Page 84 - History of War - Issue 05-14

TRENCH WARFARE

side clear peak casualty figures were reached
from August to November 1914, and again from
March 1918 to the end of the war. French losses
were at their worst in 1914 and British losses in
July 1916 were catastrophic. British forces also
experienced heavy losses from August to October
1918. Covering the approach of the attacker
could mean one of two things: concealing him
from view, or physically protecting him from the
enemy’s bullets. Of these, concealment from view
proved easily the most useful – night raids and
attack around dawn or dusk were soon common,
and smoke and fog were both used.
The German manual Feld-Pionierdienst (Field
Pioneer Service) also suggests that advancing
troops could carry filled sandbags with them,
preferably under cover of darkness, and throw
up a small breastwork as the first stage of
cover. Metal shields were used early in the war,
some of the first being detached from German A Stosstrupp or “Assault
machine guns. Der Spatenkrieg (The Spade Squad” armed with stick
War) even suggested that in the attack some grenades and materials to
cover from bursting shrapnel could be given to form a “trench block”.
a prone soldier by the blade of the entrenching
tool, when its handle was inserted between the attempting to hug the earth. Most of this effort bombs with pull-type igniters at the outbreak
pack and body. Such methods were superseded was later redirected towards the provision of of war, whilst the British had small numbers of
by a variety of small shields, often with prop static loopholes. a much more technically advanced, but more
stands to the rear. The British Munitions Design The widespread use of heavy artillery against difficult to manufacture, “No 1” stick grenade
Committee was still considering “portable shields fieldworks had been thought unlikely before which exploded on impact. That grenade-armed
for infantry” in 1916. Medieval-looking defences the war – but developed rapidly. The only real pioneers might have a role in trench warfare had
on wheels had been used during the Spanish- problem was that, initially at least, heavy artillery certainly been foreseen by the Germans by 1911
American War, and were used again, at least and suitable high explosive shells and fuses and soon after trenches were dug, pioneers
An early bomb made by British troops was the were allotted to the infantry at the lowest level,
sometimes to the extent of adding a single
“Jam Tin” – sometimes nicknamed “Tickler’s grenade thrower to infantry platoons where
night attacks might be expected. Nevertheless
Artillery” after a well-known jam manufacturer in all countries grenade demand outran current
production many times, the result being a
scramble for new design and manufacture. The
experimentally, on the Western Front. Such ideas were in short supply. Following shell scandals in new sources of supply would be threefold: new
lingered for a long time but were rarely efficacious 1915 when batteries frequently ran short this production from home factories; extemporised
for a number of reasons. To be truly bulletproof a would be corrected. Another method of trench production in workshops behind the lines; and
shield had to be tough, and at least large enough clearance that was sometimes successful, if bombs which the troops themselves ran up from
to cover a man’s head and shoulders. Experiment terrain allowed, was to move a machine gun existing scrap materials and explosives already
suggested that 5mm of German armour plate into a flanking position, then attempt to empty supplied to the artillery and engineers.
was required to stop a British rifle bullet at 110 the enemy trench by weight of fire. The option Amongst the early bombs made by the troops
yards: a decent shield therefore weighed upwards of giving the infantry a weapon that could be at the front two basic designs predominated: the
of 44lb. This weight slowed attackers, who had used against holes in the ground was swiftly “Jam Tin” and the “Hairbrush”, and there were
to be prone to take advantage of the cover, addressed by the grenade. Both the French equivalents on both sides of the line. Amongst
and shields attracted more fire than individuals and Germans held some stocks of ball-shaped the British it was the Jam Tin – sometimes

British, French and German
grenade types. Note the
British “Mills” with lever and
segmented exterior.

84 HISTORY WAR
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