WEAPONRY Flashcards

1
Q

What were the Cons of machine guns

A

it meant that artillery attacks became very costly, and battles now had very little movement

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2
Q

What were the pros of machine guns

A

Less training required
Team feed in ammunition/spray bullets over wide arc
Typically 600 rounds per minute
Machine guns in pairs or batteries of 4 to 8
Hidden in dug outs/pillboxes
Hard to destroy, except at close range (long range
artillery unlikely to spot it)
1 machine gun worth more than 50 rifles in terms of
firepower against infantry
British Lewis machine gun could be carried by 1 man,
useful in attack/defence
Heavier Vickers gun needed 3 or more to carry it
1914 - infantry had ratio 12:1 rifles to machine guns, by
1917 ratio 2:1
Machine gun made cavalry virtually obsolete

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3
Q

how many rounds could a machine gun fire per minute

A

600

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4
Q

where were machine guns placed

A

in hidden dug outs or pillboxes

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5
Q

what was the ratio of machine guns to rifles in 1917

A

2:1

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6
Q

what was 1 machine guns power equal to

A

50 rifles

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7
Q

what are the advantages of tanks

A

Haig enthusiastic - US leader Pershing not a fan
Impact of tanks lay in numbers e.g. 450 at Cambrai Nov 1917
Took 3 German lines/5 mile advance, but no infantry support
By 1918 nearly 10,000 tanks (although both still slow)
Psychological impact (“crocodile)
Germans opted for heavy tanks, but used very few
Tanks offered mobile artillery gun, no need for horses
Caterpillar tracks could get over most obstacles/trenches
Most importantly, destroyed barbed wire
Battle of Amiens 1918 allied advanced 9 miles in 1 day
Tanks/aircraft now supporting infantry on ground
New ‘all arms’ attacks - infantry, artillery, tanks and aircraft
Old waves of infantry/rifles/bayonets evolved into.
Small combat infantry groups/machine gun/tank/air support
Allies had superiority in motorised transport/aircraft numbers

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8
Q

what were the cons of tanks

A

Early tanks slow/ineffective/couldn’t deal with craters
49 used at Somme - only 3 got more than a mile
Conditions inside tank horrendous/lack of communication etc
Supporting/facilitating victory but ‘poor bloody infantry’ win

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9
Q

what was early WWI artillery like

A

Generals - stalemate could be broken by artillery
Quick firing guns e.g. French 75mm, seen as future
Weapons such as Howitzers, to pulverise trenches
Artillery to destroy trenches/barbed wire/machine guns
Troops demoralised/potentially easier to defeat
BUT shells didn’t explode/wire not destroyed/not
‘surprise’ attack/inaccurate/targets mainly sighted
Answer = more artillery

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10
Q

what was Mid-late artillery like

A

MID/LATE
By 1916, using 18-pounders (range 6000yds) and heavy
Howitzers (range 10,000yds)
Now hitting long range/unsighted targets
Accuracy improved with flash-spotting/sound ranging
Planes spotted where shells landed/informed gunner
Primitive at first later spotter planes with wireless
Artillery becoming more accurate as war progresses

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11
Q

what were the principles of the creeping barrage

A

CREEPING BARRAGE
If confident of accuracy, lay creeping barrage ahead
Barrage moves in sync with infantry - push enemy back
Effective if communication good/recon/gunnery accurate
Danger to own men if fell short
Waste of time if landed too far ahead
Failed at Somme/perfected by 100 Days

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12
Q

what were the pros of the Lee Enfield rifle

A

can fire up to 15 found a minute and hit a target up to 800 yards away. the smokeless powders didn’t give away positions and was good for fire and move/wave a flow/ bite and hold

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13
Q

what were the cons of the lee enfield rifle

A

no tell-take puff made it hard to locate enemy, the entrenchment made it hard to aim accurately and both sides have the same technology. soldiers have to shout over the noise

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14
Q

when was fuse 106 created

A

1917

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15
Q

what was one downside to artillery

A

it was said to have created a stalemate between the two sides

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16
Q

what % of casualties did artillery create

A

70%

17
Q

what were the two type of effective shells

A

shrapnel shells and high explosives (ie. fuse 106)

18
Q

why were trenches so hard to destroy

A

the barbed wire

19
Q

how did accuracy improve of weaponry

A

improved recon due to planes, the reduced windage by changing the shape of the bullets

20
Q

why were many shells unreliable

A

many didn’t explode and there was a shell shortage for part of the war

21
Q

in the later stages of war, what was the main use of artillery

A

tactical damages such as supply lines to be able to neutralise the enemy

22
Q

what did the British target to neutralise the enemy

A

rail tracks, supply lines, horses carrying supplies

23
Q

how did Field Survey Units find their targets

A

flash spotting

24
Q

what was an issue for long range artillery

A

wind, humidity, rain, recoil etc

25
Q

who was the first to utilise the long barrel guns

A

the French

26
Q

what was produced to help reduce the recoil

A

hydro-pneumatic recoil – like elasticated cradle for shel

27
Q

how many anti-recoil guns were used by 1914 and in 1918

A

4,000 in 1914 and 12,000 in 1918

28
Q

what was the first large scale attempt at the creeping barrage

A

The Somme

29
Q

what was the best plane out there

A