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World War I Warfare Technology
War
pigeons were used extensively during World War I. The
French army advanced 72 homing pigeons with the troops to carry
messages throughout the ranks. The U.S. Army used 600 pigeons in
France alone. A pigeon named Cher Ami was awarded a French metal for
delivering 12 important messages in 1918. She delivered her messages
even though she had been shot and saved 200 US soldiers’ lives.
Airplanes
in the beginning of the war were crude. First recorded flight was in
1903 so it is not unexpected that there wouldn't be too many
advancements by the time World War I came around. Navigation was based
on looking at a map and for landmarks on the ground. By the end of the
war Airplanes were lighter and more maneuverable and could attack each
other midair. Germany was the first to put machine guns on planes.
Germany used zeppelins to drop bombs on British and French cities.
Tanks
were first used by British and French forces in 1916. The Germans did
not have tanks so they were terrified to see them coming through the
trenches over the Barb wire. Tanks were equipped with machine guns and
light cannons. They moved very slowly and were plagued with mechanical
problems. Britain and France had 7500 tanks and Germany had 20 tanks
by the end of the war.
Trains
brought supplies and troops all over Europe. Britain use
trains as a reliable method to supply the front lines with shells and
other supplies. Russia and Austria-Hungary used both light and heavily
armored trains.
Chemical
warfare was first used by the Germans in a surprise attack
in Belgium in 1915. Large cylinders released gas carried by the wind
into enemy lines. Eventually gas was put into artillery shells and
shot directly into enemy trenches. Germany used, a warfare the most
but all sides use some form of chemical gas warfare by 1918.
Guns
ranged from huge cannons to short range trench mortars. The soldiers
near the front lines were never safe from artillery bombardment. The
Germans had a super long ranged gun that could attack Paris from 80
miles away. The machine gun was developed in the United States and by
1914 the German military saw its potential and had huge stockpiles
ready to use for the war effort. In 1916 German machine guns killed or
wounded 60,000 British soldiers in one day.
The war ended in 1918 technological advances in
warfare during World War I were directly responsible for millions of
deaths.
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