Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Understanding The Civil War More Clearly

Certainly the "new" technologies of Machineguns, tanks and aircraft affected the battlefield in a large way, but the lack of a strategic response to them was what caused the horrific casualty rates in WWI. Both sides insisted on the same strategies as had been used in olden times where these technologies either didn't exist or didn't exist in numbers large enough to be effectual. Specifically, charging an entrenched defensive position defended with machineguns is much worse than even charging one primarily defended with muskets-as was done at Gettysburg.

Once the trench system down the Western Front was completed and fortified, there was no other strategic response available to either side until the advent of the tank..

Both sides tried various method to break the stalemate ie the introduction of gas, and even the bombing of the UK mainland by German Zeppelins but nothing was strategically decisive..

It wasn’t until the various Powers started to worry about the possibility of large scale mutiny/revolution, and the arrival of the Spanish flu to mainland Europe and the UK, that things started to change.

You guess better than most of my students.

The heavy use of machine guns and improved artillery were the main culprits.

When coupled with the antiquated infantry tactics of mass frontal assault, etc. the effect of the machine guns and artillery was magnified exponentially.

The new technologies so far outstripped the prevailing tactical thinking it took until 1918 to see any real modification in approach and the incorporation of things such as combined arms assaults by infantry and air power and even then it was limited in scope.


The submarine also had a major impact on the war effort as Pete notes. The U-boat damned near drove Britain out of the war.

Another question that plagued the exams:


Since raiding the enemy trenches to take prisoners and obtain intelligence on enemy dispositions was a regular occurrence on the Western Front, what weapon became the most feared by the trench bound soldiers? Particularly, how did the Germans react to the use of this weapon?

Not until the USA got involved, but the Winchester Mod 97 Trench gun was so feared and hated by the Germans that they considered it to be a war crime for one to be used.

War is Hell.

The Model 97 was a gate pass.

The Brits used the Browning A-5 with the barrel sawn off at the end of the forearm.

The shotgun is the answer. It was used by both the British and the Germans but really perfected by the US troops and the Model 97 Winchester "Trench Brooms."

By late in the war getting caught by the Germans with a shotgun meant a summary execution on the spot.

The machinegun and big guns get a lot of attention, but never forget the absolutely enormous number of men killed by plain old rifle fire. I would love to transpose a Korean War Chinese human wave attack and pit them against a German trench line. NO "assault rifles" involved. Bolt action Gew 98 and MG 08 and 08/15's. The Krauts would have a field day wiping out the chinks.

The riflery, especially by the well trained and experienced units, was spectacular in WWI.

I agree the Chinese wave attack would have been decimated by the Germans and the British riflemen.


The US Marines of WWI would have laid a whuppin on them too.

German's had to be good rifleman.

You didn't want to fire that freaking 8mm any more than you had to.

Kicks like a scalded mule.

RWE, the GEW 98 had a 29" barrel and used a 154 grain slug at 2900 fps. THAT is a real hammer. Sorta changes "cover and concealment".

I hunted one season with a K98.





one season.

Overall, the Brits had the best combo of marksmanship and weapon in my opinion. Early on, the Germans thought they were up against automatic fire when they first engaged the Brits, thanks to the Lee Enfield's faster reloading rate and of course, the highly trained (albeit small) British professionals

I have read several accounts of where the Germans ran into a British unit and thought they had machine guns when it was just the discipline, training, and marksmanship of the British troops.

British infantry riflery was spectacular in WWI.

Another good WWI Aviation Book:

Hall: High Adventure

A man and group that are largely forgotten in the modern world:

http://neam.org/lafayette-escadrille/lufbery.html


http://neam.org/lafayette-escadrille/index.html

Another good WWI aviation book:

http://www.amazon.com/SEPTEMBER-EVE...3487&sr=8-1&keywords=werner+voss

Some more good WWI aviation reads:

http://www.amazon.com/Winged-Warfar...715&sr=8-2&keywords=billy+bishop


http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Flyi...?ie=UTF8&refRID=1W6N9GHZS0ZGF66CR0H1


http://www.amazon.com/FLYING-FOR-FR...?ie=UTF8&refRID=1KVGYY75N9W0026DS5QG