> > >(intro) > Throughout World War One the devastating number of casualties was >shocking. Deaths were caused by the inhuman conditions of war, and >also by the brutal methods of human and machine destruction. The new >and constantly improving weapons of World War One caused a great >number in job employment in Canada, while it also raised the number of >bodies on the battlefield. From bombs to machine-guns the, the weapons >of war raised hope and fear in all soldier, from the sea to the sky >creating the first "Great War". > > ***********************************
> Weapons in the Air > > > Several different methods were used to destroy enemy air crafts. >People on the ground fired rifles and other small arms at hostile air >crafts. > The German army did not believe that they should spend much money >on guns and few were available when war was declared. British had a >small number of motorised 3inch 20cwt guns. > >Anti-Aircraft Brigade: > > The Anti-Aircraft brigade had four batteries, and each battery >was equipped with four Vickers. There were also Naval guns and >Pierce-Arrow armoured cars. > >Machine-guns: > > Machine-guns had to be angled to fire forwards clear of the >propeller. Disadvantages of using a machine gun was that it had to be >held during the whole flight, with no means of clamping it. A defector >on the propeller was needed so that the bullet would ricochet. Without >a defector, it would have hit the propeller and caused a crash. > If machine guns weren't used, hand grenades and flechettes were >also used in air crafts. > >Basic Types of Planes: > > BE-2..............The main fighting plane used. > BE-8 & MF-7.......Used at the beginning of RFC. > >Improved fighting planes: > > Bristol fighter > SE-5 > Sopwith Camel > Airco DH-4 > > >SOURCES: > >THIS SECTION, WEAPONS IN THE AIR, WAS RESEARCHED AND WRITTEN UP BY >MELANIE MACARO. > > > *********************************
> Weapons at Sea > >Torpedoes: > > Torpedoes are self-propelled underwater missiles that are >launched from a tube in the deck, or on the underside of a ship. They >carry a contact-triggered explosive warhead. Torpedoes travel at a >speed of 41 knots, and have a range of 10,000m, though the accuracy >decreases as the distance increases. Torpedoes are used against ships >transporting troops and supplies, and also against enemy submarines. >In World War One, a total of 19 U-boats were sunk in the Atlantic >Ocean. > >Battle Cruisers: > > Battle cruisers were designed to have the speed of a cruiser, and >the power of a battleship. The first battle cruisers were built around >1880, though more improved cruisers came into use throughout World War >One. Battle cruisers could reach a top speed of about thirty knots, >and had the ability to carry 600 men, who were well protected in a >ship that was heavily armed, and strong enough to carry over 10,000 >tonnes. > >Anti-submarine Weapons: > > Light steel nets, waterproof bombs, and depth mines were all >weapons and armour used to protect against submarines and their >weapons. These were handy, in case any unexpected attacks occurred. > >Cruisers: > > Cruisers were designed for speed; they were light and fast, and >were somewhat designed for protection. One side of the cruiser was >protected with very strong armour and weapons. > >U-boats: > > U-boats are German Unterseeboots that were diesel-powered or >patrol-powered. U-boats were slow and fragile, but had excellent >accuracy with their torpedoes. > >Q-ships: > > Q-ships were the British attempt to match the German U-boats that >had hidden compartments for guns and that could be accessed in 6 >seconds or less. They attracted submarines, and destroyed them. > >Dreadnoughts: > > Dreadnoughts were the most heavily-armed ships in history, having >the ability to carry ten 12" guns. Later on, the Queen Elizabeth, >(dreadnought), could carry 8 15" guns that could each fire a 1920 lbs. >projectile 35,000 yards. > > >SOURCES: > >THIS SECTION, WEAPONS AT SEA, WAS Researched AND WRITTEN UP BY ANDY >MOSS & KIRSTEN SELVAGE. > > > ************************* >
Weapons on Land > >Pistols: > > Small, hand-held weapons, automatic pistols were widely used in >World War One as a standard weapon for combatant army officers. They >were also issued to certain military police, aircrew, tanks personnel, >and armoured car drivers. > every country used different pistols. British troops used Webley >MKIV revolvers, and the French army used the impressive 8mm Lebel >revolvers. > >Rifles: > > Rifles were also commonly used in battle. > The Ross rifle was issued to canadian troops at the beginning of >the war, but proved to be useless in the trenches. The Canadians soon >switched over to using the Lee-Enfield rifle. This weapon stopped many >German attacks, due to it's unprecedented speed, accuracy, and >intensity. However, newer weapons soon overshadowed it, and although >it remained the standard infantry arm, it never back the supremacy it >once had. > >Machine-guns: > > Machine-guns were widely used in the First World War because of >their speed, accuracy, and automatic loading capabilities. > One type of machine-gun was the Maxim machine gun, invented by >Hiram Maxim around 1884. This was the first automatic portable >machine-gun. Another, was the Browning machine-gun, invented by John >Moses Browning in 1892, and used propelling gas as a motive force. >Many other machine-guns were made, but they weren't as well known as >these two. > >Smokeless Gunpowder: > > The first smokeless powder was invented by Paul Vieille in1886, >and was named "Poudre B." It was made from gelatinized nitrocellulose >mixed with ether and alcohol. It was first used by the French Army, >and others soon followed that example. > Another smokeless powder came close behind in 1887, invented by >Alfred Nobel, which eventually became known as Cordite. This new >powder was more powerful and easier to handle than "Poudre B." > >Bayonet: > > The bayonet, named after the city of Bayonne in Southern France, >was a blade attached to the muzzle of a firearm. > In World War 1, all infantry men were provided with bayonets, >because they were considered a primary close combat weapon. However, >some soldiers still preferred clubs of knuckle-dusters in these >situations. > Most of these issued bayonets were of the standard knife variety, >but the French also used the "needle" bayonet. Also, Germans mainly >used the saw-blade version. > During surprise attacks, some troops were ordered to advance with >fixed bayonets to preserve silence. > The importance of the bayonet declined during World War 1 because >of the increasing use of machine-guns against an advancing army. > > >SOURCES: > Website: www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWW.htm > > Books: Peterson, Harold L. "A History of Firearms" copyright 1961, > Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. > > Myatt M.C., Major Frederick, "An illustrated Guide ro Rifles > and Sub-Machine-Guns" copyright 1981, Salamander Books > Limited, London. > >THIS SECTION, WEAPONS ON LAND, WAS RESEARCHED AND WRITTEN UP BY >KRISTEN Gdog Gdo. > > ********************************
>(conclusion) > Clearly the creation of these destructive weapons were only an >aide in the anger of war; but without them the war would have been >very different. Every bomb and every bullet caused the end result of a >British Victory, making weapons one of the most important variables in >World War One. >