how deep were the trenches in ww1

I've heard about trench warfare all my life, but only recently have begun to realize just how awful it really was. The threat could be from snipers, shellfire or from taking part in a trench raid or a major offensive. Fighting in the trenches was horrific and futile, before an attack a bombardment of shells would be fired into the enemy lines. Eventually we had to go over the top and we went on so far but we didnt meet the enemy because theyd gone on too far and we were called away on our left to occupy another trench. Soldiers who stood in water for too long and could not dry their feet fell victim to this disease. Though this military tactic can be traced back centuries, the large-scale use of trenches in World War I resulted in some of historys most hellish battles. This content is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. artillery. Episode 11: In 1914, the prosperity of Great Britain and its Empire depended on control of the worlds oceans. And for nothing really, the First World War was an aristocrat dispute which annoys me. Soldiers may never have gotten used to this combination of smells but they learned to live with them. 'Over the top'. But by this time their job had been done and their tireless work had contributed to the eventual British victory in Europe. Of course, the ever-present danger of being killed or wounded meant that October 28, 1914. Top 10 Facts about the Trenches and Life in Trenches during World War I Lice were responsible for trench fever a debilitating disease that could last for up to 12 weeks. Group of men simply dig to a certain depth, and fortify their new positions. How were the trenches dug in World War 1? A truly sad period in world history with too many lives needlessly lost. During the Second Battle of Ypres, German troops released 168 tons of chlorine gas over a four-mile front, surprising French and Algerian soldiers with the first gas attack of World War I. April 22, 1915. The first trenches of the First World War. Rats were also responsible for the spread of dangerous diseases which made some soldiers more afraid of them than any other horror found in the trenches. The men tried to kill as many of them that they could but it was an ever-losing battle. If you just caught your toes then itd make you scream. Very quickly the trench lines of the Western Front ran from the sea, in the north, to Switzerland, in the south. Different nationalities approached the business of tunnelling in their own unique ways. He was later to write and edit the multi-volume official history of Australians in the First World War. There was no 24-hour news coverage or the steady stream of television images from the front that we are so used to seeing today. For instance at Maison Blanche, a souterraine near the village of Neuville St Vasst, Private Lacey, who would not survive the war, drew pictures on the bare chalk walls of the animals on his family farm back home in Canada, a link to an idyllic past which was forever shattered by a global war. Bean, knee-deep in mud in a trench near Gueudecourt. Why was it implemented over traditional battle? Verdegem specializes in World War I for the Belgian commercial archaeology firm Ruben Willaert. Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty ImagesA German Mark IV tank known as "Hyacinth" stuck in a trench. Photo 12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. No-man's land is the area between two sets of trenches. 1914. September 25, 1915. As well as graffiti, men left detailed, personal and intricate carvings in the chalk of the underworlds. (John McCrae, "In Flanders Fields.". Voices of the First World War: Trench Life Men slept in dugouts cut into the sides of the trenches and smaller cut-outs were used to . And this was about dinner time or dinner time as we thought it would be, we were beginning to get hungry and I thought wed have some bully beef. - Quora. I mean your boots were good and of course you had puttees, you see, went up your legs to your knees. Archived post. A direct hit could still dissolve a trench into the Mudscape of No Mans land, but nevertheless they offered a measure of security and a respite from the terrors and dangers of the Front. Main casualties during the first tours in the line were caused by enemy snipers. 1916. It was he who lobbied for miners and sewer constructors known as clay-kickers (which were better suited to the clay of Flanders) to be used on the Western Front, many of which had no military training at all, and from the humble beginnings of 170 Tunnelling Company would spring 33 British and Dominion tunnelling companies on the Western Front alone, totalling, at their peak in June 1916, almost 40,000 men just in the British Expeditionary Force. bite them while they slept. When he pricked them with his needle and you jumped he knew life was there again. The first trenches of the Western Front were dug along the Chemin des Dames and from there they would eventually stretch across Europe from the Swiss border to the North Sea. A staff writer for All That's Interesting, Austin Harvey has also had work published with Discover Magazine, Giddy, and Lucid covering topics on mental health, sexual health, history, and sociology. In turn, they would become more animal than man, forever digging themselves deeper into the earth that they were slowly destroying with the new and insidious technologies of modern warfare. The Battle of the Aisne was fought in September 1914. Entrenching, where a man would stand on the surface and dig downwards, was most efficient, as it allowed a large digging party to dig the full length of the trench simultaneously. Voted up and interesting. A soldier frying bacon over a small fire inside a trench. Sub-questions 4. The "Digging in" meant that gaining territory from the enemy would be much more difficult to achieve for the armies because it was almost impossible to move over land without falling prey to a stray bullet or shell. by Matt Leonard (http://ww1centenary.oucs.ox.ac.uk/author/mleonard/) 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. German soldiers of the 12th Regiment playing cards in a dugout in a trench in German-occupied Russian Poland during World War I. French soldiers lining the trenches in Calonne. Misery in the Mud Night Patrols and Raids Poison Gas Attacks Shell Shock