During the First World War, commonly referred to as the Great War, some of the most lethal weapons in human history were employed.
Europeans anticipated traditional cavalry assaults and infantry bearing bayonets when they entered the war. However, their expectations were drastically altered when they discovered that the continent was besieged by U-boats, machine guns, lethal chemicals, and some of the most advanced artillery ever produced.
Both factions would devise more formidable and sophisticated countermeasures, ranging from antiquated barbed wire to aircraft. It is estimated that both combatants assessed approximately 3,000 compounds for potential use as weaponry, with only 50 of these being implemented in actual combat.
Despite numerous advancements, artillery continued to be one of the most lethal and conspicuous armaments utilised during the First World War.
10. Barbed Wire
Initially developed in the 19th century for livestock enclosures, barbed wire was ultimately implemented in contemporary warfare during the First World War. An estimated one million miles of barbed wire were erected in Flanders alone; this length is sufficient to circumnavigate the Earth forty times.
Throughout the conflict, this wire proved to be a lethal weapon. In addition to delineating no-man’s land and safeguarding trenches, soldiers employed wire to entice adversaries into carnage zones replete with machine guns and artillery target points.
Generally, the wire was installed in the form of lengthy zigzag segments or belts that ran in alignment with the trenches. They were frequently scores of feet deep and comprised of multiple rows. Particularly along Germany’s densely fortified Hindenburg Line, wire fields extended into no man’s land for a distance of up to 91 metres (300 feet), rendering the area congested and dark even during the day.
9. Big Bertha
Big Bertha was the largest and most potent mobile artillery in use by any army at the time of its conception. The German forces utilised this 420mm (16.5in) howitzer to advance through Belgium in 1914.
The German forces began the conflict with two Big Berthas, and by the end of the conflict, a total of twelve had been mobilised. The cannon was capable of propelling 1,785-pound projectiles approximately nine kilometres (equivalent to six miles) in distance. Big Berthas were predominantly constructed with delayed-action fuse shells, which detonated upon penetrating a maximum of forty feet of soil and concrete.
The artillery piece was designated as Big Bertha in recognition of Bertha Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, the proprietor of the Krupp company that manufactured the weapon. One of Big Bertha’s projectiles utterly destroyed Fort de Loncin during the Siege of Liège, Belgium, demonstrating the enormous capacity of the fortress.
8. Fokker Triplane
German countermeasures to the renowned British Sopwith Triplane, the Fokker Triplane is the most renowned aircraft of the First World War. It was piloted by the Red Baron, the most renowned German ace, Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, who was responsible for bringing down a minimum of seventy allied pilots, including nineteen with his Dr.1.
Notwithstanding its widespread appeal, a mere 320 Fokker Dr.1s were manufactured. A number of aircraft champions piloted the Dr.1, including Lothar von Richthofen, Werner Voss, and Kurt Wolff, all of whom amassed 48 victories and 33 triumphs, respectively.
The Fokker D.VI Triplane was equipped with ailerons on its upper wing, while the fuselage was connected to the lower and intermediate wings. The upper wing was supported by steel tube columns and was positioned above the fuselage. The 110-hp engine-powered D.VI was equipped with two synchronised 0.31-inch LMG 08/15 cannons.
7. Artillery Battery
Numerous advancements in weaponry occurred during the First World War, including bomber aircraft, automatic and portable machine guns, but artillery pieces dominated. Their primary mission was to propel projectiles loaded with explosives over great distances.
In contrast to infantry and cavalry, artillery was incapable of autonomously engaging in combat. Heavy guns that were propelled by tractors and light field artillery drawn by horses were the two primary categories of artillery utilised in battle.
Following 1914, field artillery predominantly utilised cannons featuring level trajectories and calibres spanning from 7.5 to 8.4 centimetres. In addition to heavy mortar fire, special guns with calibres exceeding 30 cm were employed in the struggle against contemporary armoured turret fortifications as part of heavy ordnance.
Artillery was utilised more frequently during times of war, and its stockpile was substantial by the conclusion of the conflict. Artillery personnel comprised 20% of the French army in 1914; by 1918, that proportion had increased to 38%. Artillery was responsible for the majority of casualties during the conflict, an estimated two-thirds of all fatalities.
6. Maxim MG 08 Machine Guns
An adaptation of the original machine gun, the world’s first completely automated machine gun system created by Sir Hiram S. Maxim in 1884, the Maxim MG 08 or Maschinengewehr 08 was produced. The German army implemented an exact replica of the structure throughout the First World War.
On July 1, 1916, the British suffered a single-day loss of 21,000 soldiers at the Battle of the Somme, the majority of which were killed by the German variant of the machine gun. The MG 08 variant was utilised during the entire conflict, including the Second World War.
The average rate of fire for the Schloss 08 was 500 rounds per minute, while the Schloss 16 fired 600 rounds per minute, depending on the lock assembly employed. The rifle was equipped with 250-round 7.92×57mm fabric belts.
Water cooling was implemented to prevent overheating during sustained discharge by enveloping the barrel in a jacket containing an estimated one gallon of water. It was estimated that the MG 08 had a practical range of approximately 2,200 yards and an extreme range of 4,000 yards.
5. Gases of chlorine and mustard
A class of chemical weapons that includes chlorinearsine is categorised as vomiting agents or sneezing gas. It was intentionally designed to induce transient but severe respiratory distress in order to incapacitate and intimidate the opposing forces.
