World War 1 Weapons

During World War One, a wide variety of weapons were used:

1. BAYONETS:

According to tradition the bayonet was developed in Bayonne, France, in the early 17th century. Bayonets were used in close combat fighting.

2. THE FLAMETHROWER

The flamethrower, which brought terror to French and British soldiers when used by the German army in the early phases of the First World War in 1914 and 1915 (and which was quickly adopted by both) was by no means a particularly innovative weapon.

3. GRENADES
Either hand or rifle driven - were detonated in one of two ways.  They were either detonated on impact (percussion) or via a timed fuse. There were innumerable types of grenade designed and produced during the war - well over 50 - but one that endured, and which retains a popular awareness even today, is the Mills bomb, designed by William Mills in 1915.

4. MACHINE GUNS

 needed 4-6 men to work them and had to be on a flat surface. They had the fire-power of 100 guns.

Large field guns (artillery) had a long range and could deliver devastating blows to the enemy but needed up to 12 men to work them. They fired shells which exploded on impact.

5. THE PISTOLS

Originally designed as a cavalry weapon, was the staple weapon for a variety of personnel during World War One. Traditionally issued to officers of all armies the pistol was  also issued to military police, airmen and tank operators.

6. CHLORINE AND MUSTARD GASES

The German army were the first to use chlorine gas at the battle of Ypres in 1915. Chlorine gas causes a burning sensation in the throat and chest pains. Death is painful – you suffocate! The problem with chlorine gas is that the weather must be right.

Mustard gas was the most deadly weapon used. It was fired into the trenches in shells. It  takes 12 hours to take effect. Effects include – blistering skin, vomiting, sore eyes, internal and external bleeding. Death can take up to 5 weeks.

The big one was mustard gas, which is a mustard color and smells mustardy (when mixed with other stuff), but it isn’t related to ordinary mustard.  It causes blistering of the skin and the interior of the lungs as well as blindness.
It could penetrate clothing.

7. THE RIFLES
The main weapon used by British soldiers in the trenches was the bolt-action rifle. 15 rounds could be fired in a minute and a person 1,400 metres away could be killed.

The rifle, a key weapon on the battlefield was generally issued to officers rather than regular soldiery.The rifle was the most crucial, ever-present infantry weapon throughout World War One.

8. TANKS

Tanks were used for the first time in the First World War. They were developed to cope with the conditions on the Western Front. The first tank was called ‘Little Willie’ and needed a crew of 3. Its maximum speed was 3mph and it could not cross trenches.

The more modern tank was not developed until just before the end of the war. It could carry 10 men, had a revolving turret and could reach 4mph.

 

9. TRENCH MORTAR
The chief advantage of the mortar was that it could be fired from the (relative) safety of the trench, avoiding exposure of the mortar crews to the enemy.  Furthermore, it was notably lighter and more mobile than other, larger artillery pieces.  And, of course, the very fact that the mortar bomb fell almost straight down meant that it would (with luck) land smack in the enemy trench.

Just as the mortar was another example of an ancient weapon given fresh reign, so too it was predictable that the German army, so better prepared for war than any of its counterparts in 1914, should have spotted the enormous potential of the mortar some years ahead of the Great War

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10. AIRPLANES
Bear in mind that the airplane had just been invented by the Wright brothers in 1903, so the things were still pretty new.

•Initially, they’re just used for observation and reconnaissance.

•Enemy pilots started off smiling and waving when encountering each other, then they starting throwing things, then they starting shooting at each other with small arms.

•Naturally, they started putting machine guns on them, but that had problems.

•Fights between two planes in the sky became known as 'dogfights'

11 TORPEDOS

Torpedoes were used by submarines. The Germans used torpedoes to blow up ships carrying supplies from America to Britain.
 The Germans torpedoed the passenger liner Lusitania on May 1st 1915 which sank with a loss of 1,195 lives. Americans were outraged and joined the war in 1917 on the side of the allies.

Torpedoes were used by submarines. The Germans used torpedoes to blow up ships carrying supplies from America to Britain.

The Germans torpedoed the passenger liner Lusitania on May 1st 1915 which sank with a loss of 1,195 lives. Americans were outraged and joined the war in 1917 on the side of the allies.

12. THE ZEPPELIN
 Also known as blimp, was an airship that was used during the early part of the war in bombing raids by the Germans. They carried machine guns and bombs. However, they were abandoned because they were easy to shoot out of the sky.

The Zeppelin, also known as blimp, was an airship that was used during the early part of the war in bombing raids by the Germans. They carried machine guns and bombs. However, they were abandoned because they were easy to shoot out of the sky.