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World War I Flashcards

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1
Q

When was Verdun?

A

21st February to 18th December 1916

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2
Q

When was the Somme?

A

1st July-18th November 1916

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3
Q

What was the aim of Verdun

A

Attrition leading to breakthrough

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4
Q

Who was the commander at Verdun

A

von Falkenhayn

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5
Q

What were the estimated casualties at Verdun

A

300,000 German, 350,000 French

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6
Q

Why the location of Verdun?

A

Great symbolic importance-used in defence of France during Franco-Prussian War; Joffre had removed most guns in 1915

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7
Q

How was Verdun conducted in its early stages?

A

Heavy preliminary bombardment using artillery amassed, preempted military advance; infantry advanced in open order with support of grenades and flamethrowers

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8
Q

Which new weapons were deployed at Verdun?

A

Phosgene gas in capture of Fort Vaux; flamethrowers used by artillery

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9
Q

When was von Falkenhayn replaced?

A

28th August

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10
Q

When was Fort Faux recaptured by the French?

A

2nd November

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11
Q

Who was the commander at the Somme

A

General Haig

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12
Q

What were the estimated casualties at the Somme

A

620,000 Allied; 500,000 Germans

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13
Q

Casualties on the first day of the Somme

A

60,000 British casualties; 20,000 dead

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14
Q

Tactics before the Somme

A

Preliminary bombardment for week prior to battle, intended to drive Germans from trenches and eliminate opposition; 1.7 million shells fired but many failed to explode; German trenches heavily fortified

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15
Q

How many shells were fired in the week before the Somme?

A

1.7 million

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16
Q

What happened on the first day of the Somme?

A

18 Allied divisions walked across no-man’s land in extended fire; 100 German machine-gun nests awaited; any unit which reached German trenches were driven back

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17
Q

What percentage of officers were killed on the first day of the Somme?

A

60%

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18
Q

When were tanks used for the first time?

A

15th September-Battle of Flers-Courcette, a subsidiary attack of the Somme

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19
Q

New tactics developed during the Somme

A

Creeping barrage used at the Battle of Bazentin Ridge–great emphasis placed on element of surprise; troops advanced in darkness; German surprised by brevity of bombardment and proximity of attacking waves–successful capture of German position but Allies too weak to advance

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20
Q

When was the Battle of Passchendaele (3rd Ypres)

A

31st July-6th November 1917

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21
Q

What was Passchendaele

A

The major British offensive in Flanders in 1917

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22
Q

What was the aim of Passchendaele

A

A decisive breakthrough, capturing Passchendaele Ridge then taking control of German-occupied channel ports, allowing the Allies to eliminate Ostend and Zeebrugge U-boat bases

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23
Q

What was the result of Passchendaele

A

Ended with the capture of Passchendaele village; advance of 8km

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24
Q

What were the casualties of Passchendaele

A

275,000 Allied; 200,000 German

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25
Q

What preceded Passchendaele?

A

Heavy artillery barrage and heavy shelling; 4.5 million shells fired in 10 days prior to attack

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26
Q

What was the consequence of heavy shelling at Passchendaele?

A

4.5 million shells fired in 10 days prior to attack; created shell holes which filled with water and became muddy due to heavy rain; made it difficult for soldiers to advance as they struggled through heavy mud, highly exposed

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27
Q

What was the distance between trenches?

A

Not the same distance along front; no man’s land 8-10 km in some place,s 50 m in others

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28
Q

What were opposing trenches separated by?

A

Opposing trenches separated by no-man’s land

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29
Q

What was it like in no-man’s land?

A

Usually deep craters (mud, heavy rain, artillery bombardment–>quagmire), often mined, difficulties fighting/walking-Passchendaele

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30
Q

How many lines of trenches were there, and what were they called?

A

Usually 3 lines; front line, support, and reserve, linked by communications trenches which enabled movement out of enemy’s sight

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31
Q

What was the support line for?

