TRENCH WARFARE ---
During WWI, heavy fighting took place on the Western Front, a 600-mile stretch from the English Channel to
Switzerland. Troops dug trenches along the front. These trenches had to ensure the safety of the soldiers who
would live, eat, sleep and fight there. Often these trench systems were as close as 20 meters away from the
enemy who would face them across No Man's Land. When they came out to fight, many were killed. Neither
side won much ground. Study the two diagrams of trenches below and answer the following questions.
Aircraft can warn of the build-up of
enemy troops before an attack
Support trench
Communication trenches: allow
troops and supplies to be brought
up to the front line
Front line trench: Built in a zig-zag with
angular 'fire-bays' to minimise the effect of
shell fire and to prevent the enemy
firing down the length of the trench
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Barbed wire: Often ⚫
many metres deep
No Man's Lang: The stretch of
land between the two opposing
front-line trenches
Concrete block house for
a machine-gun
Long-range artillery is placed about 10km
• behind the front line. These guns fire at
advancing enemy troops
Reserve trench
A deep dug-out German ones
could be 15m below ground and
too well constructed to be
damaged by shell fire
Front-line dug-outs provide protection
but not against a direct hit from an artillery shell
TRENCH WARFARE
Sandbags
Ammunition
Ledge
Firing Step
the
ent
where
of the
1. What is No Man's Land?
2. What was the Dug-out used for?
3. Why were the trenches built zig zag and not in straight lines?
red.
4. What was aircraft used for?
Duckboard
Dugout
Standing Water
Drainage Sump
U
Heel Bone
Trench foot painful condition of the
feet caused by long time immersion in
cold water or mud and marked by
blackening and death of surface tissue.
5. What do you think the Drainage Sump used for?
6. What do you think the Duckboard was used for?
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