Weapons of WWI
Howitzer
There were many different weapons used in WWI, from artillery to infantry weapons. All of them were very good at doing what they were designed to do. Kill.
This is a guide to all the weaponry used during WWI.
This is a guide to all the weaponry used during WWI.
The Bayonet
Bayonet
The bayonet was a knife that was able to be attached to the end of the barrel of a gun for close combat. You were also able to keep one in a sheathe if you needed it in the trenches. Later in the war some of them were shortened for easier maneuverability in the trenches. This was the primary weapon that soldiers had used when using the "over the top" maneuver, which involved soldiers going through no mans land and entering the opposing sides trench. When the soldiers climbed into the enemy trench the Bayonet was used for quick dispersal of enemy's appearing in close range, then the soldiers proceeded to use the weapon attached to the Bayonet to attack the soldiers down the trench.
Lee Enfield
Lee Enfield
The Lee Enfield was a very popular rifle during WWI. The British brought these rifles to the war. The Lee Enfield used .303 ammunition. The bullet fired at around 2100 fps(feet per second). It was much better than the Ross rifle that the Canadians used, and if there was a Lee Enfield laying on the ground, a Canadian soldier would toss the Ross rifle aside and pick it up.
Ross Rifle
Ross rifle
The Ross rifle was the gun that Canadians used during WWI. It was a standard rifle, nothing special, nothing great. It also uses a .303 bullet. These guns were not suited for trench warfare. If any dirt got in them they would jam and would then have to be taken apart and cleaned before it could be used again. Oftentimes when they were cleaned and put together, the firing bolt would be unable to lock and would fly into the operators face when fired.
Maxim Machine Gun
Maxim machine gun
This was the machine gun that revolutionized warfare. With it, one soldier could kill many more than with a rifle. The machine gun was a huge success in defending trenches from mass attacks. It shoots a .303 round, and has a 250 round canvas belt that that feeds into the gun. Unfortunately, they still could not make a small and light enough version to allow soldiers to run around with.
Early Artillery
Early artillery gun
This is the artillery that was used during the start of WWI. It was quickly replaced by the Howitzer near the start of the war. The most common artillery used by these weapons was a 75mm shell. After it was replaced, they were used mainly as decoys to protect the newer artillery from enemy fire.
Howitzer
Howitzer
The Howitzer was brought into the war early on to replace the old artillery. It was much more efficient because it was much easier to aim and had a much more user friendly loading mechanism. The Howitzer shot a 155mm shell up to 1200ft away. With this weapon and the previous artillery soldiers experienced a severe mental disorder known as shell shock. Shell shock had caused the soldiers to go more and more insane due to the constant suppression and stress of the artillery strikes. Although, shell shock is the old terminology, the disorder is now referred to as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Which is still caused due to constant stress and influence from the battlefield that they are positioned in.