🥀 trench warfare 🥀 Flashcards
what are communication trenches?
used to transport men, equipment and supplies between the rear trenches to the frontline.
describe the trench design.
trenches were built in a zig-zag pattern, at 90 degrees to prevent the enemy from shooting straight down the line. fire-steps (dug on the front side of the trench) provided a perch to shoot from. dug outs provided protection from weather and enemy fire.
what were duckboards and their purpose?
wood planks placed on the bottom of trenches to protect soldiers from muddy water which would normally cause trench foot.
what protected front-line trenches?
machine-gun posts and barbed wires.
what was trench warfare and why did it occur?
deadly weapons made it impossible for either side to advance so troops began digging trenches for protection.
how did armies attack the enemy during trench warfare?
as they charged through no man’s land, they faced firepower from the enemies’ machine guns, rifles and artillery.
name hardships faced by soldiers in the trenches?
muddy water, human waste, disease, rats, wounded soldiers and corpses.
what was shell shock?
mental breakdowns caused by the stressful conditions of war, including weapon advancements, trench conditions and fighting.
symptoms of shell shock.
struggle to sleep, headaches, dizziness, amnesia (loss of memory) and affected ability to walk and talk.
treatment of shell shock.
remove soldiers from the frontline to provide relief from the trauma of war.
what attracted rats to the trenches?
lack of proper garbage disposal, feeding on the dead and food causes rats to infect trenches and spread disease.
why was it difficult to rid of lice?
men couldn’t wash properly in trenches and their methods of killing lice did not kill eggs.
what is trench foot?
an infection of the feet, occasionally causing gangrene (death of body tissue due to the bacterial infection) which may require amputation.
what caused trench foot?
prolonged exposure to wet, cold, unsanitary conditions.
symptoms of trench foot.
1) numbness in feet 2) swelling 3) poor circulation turned feet either red or blue 4) advanced trench foot included open sores
