New Technology of World War One

Today’s Aim To fully understand and be able to describe the new technology in WW1. Success Criteria Effective discussion with our classmates Adequate note taking Relating today’s lesson to examination questions.

Pair Discussion What type of technology is used in modern warfare? Could war be won without it? Think – Consider the question/statement individually for 30 seconds. Pair – Share your thoughts with your partner and listen to their view. Share – Discuss your findings with the class.

*Most popular weapon used by British soldiers in the trenches. *Made it possible for the soldier to fire 15 rounds a minute *So accurate that it could kill a person almost 1400 metres away. *French attached a bayonet to this weapon.

Trench warfare Barbed Wire –Was placed in front of trenches on both sides to slow down infantry –-artillery was used to blow it up e.com/watch?v=aa pvArc0JmUhttps:// e.com/watch?v=aa pvArc0JmU

Barbed wire cont… Benefits cheap Effective Channelled enemy into specific positions Slowed enemy down Impact -high casualties - difficult for your own soldiers to get past wire when on offensive First used –By cattle ranchers

Unlike today, machine guns were not the main weapons of British soldiers. Requirements: 4-6 men to man and positioned on a flat surface. Benefits: new machine guns could fire up to 400 rounds per minute having the fire power of almost 100 guns. Impact: heavy casualties as men cross NML c

Machine guns cont… How do machine guns evolve as the war progresses? –Think weight –Fire power –Manoeuvrability Write your answer into a sentence or paragraph.

Elephant mounted with a M 1895 Colt-Browning machine gun

Artillery -- describe large calibre mounted field guns. They needed 12 men to work them and they weighed up to 900lb. ist=PL5A4nPQbUF8DgbYPfZnFTo9U_n2ELwLXi

Artillery was a major advantage in WWI It was used to shell No-Man’s Land continuously. Artillery was used as a shield in front of the trenches, thinning out charging infantrymen, and continuous pounding the enemy trenches to demoralize and kill if possible. Stats: By German estimates were that 49 casualties were caused by artillery to 22 by infantry. By this number was increased to 85 (compared to 6 from infantry). Artillery was the number 1 threat to infantry and tanks alike. The post-war psychological impact was immense with soldiers suffering from shell-shock and deformities after the war.

Big Bertha – German was the German 42cm Howitzer used to demolish towns such as Liege and Namur in August Only 4 were produced – they weighed 820kg each and had to be shipped by tractor/ train and had to be reassembled by a huge crew of as many as 1,000 men. They had a range of 15km with their shells.

The two different gases that were used were chlorine and mustard gas. Chlorine gas had a distinctive smell – a mixture of pepper and pineapple – people only realised they were being gassed when they started to have chest pains and a burning sensation in their throats. Death was very painful – they suffocated. Allied sources discovered that urine soaked cotton pads neutralised the chlorine gas, but it was not pleasant to fight like this.

*Mustard gas had no smell and took 12 hours to work *Only small amounts needed to be added to shells to be effective *remained active for several weeks *it made skin blister, the eyes sore and the victim would start to vomit *caused internal and external bleeding targeting the lungs *could take up to 5 weeks to die.

Zeppelins were airships used during the early part of the war in bombing raids by the Germans Weighed 12 tonnes, containing over 40,000 cubic feet of hydrogen. Could fly at up to 4250 metres! Carried machine guns and 4,400lb of bombs! Zeppelins carried out raids -- eventually abandoned as they were easy targets for artillery. Filled with gas When a bullet pierced the outer covering the gas would ignite and the zeppelin would blow up in a big explosion.

Planes used for the first time to deliver bombs. Fighter aircrafts were armed with machine guns, bombs and even cannons. Used for reconnaissance work. Pilots were even known to fight enemy aircraft in the air, in ‘dogfights’ to protect the men on the ground. This is a German Bi-plane called the Fokker VZGLI8izk This is a British plane called a Voisin

The Submarine The development of crude underwater devices allowed submarines to stay submerged when on the look out for enemy vessels. The introduction of an underwater diaphragm in 1915 allowed Morse code messages to be sent up to 30 miles away. Later developments such as the telescopic mast and Gyro Compass added to the effectiveness of the submarine.

The Dreadnought The Dreadnought was the first ship to have ten big guns on rotating turrets. It was stronger and faster than previous ships. Both Britain and Germany had Dreadnoughts on their side.

The Steam Tractor

The Origin of The Tank Throughout 1915 work was progressing on a secret weapon which would end the stalemate of trench warfare. In 1916, Haig observed tanks being tested and immediately placed an order. The First 50 tanks arrived in France in August 1916 and were put into action the following month.

Tanks also started to be used in warfare in this war, since armoured cars could not cope with the terrain. First tank was nicknamed ‘Little Willie’; it had a Daimler engine, a caterpillar track and needed a crew of three. Its maximum speed was 3mph and it was unable to cross across trenches. Not a success for the allies.

The more modern tank was not completed until several weeks before the end of the war. It was called the Fiat Tipo! It fit a maximum of 10 men and had the first revolving turret and could actually reach speeds of 4mph! The first tanks were used during the Battle of the Somme but the mud made them very hard to manoeuvre.

Early use On the first day the tank was an outstanding success helping gain ground and prisoners for the allies. Haig immediately placed an order for a further 1000 tanks.

Experience inside a tank Poor ventilation Breathing was difficult Very hot Toxic cocktail of fumes made crew members pass out The uniform was uncomfortable Space was limited Very dark

Brand New WWI Technology The Bolt Action Rifle was used for the first time during WWI Machine guns became devastating weapons of war and killed millions of people Heavy artillery obliterated German trenches from almost a mile behind the Allied lines Chlorine and Mustard gas were used for the first time during WWI Zeppelins were used by the Germans as weapons Tanks were used during World War One for the first time