World War 1 Technology
Poison Gas
Hard to control based on the wind
When effective gas masks and safety gear were needed
Different types with different uses
Tear gas
Blinded and watered the eyes
Chlorine gas
Filled the lungs and could drown you
Mustard gas
Lingered on the skin and caused blistering wounds
Used to incapacitate or kill an enemy
Was seen as unfair and was banned from use
Germany did not follow the ban
Tanks
Very difficult to be inside due to the sweltering heat, internal engine, and flying shrapnel
Tracked armoured vehicles
Machine guns or cannons mounted on top
Used for tactile assault
Going over trenches, destroying barbed wire, and machine gun nests
Works best when paired with other attacks
Developed better later in the war by the french
Machine Guns
Most influential weapon of the war
Accounted for approximately 85% of the wars deaths
Fastest shooting and reloading of the time
Sat on swiveling stands
Ability to take out mass troops
Rapid fire weapon
(400-800 rounds per minute)
Communication
Not everything was electric, some classic methods were still being used
Carrier pigeons were still used for sending info back and forth between trenches and generals
Letters were commonly used by soldiers to communicate with home and family
Communication brought swift new advantages
Good for artillery spotting
Easier command and control
New methods were developed like wireless radios and telephones
Receiving station
Much of the world was using electricity which brought new communication availability
Submarines
Germany sinking the Lusitania (with submarines) was a short term cause for the USA to join the war
USA joining the war brought fresh troops and resources ultimately helping the Allies win the war
Most commonly used their deck guns but also had torpedoes
Most commonly used by Germany
German U-boats were created to combat Britain's powerful navy
Used to take out ally or neutral cargo/supply ships
Seen as unfair since they were not attacking just carrying supplies, Germany considered it fine since they were holding supplies used to hurt them
Multiple different types of submarines
Patrol subs
Coastal subs
Aircraft
Air fighting was not a major player in winning the war
However there are recognized important flying aces like Billy Bishop for the Allies and the Red Baron for the Central Powers
Red Baron
Billy Bishop
Not all aircraft was airplanes there were less common zeppelins and bombers
Less effective and not developed
Originally made for recon/observation however they evolved into more tactile weapons
Machine guns were mounted on top and bombs were thrown from them
Start of dogfights
Massive development throughout the war
Different types developed like the monoplane, biplane, and triplane, with different success and number of wings
Had only recently been invented (1903)
