Page 80 - All About History - Issue 28-15

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Fokker EI
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Only 54 Fokker EIs were manufactured and, like the
Vickers, it was in use for two years. Inventor Anthony
Fokker produced about 40 types of plane for Germany
during the war and the EI was the first to enter service with
the air force. Its use was the start of the ‘Fokker Scourge’,
when German monoplanes dominated the Western Front.

Morane-Saulnier L Flamethrowers had to be used from
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The Morane-Saulnier L, armed with a Lewis Gun, was the first fighter to fire the trenches were close together
through the propeller, which had protective wedges to deflect those bullets
that hit it. Unusually, the plane or variations of it were used by the French Air
Force, the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and the Imperial Russian
Air Service and under licence by Germany.

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The days of wearing armour on the battlefield were
thought over until soldiers encountered shrapnel

In times when warfare protection against World War I’s
wasfoughthand-to- modern artillery weapons, though,
03hand,noknightwould andin1915Francere-evaluated 'MBNFUISPXFS
gointobattlewithoutahelmet its uniform policy. While on a
that covered his entire head as hospitals tour, Intendant-General
protection from sword blows. August-Louis Adrian, in charge of Theflamethrowerlookedaterrifyingweapon,butin
Butasclosecombatendedand military supplies for the French reality its bark was worse than its burn
camouflage and mobility became government,askedasoldierhow
more important, cloth hehadsurvivedheadwounds, The flamethrower used at Ypres, where the trenches
s andwastoldhehadwornhis was invented in 1900 were fewer than five yards apart.
d. metal cooking bowl under his cap. 04 by Richard Fiedler, However, most casualties came
Adrian began experimenting with in Berlin, although it would be from troops running to escape
no headgearandborrowedfromthe 11 years before one was issued the flames and being shot rather
casque du pompier worn by the to the German army. The close- than being caught in the fire,
Parisian Fire Brigade. The M15 quarters fighting of trench warfare and the ones in use in 1915 only
Adrian helmet was introduced in increased the need for short-range had flammable liquid for two
July and was an instant success, weapons, and the flamethrower minutes of action. Despite being
but its 0.7mm thickness meant it was first used on 26 February 1915 cumbersome, the Germans used
only protected heads from shrapnel by the German 3rd Guard Pioneer flamethrowers in more than 300
and shell bursts, not bullets. Regiment at Malancourt. Six were battles during the war.
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