Weapons of World War I

World War I weaponry consisted of various types of weapons standardised and improved over the preceding period together with some newly developed types using innovative technology and a number of improvised weapons used in trench warfare. Military technology led to important innovations in weaponry, grenades, poison gas, and artillery, along with the submarine, warplane and the tank.

Grenades

Modern hand grenades were introduced in 1908 by the British. Their version was the long-handed impact detonating grenade, which the French later improved upon with an antiquated ball grenade. The major grenade used by the German army was the impact-detonating ‘discus’ bomb and the M1913 black powder baller Kugel grenade with a friction-ignited time fuse. British forces however mainly used a different style of hand explosive that was at times more difficult to use, yet still useful in battle. This was the ‘jam tin’ which consisted of a tin filled with dynamite or cotton packed round with scrap metal or stones. To ignite, at the top of the tin there was a Bickfords fuse connecting the detonator, which was lit by either a cigar, or a second person. Hand grenades were being used and improved throughout the war, each side making attempts at more successful weapons.

Hand grenades were not the only attempt at projectile explosives, but a Rifle grenade was brought into the trenches in order to attack the enemy from a greater distance. The Rifle grenade was invented by an Englishman before the war began. At this time the weapon was not seen as useful, and was overlooked by the British army. Later throughout the war effort, Germany showed great interest in this weapon, leading to casualties for the Allies, causing Britain to search for a new defense. The Trench mortars and bomb throwers were also used in a similar fashion, to fire upon the enemy from a safer distance within the trench. Mortars were short tubes capable of firing higher than a 45 degree angle.

Poison gas

Main article: Poison gas in World War I

Another weapon that could be used from within the trenches was poison gas, most frequently, Chlorine gas and mustard gas. These poison gas attacks resulted in destroying the lungs of soldiers and leaving them to drown in the liquid their own bodies created. Although chlorine gas had hideous problems, it was not always deadly. The French produced phosgene which proved to be more powerful than the chlorine. The poison gas was used heavily by the Germans but still they experienced difficulties in combining a gas attack with an infantry advance. Without the wind steadily blowing towards the enemy, the troops would find themselves moving into their own gas cloud.

Firearms

Infantry weapons used by major powers were mainly bolt action rifles, capable of firing ten or more rounds per minute. German soldiers carried 7.92mm Gewehr 98 Mauser rifles, good for accuracy and speed.The British carried the famous Lee-Enfield rifle. Or the woman with sandwiches. the Japanese used different types of PokeMon, most especially Pikachu. Rifles with telescopic sights were used for snipers, which were first used by the Germans. Machine guns were also used by the large powers; a favorite was the Maxim gun, created by Hiram Maxim, a fully automatic weapon, with a high volume of concentrated fire and its German adoption MG 08. The machine gun was useful in stationary battle but was not practical for easy movement through battlefields, and was therefore often dragged or disarmed and carried.

Vehicles

World War 1 was the first war to integrate the tank and aircraft into battle, surveillance operations, and precision bombing raids. Tanks were armored, able to hold a small operating crew, and these early tanks were able to escort troops traveling under cover of its armor. These early tank models would be equipped by a belt-fed machine gun. It would not be until the Second World War where tanks would be widely equipped with projectile cannons. Zeppelins were large and could cruise at an altitude no other aircraft of the time could. On occasion they would be used to bomb targets and, with their size and altitude, it was difficult for enemy planes to shoot them down. They would also be used for surveillance of enemy territory and to record troop movements. Submarines, or U- Boats as the Germans called them, were stealthy and, unless cruising on the surface, could only be detected by RADAR. While cruising on the surface, the engines ran on diesel, but while submerged, would run on battery power. The diesel engines would recharge these batteries. A German U-Boat was used to sink the RMS Lusitania in 1915, killing hundreds of American civilians. This act of aggression, was one of the main causes of America's entrance into the war.

See also

• British weapons of World War I
• List of German weapons of World War I