles away. In major battles such as the Somme or at Ypres, machine guns and shells the size of men proved almost genocidal. This was made worse by the fact that two industrial European countries were fighting each other – so production facilities were not a problem. Machine guns First seen in the American Civil War, by the First World War they were devastatingly powerful and accurate. They were capable of firing 600 bullets per minute and could do the work of hundreds of men with rifles. When used on the battlefield, instead of being aimed they were simply propped up on a tripod and swung through an arc at the advancing troops. If several machine guns were set up in this way, thousands of soldiers could be mowed down in a matter of seconds. One slight defect was that they could heat up very quickly and jam, but this was countered to some degree with water jackets that were put round the guns.
The Vickers gun was relatively heavy but very accurate. Also used was the Lewis machine gun, lighter but no less deadly, which could be carried by troops. It was not like modern day guns such as the SA80 which can be fired while standing: the Lewis was more of a portable gun, which had to have a small tripod erected, with the gunner lying down to operate the gun. One use of it was to hold a captured trench until heavier weapons could be brought forward. The Lewis was air-cooled which meant it could not be used for as long, in one go, as the Vickers could.
Artillery These were the major killers of World War One: two-thirds of those killed met their death by artillery. Much destruction was caused by these guns – a bit like modernised cannon – and they were updated and improved for maximum firepower. When aimed at something, the target could be totally destroyed, as well as the surrounding area. Men, trenches, supplies, and other artillery were all targets. In the 19th century, artillery was defined as being mounted large-calibre firearms. They were divided into light artillery – usually 4 to 6 pounders, and heavy artillery which could fire 8 to 12 pound shells. At the beginning of the war the British Army had a long-barrelled field gun and also a “quick firing” gun which had a mechanism to return the barrel to firing position, having been fired. Then there was the famous Howitzer, known for its extreme power and usefulness against fortifications. These could fire enormous 15-inch, 2,000lb shells through a high trajectory and short barrel whilst under cover and had a range of approximately 11 miles. The howitzers were ideal for trying to break up trenches while everything was in a stalemate. As one can imagine, they were extremely heavy pieces of machinery – so the idea of having one sink into mud was not very attractive.
|
