What kind of technology was used in ww1

The effective use of artillery shifted the advantage from the defender to the attacker. Technological advances in the calibration of guns removed the need to fire adjustment shots before a battle and added the element of surprise. One kind of light machine-gun, the Lewis gun, was often used by Australian troops. It was designed by Isaac Lewis in , weighed about 12 kilograms, and could fire at a rate of approximately bullets a minute. It provided the fire-power of 50 riflemen and brought a change to basic infantry tactics.

Under the covering fire provided by a platoon about 40 men with one or two of these guns, rifle and bombing sections could then assault enemy positions. Machine-guns were also used in tanks. In late , the British government produced more munitions, in an effort to end the war more quickly.

One of the better improvements was a system called "sound-ranging" for artillery, which could determine the exact position of enemy batteries, and then accurately position guns for that area before a battle. Planes were an important part of the warfare of the First World War, and although the Allied Flying Corps were relatively small, their work during the war led the way for the crucial role planes would play in the Second World War.

As well as bombing and firing on enemy positions, and preventing enemy planes from bombing Allied areas, planes were used for moving supplies and for aerial photography during attacks, to map positions. Other common weapons used in the war were grenades exploding bombs that were thrown or fired at enemy trenches , various types of gas, trench mortars, and rifles with bayonets for close-range fighting.

Although communication systems remained quite primitive during the war compared with today's standards, there were significant improvements by The first tank used was nicknamed 'Little Willie' and carried up to three crew members. Little Willie only drove three mph and could not move across the trenches.

These tanks were made for use on the Western Front because of the terrain's rough conditions. A more modern tank was developed by the end of the war that could seat up to ten men and reach four mph. Still, most men could run, even walk faster and found the tanks unreliable due to engine failures and frequently missed targets. Tanks were also uncomfortable due to engine fumes as well as extreme heat and noise. Planes also made their debut in the First World War.

In fact, during World War I the word dogfight was first used to describe a battle between two opposing planes. However, planes were first used to spy and deliver bombs. Later in the war, fighter aircraft were introduced. They were armed with machine guns, bombs, even cannons. The machine guns available at the start of World War I needed four to six men to operate them. The guns also had to be positioned on a flat service. This type of machine gun had the firepower of a hundred other guns.

Large field guns were also used. They had a longer range, but needed a dozen men to operate them. Even though the U. These guns were mounted to and used from a railway wagon that had been custom designed for the gun. The flamethrower was another weapon used for the first time during the First World War. The Germans introduced it, but it was later used by other forces. The heavy weight of the flamethrower made the weapon's operators easy targets.

Jennifer Eiss www. Hitler WW1 Science and Technology. Read more about: Battles The man who didn't shoot Hitler. Most Recent. Lesser known facts about The Battle of the Somme. A history of the poppy: Why we wear them as a symbol of remembrance and other facts.

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