World War I Trench Warfare (1)
1914–16
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About this book
The regular armies which marched off to war in 1914 were composed of massed riflemen, screened by cavalry and supported by artillery; their leaders expected a quick and decisive outcome, achieved by sweeping manoeuvre, bold leadership and skill at arms. Eighteen months later the whole nature of field armies and their tactics had changed utterly. In sophisticated trench systems forming a battlefield a few miles wide and 400 miles long, conscript armies sheltered from massive long-range bombardment, wielding new weapons according to new tactical doctrines. This first of two richly illustrated studies explains in detail the specifics of that extraordinary transformation, complete with ten full colour plates of uniforms and equipment.
Contents
Open field warfare in 1914 - archaic tactics of infantry, cavalry and short range field artillery · The triumph of firepower & the cost of open field tactics - the Mame and Tannenberg · Digging in - the early trench systems, 1915 · Development of weapons and minor tactics 1915-16 - machine guns, trench mortars, grenades, sniping, gas, helmets & armour, new artillery · Increased sophistication of trench systems - support and reserve lines, deep dug-outs · Attempts to break the trench deadlock - the battles of Loos and Verdun.
Paperback; February 2002; 64 pages; ISBN: 9781841761978