Table of Contents
Why are trenches not straight lines?
Trenches were not built in straight lines. This was so that if the enemy managed to get into the front line trench they would not have a straight firing line along the trench. Trenches were therefore built with alternating straight and angled lines. The traverse was the name given to the angled parts of the trench.
How were barbed wires used in ww1?
During World War I, barbed wire was used for both defensive purposes and as a trapping mechanism. Soldiers would defend their trenches with barbed wire by installing the barbed wire a distance away on the ground from the tops of their trenches.
Why did they rotate men through the trenches?
Rotation in and out of the Trenches Soldiers rotated into and out of the front lines to provide a break from the stress of combat. This system of rotation, along with occasional leave to England, prevented many soldiers from breaking down.
Why were trenches created with a zigzag or angled design?
To protect the sappers, trenches were usually dug at an angle in zig-zag pattern (to protect against enfilading fire from the defenders), and at the head of the sap a defensive shield made of gabions (or a mantlet) could be deployed.
Why is the wire at such an angle?
Why is the barbed wire in no mans land at an angle? So people got stuck in the wire in the darkness and those mounting the machine guns could shoot them. First trench line closest to action.
Why did ww1 turn into trench warfare?
As World War I progressed, both sides, but particularly the Germans, developed trench systems of progressively greater depth and strength in order to ensure that the enemy could not achieve a breakthrough at any particular point.
What is no man’s land ww1?
the narrow, muddy, treeless stretch of land, characterized by numerous shell holes, that separated German and Allied trenches during the First World War. Being in No Man’s Land was considered very dangerous since it offered little or no protection for soldiers.
What was the purpose of the sandbags on the rear side of the trench?
The top two or three feet of the parapet and the parados (the rear side of the trench) would consist of a thick line of sandbags to absorb any bullets or shell fragments. Sandbags were filled with earth.
How deep was a typical trench during WWI?
Most trenches were between 1-2 metres wide and 3 metres deep. Trenches weren’t dug in straight lines. The WWI trenches were built as a system, in a zigzag pattern with many different levels along the lines. They had paths dug so that soldiers could move between the levels.