Living Conditions The living conditions in trench warfare were utterly disturbing. Those who fought hard to defend their country , were unfortunately not living in the best conditions. ď śThe Canadian government had said the meals would contain fresh meat like bacon, sausage and fish. In reality the food was rationed and far from fresh. Soldiers would also get biscuits that needed to be soaked in water before eating, and a cup of tea. ď śSoldiers often had to sleep standing up or slumped against the sandbags that supported the trenches. This was because they were so exhausted, they fell asleep anywhere they could. Unfortunately these dug outs reeked of odour. This was also because of the amount of mud everywhere.
Living Conditions Soldiers had to wake up drenched from the previous night. This was because they were not changing their clothes/shoes. The German’s didn’t have to deal with this problem as much because they were on more elevated land. The water would be able to flow downwards unlike the British. Since these men weren’t examined for sanitary issues lice would be all over their bodies which was quite uncomfortable. These damp climates caused many soldiers to suffer from trench foot. In many cases the only cure would be for the leg or foot to be amputated. This was caused from the water settling on their feet and eventually rotting away the flesh. The river’s that also flowed through the camps would have most likely been polluted.
Most trenches were located in such awful conditions that there would have been an abundance of rats. They would feast on the decaying bodies of fallen soldiers.
Construction and Design Trench warfare required quite a lot of skill and planning because of how difficult trench construction was. In order to have sturdy trenches soldiers would use a variety of materials to hold up the trenches because the muddy walls would constantly be caving in. Sandbags and wooden frames are a few examples. Draining the water from the trenches became a crucial routine because of the effects of trench foot. Also, barbwire entanglements acted as a barrier in front of the trenches for protection. Soldiers would drop their weapons and pick up spades because digging their trench would offer more protection verses a rifle. If they could not dig deeper it was harder to take cover from things like shrapnel, explosives...etc. Trenches were never built in straight lines because if the enemy gained access to trench they could wipe the entire army out. Zig zag patterns were much more effective because it prevented gas attacks from spreading down the line. There were three lines of trenches the first was the front line for communication while transporting men and supplies without being seen. The second was in case the first got attacked and the third (roughly 300m) back, would plan a counter attack.
Technology& Weapons Tanks were useless in defense they were more of an offensive weapon. The tank was the most innovative because it was able to plow through any barriers. Battle of the Sommes was the first battle they used tanks The Zepplin was an improvement of the balloon because it was manoeuvrable and started as recon, which dropped bombs. Although, it was costly and dangerous because of the hydrogen and because it was flammable Airplanes emerged as great tech advancement by the need of war, as it was the greatest contribution during the war. There were no weapons on board until the pilots started bringing bombs. Machine Guns had limited success selling to U.S so other countries bought them.(They had a range of 4000 yards) By 1915 they weighed 50 pounds but were portable. The French’s was light weight and so they were the least affected. Submarine's had two engines- one needed oxygen which was on the surface and the other (battery)went underwater A U-boat can be extremely destructive. It once sank 224 ships.
Technology& Weapons First large scale use of lethal gas on the battlefield was used by the Germans at the Battle of Ypres. They carried out 5730 cylinders of chlorine gas and released it at the front The French were gasping for breath and began to suffocate as they weren’t prepared. The gas would sink into the trenches and soldiers beneath would be attacked. Sometimes gas attacks could lead to permanent blindness The Germans had released mustard gas that attacked the skin and eyes therefore defeating purpose of gas masks and respirators. When released, the gas would cool to a liquid and drift over battlefield in a lethal green-yellow cloud. Chemical shells, projectors and mortars could deposit dense gas barrages on the enemy lines or behind them on supply routes and reserve trenches.
Strategy &Tactics Artillery would be stationed behind the troops and there would be bombing as the troops were creeping forward. It was a strategy that helped bring success. Implementing these rolling strategies and heavy guns would bombard the enemy. The enemy would respond wildly with artillery fire. Soldiers would hide behind the large metal which protected them from opposing fire. Another tactic would be when the soldiers would cut pieces of wood and throw it over the barbwire in order to cross. It was up to the Canadians to attack Vimy ridge and they did, with full preparation, every stage of the attack was rehearsed. Having a rehearsed plan made all the difference.
Strategy &Tactics Vimy Ridge was a big turning point The Germans had carved out huge underground chambers, some large enough to shelter whole German battalions from allied barrages. They also built machine gun positions and large hedges of barbed wire. It was never a good idea to have your head above the trenches as it was an easy target. The advantage of surprise attacks were lost because after the artillery fire the Germans knew what to expect. The strategy was to keep a "Creeping Barrage" that would lay a curtain of gun fire to the advancing troops
Significant Battles Vimy Ridge cost Canadians nearly, 3500 lives The German lines were also broken. Although an important strategic position was now in the hands of the Allies. At the battle of Passchendaele four million shells destroyed damns and drainage systems causing the battle field to become a nightmare. August 8th-November 11th, 1918 became known as Canada's hundred days. The Canadians advanced to 130 km and captured 31,537 prisoners, 623 guns 2843 machine guns and 336 mortars. Ypres had the first gas attack on April 22nd French –Algerian weren’t prepared but they were able to hold their ground until British reinforcements could step in. An armies defense was a maze system (trenches with blind alleys to confuse enemies if it was ever captured) Battle of Somme was the first battle that used tanks and had left the land scarred which would’ve been challenging for the farmers to overcome later on.