In 1917, the Germans first employed mustard gas. Upon experiencing multiple assaults from the gas, the Allies ultimately designated it Hot Stuff, H.S., or simply H. by the conclusion of the conflict. Sulphur mustard or mustard gas induced significant blistering on the lungs and epidermis. Mustard gas was not readily detectable absent a frontal assault. It was frequently detected by soldiers due to its peculiar odour; however, gas masks frequently proved insufficient, as the gas permeated the filters and housing of the masks.
Phosgene, chlorarsine, and mustard gas shells were responsible for an estimated 160,526 casualties and 4,000 fatalities among British forces.
4. Tear gas and phosphate
Chemical warfare encompassed a variety of substances utilised throughout the First World War. In August 1914, the French were the initial to employ them in hostilities against the Germans. Although the exact chemical composition remains unknown, ethyl bromoacetate and xylyl bromide have been referenced.
The primary purpose of tear gas was to incapacitate the adversary, hindering their ability to defend their position. Additionally, tear gas paved the way for more lethal substances, such as chlorine. The eyes and lungs were adversely affected by tear gas, but the effects subsided within thirty minutes of exposure.
Following chlorine, phosphate was the subsequent chemical element utilised. Approximately forty-eight hours may pass before the symptoms manifest. The accumulation of fluid in the lungs was the cause of mortality. An approximate proportion of 85 percent of the 91,000 fatalities ascribed to gas during the Second World War were ascribed to phosgene or the analogous agent diphosgene.
Poisonous gases resulted in greater psychological distress than fatalities. 7 percent of casualties and approximately 1 percent of wartime fatalities were attributable to toxic gases.
3. Mark V Tank
The Mark V tank was the final and most sizable tank that the British deployed during the First World War. It was an altered prototype of the Mark IV. By March 1919, approximately 1,070 Mark V* and Mark V** models and their variants had been manufactured. The Mark V incorporated the exterior characteristics of the Mark IV, such as the hull, rollers, and tracks, in order to prevent any potential loss of production. In early 1917, however, a new, more potent drivetrain and gearbox were manufactured.
The aforementioned systems comprised petrol-electric schemes, hydraulic mechanisms, Wilson’s proprietary epicyclical gearbox design featuring four forward speeds and one reverse, and a multiple clutch system that required a single driver. A 150 horsepower, newer and more potent 19-liter six-cylinder inline Ricardo engine was also installed. Mark V autonomy was 70 kilometres (45 miles), and its 450-liter (93-gallon) fuel capacity was sufficient for approximately ten hours over rugged terrain.
On July 4, 1918, the Mark V debuted in combat at the Battle of Hamel, where it effectively provided support to Australian forces during operations. This restored the Australians’ faith in their tanks, which had been severely harmed during the Battle of Bullecourt. Through the conclusion of the conflict, the Mark V was employed in a total of eight significant engagements. Due to its exclusive availability in 1918, the Mark V’s impact on the conflict as a whole was negligible.
2. Airships
Airships, also known as dirigible balloons, are lighter-than-air aerostat aircraft capable of self-propulsion through the atmosphere. These aerostat aircraft derive their altitude from substantial gas canisters containing lifting gas, which possesses a lower density than the ambient air. Although airships had been utilised prior to the outbreak of war, their introduction as an air weapon did not occur until the course of the conflict.
Early in the conflict, the Zeppelin was among the first airships to be utilised. It was designed by the retired German army officer Count von Zeppelin. In the early stages of the conflict, the Germans employed hydrogen-powered Zeppelins that could propel themselves at approximately 85 mph and transport two tonnes of bombs.
As of January 1915, when raids against England commenced, the Germans considered their airship to be the optimal weapon against the British navy’s superiority.
Initially, the Germans employed airships as a means to undermine British morale; however, as the conflict advanced, the detrimental impact inflicted by the aircraft became negligible, with only a few hundred casualties. The proliferation of advanced weaponry, such as ammunition, rendered airships susceptible to attack on account of the combustible hydrogen that supplied their propulsion.
1. Type 93 U-Boat
The Type 93 U-boat was among the most lethal armaments employed by the Imperial German Navy during the First World War. The origin of the name “U-boat” is the German word Unterseeboot, which translates to “undersea boat.” However, the English predominantly applied the name to German military submarines.
Construction of the Type 93 began in the German Imperial Navy. Type 93 U-boats were equipped with deck gun arrangements and carried sixteen torpedoes. Certain Type 81 and 87 aircraft were initially outfitted with both; others were furnished with a single 10.5cm (4.1in) gun and a single 8.8cm (3.5in) deck gun, each of which could fire 140 rounds. Certain vessels were retrofitted in 1917 with a solitary 10.5cm gun and 220 cartridges.
These vessels boasted remarkable seafaring capabilities and a cruising range of approximately 17,000 kilometres (9,000 nautical miles), accommodating a crew of 39 individuals. Approximately 411,304 gross register tonnes (GRT), or 3 percent of all Allied shipping sunk during the conflict, were lost due to the Type 93 vessels. Furthermore, they succeeded in capturing 235 GRT and damaging 70,913 GRT.
To conclude
In addition to causing fatalities and casualties, these weapons of the First World War instilled psychological horror in both soldiers and civilians.
Traumatic gas attacks frequently compelled soldiers to remove their protective equipment in a fit of distress. For the first time, technological advances altered the nature of war and resulted in the casualties of civilians during air operations.
Traditional tactics and strategies have become less significant in light of the advancements in methodology. Due to the equal strength of both warring factions, the development of lethal weapons, new methods of disseminating terror, and new methods of killing people occurred at an unprecedented rate, culminating in one of the most catastrophic death tolls in human history.
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