The Trench System Flashcards
What was barbed wire used for?
To prevent the enemy from approaching close enough to lob grenades in.
What were communication trenches?
Communication connected the front line trenches to the support and the reserve trenches and provided the only protected way to the front lines.
What were duck boards used for
Wooden planks placed at the bottom of trenches to help to keep dry in muddy or waterlogged areas
Dugouts
Protective holes dug out the sides of trenches
Fire bays
Sections of trench where troops did their shooting
Fire step
A step allowing the soldiers to see and shoot through the parapet of a trench
Front line trench
The first line of defence in the trench system
Listening posts
Areas in no man’s land where soldiers were sent to at night to spy on enemy defences
Machine gun posts
Defensive positions used to house machine guns
No man’s land
The ground between two opposing trenches
Parapet
The front of the trench, protected by sandbags for soldiers to fire their weapons through
Reserve trench
Trenches that were dug parallel and behind the front line trenches in case the front line should be captures, also a resting place for soldiers
Sandbags
Sandbags were used to absorb bullets or shell fragments