The Legacy of Trench Warfare By Patricia E. Daniels Updated on January 22, 2020 During trench warfare, opposing armies conduct battle, at a relatively close range, from a series of ditches dug into the ground. Trench foot, caused by cold, wet, dirty conditions, led to 75,000 British casualties. As well as this realisation, on the walls of innumerable dark, claustrophobic tunnels, and deep, cavernous souterraines are inscribed thousands of objects that reflect the thoughts of the men during the conflict. IWM (Q 51569), Two German soldiers in curtained-off bunkbeds. When the German, French and other nationalities figures are added together, it is estimated that approximately 120,000 men were involved in underground warfare, at its peak, beneath the Western Front. And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts: When fighting first began on the Western Front a region of northern France and Belgium that primarily saw fighting between Allied troops and Germans it started as a steady forward movement. Key Question 2. The remains of a British soldier found weeks after a battle. You didnt feel it you see. Colossal gravitational waves found for the first time. As this new subterranean world started to take shape, soldiers began to adorn the walls of their new domain with their thoughts, memories, hopes and fears in the form of graffiti and intricate carvings. The constant dampness led to a condition known as "trench foot," which caused dead tissue to spread across the foot and could require amputation if left untreated otherwise, the afflicted soldier could die of infection. The defeat at theFirst Battle of Marne would have meant they needed to retreat and lose land. in the video, right, soldiers go "Over the top" Warning this video contains actual footage of soldiers being killed in action. This was due to poor hygiene among the soldiers, unsanitary living conditions, and lack of clean water which made trenches a perfect breeding ground for these highly contagious diseases. Imperial War Museum image Q667. A flamethrower attack during the German Spring Offensive. trench, waiting for something to happen. Hospitals, command and control centres, dormitories and even cemeteries were built below ground to service a modern army at war. The trenches were often full of water, mud, and human waste. To complement the historical images, archaeologists rely on modern aerial imaging. For British troops, like Walter Becklake, the Battle of Neuve Chappelle in March 1915 marked the start of a new year of fighting. And of course the French were a little bit casual because the back area was generally a sort of latrine they used it as a latrine and also they had been very casual in burying their dead. Trench Warfare Life in the Trenches, 1914-1919 World War I was a war of trenches. Circa 1918. Early on in the war, soldiers initially employed a strategy of mounting attacks from the trenches, climbing up over the tops of the trenches and charging forward into no man's land against an onslaught of bullets and gas. Incredible carvings of regimental badges, symbols of national identity and personal objects that linked the soldiers with their far off homes can be found in the troglodyte spaces that still exist all along the Western Front. This is where soldiers would spend most of their time when they were not on duty. A discovery that sticks with archaeologist Simon Verdegem is a German backpack with a teddy bear inside, found near the Belgian village of Langemark during the construction of a gas pipeline. An American soldier sitting in a small nook, writing a letter to home. Episode 13: On 22 April 1915, German forces launched a renewed offensive against the Ypres Salient. England. From dehumidifiers to electrolyte water, heres what you need to know to protect yourself from deadly heat. When war broke out in 1914, both sides dug themselves into trenches along the Western front. Barry Wood from Scotland on June 21, 2012: What great Hub! The Fading Battlefields of World War I - The Atlantic I thought to myself, I wouldnt mind a pair of them.. Here, British soldiers occupy a German trench in at Ovillers-la-Boisselle, France during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Museo Centrale del Risorgimento/Mondadori via Getty Images. Why the Trenches Were the Most Dangerous Job in WW1 The smell of rotting flesh from dead soldiers lying in shallow graves. The German officers when they came out their boots must have been polished by their batsmen til they shone as if they were going on parade. 10 most important things you should know about the end of WW1. 1915. ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images. Unfortunately, those answers are still mostly difficult to come by. With the rain came the mud, Trench foot became a common complaint in the trenches, The constant immersion of the mens feet in the wet mud took its toll, the soldiers foot would become numb, and turn either a red or a blue color, as the condition worsened the skin would become flakey and the aroma of rotting flesh would be smelled when the soldier took off his boots. The average food rations of a British soldier serving in the trenches. Although there were over 2000 kilometers of trench lines dug during the First World War, they were not straight but were dug in a zigzagging pattern. Spot on photographs and text. Trench warfare effectively defined World War I. The enormous size and variety of the tunnel systems that were created, the complexity of mining the enemys trenches and the strategic realisation of the effectiveness of this type of warfare shows that antiquated ideas of complacent generals sending men to their deaths in pointless slaughter falls somewhere short of the mark. It is these stories that help us remember the human side of war. Jools Hogg from North-East UK on June 21, 2012: Jimmy, great hub. For Stichelbaut, some of the most moving discoveries are trench art: Engravings, bullets cut and hammered into crucifixes, and other objects that show how troops were spending their anxious downtime. In order to perfect the effectiveness of this type of warfare many technological innovations occurred. How long was a typical trench? At the time, in the common idiom, war was a glorious business, an exciting adventure that offered the chance to become a man, a modern-day knight who would adorn the pages of great