Paper 1 - British sector of the western front Flashcards
What was the First Battle of Ypres and when did it happen?
1914
Germans launched an attack on the BEF. British held on to Ypres but suffered losses of 50,000 men.
Still controlled the English Channel ports.
What did they use the mines at Hill 60 for?
Germans captured the man-made hill south-east of Ypres in 1914. The height of the hill gave them a strategic advantage in the area. The British used a method of tunnelling into and under the hill. Five mines were placed in the tunnels. When they exploded they blew the top of Hill 60 and the British took control
What was the Second Battle of Ypres and when did it happen?
1915
Sequence of battles over a month
Germans used chlorine gas for the first time. The British lost 59,000 men and the Germans moved 2 miles closer to Ypres
What was the Battle of Somme and when did it happen?
1916
Fought in Northern France, was one of the bloodiest battles during WW1
Battle began on 1 July 1916 and ended 140 days later by the end more than a million soldiers from both sides had lost their lives
The first day was a disaster for the British. British forces on 1 July 1916 suffered 57,470 casualties including 19,240 deaths. This made it the bloodiest day in the whole history
What was the Third Battle of Ypres and when did it happen?
1917
British aimed to break out of the Ypres Salient. They launched their main attack on 31 July at Passchendaele. Army advanced 2 miles before weather turned and ground became waterlogged. By November the BEF had gained 7 miles with the cost of 245,000 men
What was the Battle of Arras and when did it happen?
1917
24,000 men who had been hiding in tunnels near the German Trenches attacked. After 3 months only 8 miles had been gained at the loss of 160,000 men
What was the Battle of Cambrai and when did it happen?
1917
First large scale use of tanks. The tanks were able to move across the barbed wire easily
How many casualties were there during WW1?
2.7 million
How many people were killed or taken prisoner?
700,000
What were some problems with communication?
- constant shelling left the landscapes full of craters which led to problems transporting wounded soldiers away from the front line
- Fighting took place on farmland which meant feritliser was placed on the land which added to the risk of infection
- horse drawn wagons were used instead of motor ambulances. They couldn’t cope with the large number of casualties. Wounded soldiers would be shaken about in the wagons often making their injuries worse. In the later stages of the war, canal and railways were used to transport soldiers to the Base hospitals.
What were some features of The Trench system?
2.5 metres deep
in a zig-zag pattern which contained dugouts for men to take cover
sandbags to offer protection and keep walls in place
fire step
duckboards
elbow rest
barbed wire to provide a final defence
What was the front line trench?
where attacks were made from
What was the command trench?
10-20 metres behind the firing line
What was the support trench?
80 metres behind the front line trench where troops could retreat to if they cam under enemy fire
What was the reserve trench?
100 metres behind the support trench and was where reserve troops were stationed
What was the communication trench?
used to send messages
Why was it difficult to move men through the trench system?
contained equipment and men. Stretcher bearers also found it difficult to move around the corners and to safely collect the wounded
When was Chlorine gas first used, what did it cause and how did they prevent inhalation?
German first used in 1915
led to death by suffocation
in July 1915 every British soldier was given a gas mask before this handkerchiefs with urine on was held up to prevent the gas getting into the lungs
When was Phosgene gas first used what did it cause?
First used by German in 1915
Worked quicker than Chlorine but had similar effects
Could kill a person who had been exposed to the gas within two days
When was Mustard gas first used what did it cause?
First used by Germans in 1917
An odourless gas that worked within 12 hours
Cause blisters and could burn through clothing
What is the cause of trench fever?
Transmitted by body lice
What are some symptoms of trench fever?
flu like symptoms high temperature headaches shivering aching muscles
What are the treatments and prevention of trench fever?
treatments - some drugs were used such as salvarsan but they didn’t work. Passing an electric current through the affected area was used to some success
prevention - by 1918 the cause was known. clothes were disinfected using repellent gel. delousing stations were set up
What was the impact of trench fever?
half a million men on the western front were affected
What is the cause of trench foot?
soldiers stood in the waterlogged trenches which caused painful swellings
What are some symptoms of trench foot?
tight boots added to the problem as blood flow was restricted. Gangrene would set in
What are the treatments and prevention of trench foot?
treatment - soldiers were advised to clean and dry their feet. in some cases they would amputate
prevention - changing socks regularly and keeping feet dry
What was the impact of trench foot?
during the winter 1914-15 over 20,000 allied men were affected
What is the cause of shell shock?
stressful condition of war
loud explosions of bombs
What are some symptoms of shell shock?
tiredness nightmares headaches shaking mental breakdown
What are the treatments and prevention of shell shock?
condition not well understood
towards the end shell shock was treated
What was the impact of shell shock?
80,000 British troops experienced shell shock
What was some weapons used in the war and why was they used?
Rifle - cartridge case meant that rapid fire could be used. bullets pointed so they drove deeper into the body.
Machine Guns - new development first used in during the war. 500 rounds could be fired each minute
Artillery - Canons grew bigger and more powerful as the war progressed. could send 900kg shells
Shrapnel - in a case study of 200,000 men it was discovered that it was responsible fore 58% of wounds
What was the chain of evacuation and what were there features?
Regimental Aid Post (RAP) - located within 200m of the frontline in communication trenches. Regimental Medical officer and stretcher bearers were present who could give immediate first aid
Advanced dressing station - located 400m from RAP had 10 medical officers and stretcher bearers. Nurses were present after 1915
Medical Dressing Station - Located further half a mile from ADS. Those working here belonged to the field ambulance which could deal with 150 men sometimes more
Casualty Clearing stations - gradually becam places were operations would take place instead of base hospitals. Patients were divided so doctors could become experts in a certain field
Base Hospitals - Located near French and Belgium border
What was the Thomas Splint?
Used from 1916 which stopped two joints moving and increased survival rate
What was brain surgery used for?
Harvey Crushing developed new techniques by experimenting by using a magnet to remove metal from the brain
Where did Plastic surgery take place?
Harold Gillies developed new techniques in facial reconstruction
