Station 1: The Machine Gun
Above: An illustration of later model 19th century Gatling gun.
It was a multi-barreled rotary machine gun fired via a manual
crank. (Wikipedia.org)
Right: A Vickers machine gun with crew wearing gas masks during
World War I. (Wikipedia.org)
British Vickers machine gun crew on the Western Front.
(Wikipedia.org)
The Gatling gun, patented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling, was
the first to offer controlled, sequential automatic fire with
automatic loading. The design's key features were machine loading
of prepared cartridges and a hand-operated crank for sequential
high-speed firing. It first saw very limited action in the American
Civil War and was subsequently improved.
The first true machine gun was invented in 1881 by Hiram Maxim.
Maxim's gun was widely adopted and derivative designs were used on
all sides during the First World War, most famously - during
stalemate at The battle of the Somme. The design required fewer
crew, was lighter, and more usable than earlier Gatling guns.
(Wikipedia.org).
Machine guns were so effective at stopping enemy advances that
soldiers on both sides had to dig trenches in order to avoid
getting killed. This meant that quick advances across enemy
territory became nearly impossible.
Station 2: Airplanes
Battle between German and French pilots.( 9 October 1914 )
Will Longstaff painting, War planes of the Australian Flying
Corps, 1918-1919
The first airplane was flown in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in
1903 by Orville and Wilber Wright. Air warfare came into being at
the end of 1914, with the adoption of the machine gun. In the early
stages of the war reconnaissance planes, used for observation of
enemy troop movements and of artillery fire, used to come into
close confrontation with each other. Although these aircraft were
unarmed, battle was joined, using whatever weapons were to hand,
such as pistols and rifles.[footnoteRef:1] [1: Angelucci, Enzo.
Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. Edison: Chartwell
Books, 2001.]
Soon after, some planes had machine guns mounted in the
observer's seat, which typically fired rearward or to the side.
When a French pilot, Roland Garros, bolted steel deflectors to his
propeller, which permitted him to fire a machine gun through it,
the airplane became an offensive weapon. Then Tony Fokker, a Dutch
airplane builder and entrepreneur working for the Germans,
installed interrupter gear, permitting a machine gun to fire
through the prop with much more reliability.[footnoteRef:2] [2:
http://www.acepilots.com/wwi/main.html]
Station 3: Submarines
The first Royal Navy submarine was developed by John P. Holland
and was launched in 1902. At this time France led the world in the
design and construction of steam-powered underwater boats. However,
after 1905, Germany began to develop a submarine with real fighting
qualities. In 1913 Germany produced its first diesel-powered
Unterseeboot (U-boat).
By the outbreak of the First World War Germany had 10
diesel-powered U-boats (17 more under construction). The German
Navy also had 30 petrol-powered submarines. Britain had 55
submarines whereas the French had 77. Although submarines were
slow, fragile and able to dive for only a couple of hours at a
time, with torpedoes they posed a serious threat to other
ships.
During the First World War Britain lost 54 submarines but by
1918 had 137 in service with another 78 under construction. The
German Navy had 134 operational U-boats and these managed to sink
192 boats, killing more than 5,400 people.
Perhaps the most important U-Boat attack of World War I was the
attack on the HMS Lusitania in May 1915 killed 1,924 people
(including 114 Americans). At the time of the attack, America had
not yet entered the war. Most Americans had been against the idea
of going to war, but the sinking of the Lustitania changed many
peoples minds towards going to war.
Station 4: Chemical Weapons (Poison Gas)
(Above) A poison gas attack Australian infantrymen in 1917
(Far Right): British soldiers injured from a poison gas
attack
All information from the History Learning Site
(http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/)
Poison gas was probably the most feared of all weapons in World
War One. Poison gas was indiscriminate and could be used on the
trenches even when no attack was going on. Whereas the machine gun
killed more soldiers overall during the war, death was frequently
instant or not drawn out and soldiers could find some shelter in
bomb/shell craters from gunfire. A poison gas attack meant soldiers
having to put on crude gas masks and if these were unsuccessful, an
attack could leave a victim in agony for days and weeks before he
finally succumbed to his injuries.
The use of poison gas (chlorine) after trench warfare had
literally dug in, when all sides involved in the conflict looked
for any way possible to bring movement back into their campaigns.
Poison gas was used for the first time at the Second Battle of
Ypres on 22 April 1915. French sentries noticed a yellow-green
cloud moving towards them. They thought that it was a smokescreen
to disguise the movement forwards of German troops. As such, all
troops in the area were ordered to the firing line of their trench
- right in the path of the chlorine. Its impact was immediate and
devastating. The French fled in terror. Their reaction created an
opportunity for the Germans to advance unhindered into the
strategically important Ypres salient. But even the Germans were
unprepared and surprised by the impact of chlorine and they failed
to follow up the success of the chlorine attack.
Gas was available in three basic varieties:
Lachrymator (tearing agent)
Much like today's tear gas and mace, this gas caused temporary
blindness and greatly inflamed the nose and throat of the victim. A
gas mask offered very good protection from this type of gas.xylyl
bromidewas a popular tearing agent since it was easily brewed.
Asphyxiant
These are the poisonous gases. This class includeschlorine,
phosgeneanddiphosgene.Chlorineinflicts damage by forming
hydrochloric acid when coming in contact with moisture such as
found in the lungs and eyes. It is lethal at a mix of 1:5000
(gas/air) whereasphosgeneis deadly at 1:10,000 (gas/air) - twice as
toxic!Diphosgene, first used by the Germans at Verdun on
22-Jun-1916, was deadlier still and could not be effectively
filtered by standard issue gas masks.
