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A typical WW1 German trench system |
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| While it might seem odd to call a trench a weapon that really was one of it's prime functions. It's main function was, of course, to protect the troops from shot and shell. However it had another role, namely to funnel and direct attacking troops onto poor ground and into concentrations where the machine guns could do their deadliest work. When combined with barbed wire entanglements up to 80 meters deep the German trench system was indeed a weapon. |
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British book on "Field Entrenchments". |
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book was created to train the British Commonwealth armies in how to
construct trenches, from the most basic emergency hole that we would now
call a shell scrape to the most elaborate possible integrated trench
systems.
Each image is a thumbnail. Click to enlarge. If the new image 'auto-reduces' click the Icon on the botton right hand side |
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| Trench plate or Manlet also
known as "Sniper loops." These could be carried short
distances, perhaps by an assault party to help create a trench block.
They were often set into the sides of trenches or used to create semi-
permanent sniper's posts. This is the model 1916 manlet most easily
identified by the sliding shutter mechanism. |
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| Constructed
of "Ruhr Valley" silicon-nickel steel about 6 mm thick. Weight
is over 30 pounds! Offset to one side for a right handed shooter. This
shield was said to be able to withstand machine-gun fire at ranges over
100 yards but was useless against armour piercing rounds.
Bu turning the plate upside down you could convert it to right or left hand as required. |
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Major
Leslie Morsehead, 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, AIF, surveys the results
of the action at Lone Pine (Kanli Sirt). Australian and Turkish dead lie
on the parapet of the trench.
In 1941, Morsehead, as Major-General
Morsehead commanded the allied garrison during the siege of Tobruk,
Libya. (AWM A02025) |
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| Turkish trenches at Anzac | Well made German trench WW1 | Aussies in a rough trench 1917 |
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| A man has to sleep sometimes. |
7th Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery operate. Note the dug-out. |
HQ of B Coy, 43rd Bn, old Somme Line |
In WW2 the trench became a fox-hole |
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Fire Support Base Coral SVN |
| Bougainville, 1945-05-18. Cpl C.R. Henham (1), and Pte D.J. Marsland (2), 57/60 Infantry Battalion, erecting a 2 man tent over their fox-hole. | R K Cashman MM of 3RAR in Korea in good quality trenches that they took over from the Brits. | By the time of Viet Nam trenches were replaced by sand-bagged hootchies in a static base and self dug shell scrapes when on the move |
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^^^^^ Inside a British trench, Salonika, May 1917. IWM Q 32896 |
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Troops
resting in a trench at Thiepval Wood, August 1916
IWM Q 872 |