books about heroism and the . A Rare White Bison Calf Was Just Born At A Wyoming State Park, Inside The Tragic Story Of Len Bias' Death And How It Was Used To Fuel The War On Drugs, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Today, at certain places along the old frontlines can still be seen the effects of this clandestine war. Eric Dockett from USA on February 28, 2013: Very interesting Hub. War never can't be an answer!! In the unsanitary conditions of the trenches, head lice and body lice became a major problem for the soldiers. Life in the Trenches of World War I Trench warfare in World War 1 was a result of the inability of the belligerents to sustain any offensive strategy. "The landscape today remains the last witness.". WWI trench warfare must have been horrible for anyone who had to endure it. As well as the cold, the troops had to live with mud and rain. It's just like what you wrote in your hub. When detonated, these mines would atomise the defenders and annihilate their fortifications, allowing for the infantry to attack with devastating effectiveness. Living in the cold and wet led many soldiers to get trench foot. These allowed for communications back to the rear, the evacuations of casualties to clearing stations and the manoeuvre of fresh soldiers to the battlefield. However, before this could be achieved, a network of tunnels had to be created, going ever deeper underground, to protect the lines from the enemys similar intentions. They would play cards or dice, or sing songs. The day to day reality of the general conditions were unbearable. At the bottom, the trench was covered with wooden boards called duckboards which were meant to keep the soldiers feet above the water that would collect at the bottom of the trench. Typical army to lecture soldiers on keeping their feet dry and clean - of course they would've, if they could've! The deadlock greatly frustrated the allied powers as they were eager to keep on attacking attack, gain more territories, and deliver a decisive blow to their enemies as quickly as possible. Anyway, it stinks," the soldier wrote in an account featured in Traces of War. It is estimated that more than 200,000 Irish-born soldiers served in the British Army and Navy during WW1. The Germans were quick to follow suit and by the end of November 1914 both sides had conducted mining operations against the other. What a miserable place the trenches must have been. But the four days we were out we were up every night! How many miles of trenches were there in WWI? Conditions in the trenches could be very difficult, but life was not all work and no play. So I got the tin opener in my hand all ready to open this tin of beef when a shell burst and I felt a terrific bang on my right arm which caused me to drop the tin opener in the mud; I never found it again. Both sides of the war used trenches and, over time, these holes grew in depth and length, and eventually became small towns that had their own living These were almost entirely men whod been big game hunters and were crack shots with rifles, they were used to stalking and if they had any kind of a target at all theyd be sure to hit it. WWI started on 28 June 1914, and by the end of 1914, both sides had built trenches that went from the North Sea and through Belgium and France. A consequence of this was that very little of the war could actually be seen from the frontlines. The trenches of World War 1 were in reality big holes dug into the ground where soldiers ate drank worked and slept. The Royal Engineers, along with their Canadian and Australian counterparts, as well as the German Pioneer battalions, expanded these systems to impressive dimensions that could accommodate vast numbers of troops close to the front. J.R.R Tolkien suffered from "Trench Fever" after the Somme and it basically knocked him out of fighting even though he told them he was fine months later, but he relapsed. As the war progressed, it quickly became clear that the final outcome of the war will be determined in the trenches, a fact that prompted the allies to start digging their own trenches on the other side. British private Marmaduke Walkinton described one. Stichelbaut, of Ghent University in Belgium, is among a small group of archaeologists investigating those physical marks that remain from the Great War more than a century later. A tank over a trench during the Battle of Cambrai. Why did these shark hunters bury their dead with extra limbs? German soldiers were also issued with an ounce of tobacco, and at the Officers discression a tot of rum, port or a half pint of beer. This trench contained reserve troops ready for deployment to the front line trench on very short notice in case of an emergency. By 1915, both sides were mainly using ammonal explosives, but other types were also trialled. I've been reading about the rations for a Civil War soldier lately and it's interesting to compare their daily food to that provided to the soldiers in WWI. Moreover, Nervous and mental breakdowns among soldiers were common, due to unrelenting shellfire and the deplorable trench environment. All that remained were the skeleton, his helmet, and his weapons. A doctor used to come round in the morning and just feel at your toes, you know, feel at your feet. Special breathing equipment, termed proto-apparatus was developed to allow for underground rescue and sophisticated listening devices, such as geophones, were employed to detect the approach of the enemy pioneers. Reproducing faster than they could be controlled, rats quickly became part of soldiers life in the trenches, creating menace and eating almost everything could find including uneaten rations and dead corpses. Then, there was the spread of disease and other illnesses like dysentery, typhoid fever, and a condition known as "trench mouth," a type of gum infection. The battlefields of Europe and beyond would be underpinned by this subterranean world, for it was an essential part of the bloody business of trench warfare and the attritional nature of a conflict, where technology and industrial might had far outpaced long-outdated notions of strategy and tactics. World War 1 was a brutal and bloody conflict that saw casualties mounting on all sides, but perhaps the most dangerous position during the war was deep down in the trenches.
Rogers Humane Society, Articles H