Blistering Agent
Dichlorethylsulphide: the most dreaded of all chemical weapons
in World War I - mustard gas. Unlike the other gases which attack
the respiratory system, this gas acts on any exposed, moist skin.
This includes, but is not limited to, the eyes, lungs, armpits and
groin. A gas mask could offer very little protection. The oily
agent would produce large burn-like blisters wherever it came in
contact with skin. It also had a nasty way of hanging about in low
areas for hours, even days, after being dispersed. A soldier
jumping into a shell crater to seek cover could find himself
blinded, with skin blistering and lungs bleeding.
Station 5: Tanks
British Mark I tank, Somme, 25 September 1916
A damaged German tank
Renault FT17; Known as the Mosquito. One of the most successful
World War 1 tanks. It was the first of the classic tank designs
which featured a turret with a 360-degree traverse. Over 3000 were
built during the war.
During World War I (1914-1918) the British invented and
implemented the first working tank. The name tank came when the
British shipped them to battle's in crates marked "tanks" trying to
cover up what they really were. The first battle in which tanks
were implemented was the Battle of the Somme, on September 15,
1916, when the British used 49 tanks with disappointing results.
Little more than a year later, however, in November 1917, 400
British tanks penetrated German lines near Cambrai, capturing 8000
of the enemy and 100 guns.
Tank Production 1916-18
Year
UK
France
Germany
Italy
USA
1916
150
-
-
-
-
1917
1,277
800
-
-
-
1918
1,391
4,000
20
6
84
Station 6: Trench Warfare
1The front near Auchy-les-Labassee. No-man's-land is the white,
blown out area in the middle. The German trenches are towards the
upper right. The less intricate British trenches are on the lower
left.
2: Australians resting up in a dug-out are sheltered from
shelling 15 feet underground during the Battle of the Somme, July
1916.
3: Men of the Border Regiment in scrape holes near Thiepval
Wood, July 1916.
4: The Lancashire Fusiliers fix bayonets as they prepare to go
"over the top" in the Battle of the Somme, July 1916.
5: This captured section of German trench at the Somme helps
explain why the initial British artillery barrage did little to
weaken the Germans. Much deeper than the British trenches, the
German trench system offered amenities such as barber shops and
of
6: French document describing German trench building
techniques.
Trench warfareis a form ofland warfareusing occupied fighting
lines consisting largely oftrenches, in which troops are
significantly protected from the enemy'ssmall armsfire and are
substantially sheltered fromartillery. The most prominent case of
trench warfare is theWestern FrontinWorld War I. It has become a
byword for stalemate,attritionand futility in conflict.
Trench warfare occurred when arevolutioninfirepowerwas not
matched by similar advances inmobility, resulting in a grueling
form of warfare in which the defender held the advantage. InWorld
War I, both sides constructed elaborate trench and dugout systems
opposing each other along afront, protected from assault bybarbed
wire. The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's
land") was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides.
Attacks, even if successful, often sustained severe casualties.
As in many other wars, World War I's greatest killer was
disease.Sanitaryconditions in the trenches were quite poor, and
common infections includeddysentery,typhus, andcholera. Poor
hygiene also led tofungalconditions, such astrench mouthandtrench
foot. Another common killer was exposure, since the temperature
within a trench in the winter could easily fall below freezing.
Burial of the dead was usually a luxury that neither side could
easily afford. The bodies would lie in no man's land until the
front line moved, by which time the bodies were often
unidentifiable.
Name: ____________________ Hour: _____
New Technology: Stations
Going from station to station, please answer the following
questions completely. To get full credit for each question you must
give full and complete answers and write full sentences.
Station 1: the Machine Gun
1. When was it invented?
______________________________________________________________________
1. What earlier invention did it improve
on?_____________________________________________________________________
1. How did the machine gun affect the way World War I was
fought? Explain.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Station 2: Airplanes
1. When was it invented?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
1. How did both the Allies and the Central Powers initially use
airplanes during the
war?___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
1. What great innovation(s) came about that made the airplane an
effective weapon? Explain how this
happened._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Station 3: Submarines
1. Which of the major warring countries first had effective
submarines?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
1. How did the submarine influence Americas decision to enter
World War I?
Explain.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Station 4: Chemical Weapons (Poison Gas)
1. How effective was this weapon the first time it was used?
Explain.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. From what you have read, why do you think that chemical
weapons are now banned by international
law?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Briefly explain the three different types of poison gas.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Should all poison gas be banned or just certain types?
Explain what you mean.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Station 5: Tanks
1. Which country was responsible for the development of the
modern
tank?___________________________________________________________________________________________
1. According to the table, which country had the greatest
numbers? The least
numbers?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. According to the pictures, how did the French have the most
advanced tank?
Explain._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Station 6: Trench Warfare
1.) Describe what trenches were like during World War I.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.) How did trenches impact fighting during World War I?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.) How did trenches differ from the German side to the British
side? Why do you think that
is?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reflections:
1.) Overall, how did weapon technology impact World War
I?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.) After looking at these primary sources, what additional
information would you like to know? Give me at least two pieces of
information and explain to me how each piece of information would
help you understand WWI.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.) How could what you have read support that the United States
SHOULD have entered World War I?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4.) How could what you have read, support that the United States
SHOULD NOT have entered World War I?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