A

The line where soldiers, if possible, retreated during bombardment. Rear wall of support line contained dugouts

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32
Q

How long did soldiers spend in each line?

A

For British, men in firing line 15% of time, support trench 10%, reserve trench 10%, out of trenches for all other periods (other duties, rest+rec, leave)

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33
Q

How many men were there in the front lines of the Allied forces?

A

10% of a division at any time (1 division was 20,000 men)

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34
Q

What formation were trenches built in?

A

Zigzag formation

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35
Q

Why were trenches built in zig zag formation?

A

Defensive measure–minimised impact of shell landing in the trench, preventing attackers from having a clear line of fire

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36
Q

What was located between lines of trenches?

A

Around 35m of barbed wire-the average soldier could throw a grenade to 30m; if one line was overrun, the next line could take on the front line’s role

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37
Q

What did soldiers often do as night activities?

A

Repairing barbed wire defences, sabotaging enemy’s defences with wire cutters

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38
Q

What was the structure of front line trenches?

A

Fire step, where could fire at attacking soldier; metre-thick layer of protective sandbags in front; behind them was the parados, which prevented them from being shot by those in support trenches, prevented troops from being silhouetted against skyline in daylight/when going OTT. Duckboards aimed to provide firm footing.

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39
Q

How were trenches reinforced?

A

Sandbags, timber, corrugated iron

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40
Q

What were dugouts used for?

A

Men slept in dugouts, reinforced by log rafters to prevent cave-ins.

41
Q

What were the differences between German and British dugouts?

A

German-usually made from reinforced concrete; ranged from 3.6m to 3 stories. British-2.4m-4.8m

42
Q

What was the main difference between German and Allied attitudes?

A

Allies-generally had minimal facilities in trenches, emphasised belief in cult of offensive. Germans-apart from Verdun/Ludendorff’s Offensive, generally were on the defensive-dug in on gained soil

43
Q

When were pill-boxes first constructed?

A

Late 1916-early 1917 by Germans

44
Q

What were pill-boxes?

A

Concrete fortifications, often reinforced with steel and armed with machine guns

45
Q

What were the advantages of pill-boxes?

A

Control of wide area of land with minimal resources

46
Q

How did communication occur in the trenches? Normally, during an advance, and in battle?

A

Field telephones were preferred–signal personnel laid landlines linking HQ to battalions or artillery observers with gunners; compact telephone sets could be carried forwards. During battle, usually depended on runners carrying written messages. Animal messengers sometimes used (pigeons, dogs)

47
Q

What was the combat experience of those going into battle?

A

Attacks usually began with bombardment of front trenches–>troops charged to capture enemy front trenches; needed to take all equipment required to hold trench after capturing (Brit soldiers usually carried ~30kg), which often slowed them down–>defenders would seek to man machine guns, prevent attackers from reaching trenches. Attacks could continue for months.

48
Q

What was the experience of soldiers in frontline combat duty when an attack was not occurring?

A

Stand do (~1h before dawn, standing on firing shelf, weapon loaded+bayonet in anticipation of enemy attack), stand down (After sunrise-issue of rum, breakfast, trench repair), stand to (hour before sundown-standing on firing step), stand down (after sundown-rum, night activities, frequent exposure to sniper fire)

49
Q

How was reconnaissance employed?

A

From 1915, observation from aircraft/fixed balloons to provide info on enemy positions and locations of shells. By 1916, aerial dogfights became common; pilots would dodge enemy attacks while an aerial observer mapped troop movements of enemy trenches

50
Q

When was gas first used?

A

Germans-capture of Neuve Chapelle in October 1914-shrapnel shells containing a chemical irritant

51
Q

When was the first highly successful use of gas?

A

2nd Ypres-chlorine gas-Allied troops panicked and an 8km gap opened; unable to exploit gains as German soldiers refused to push into territory where gas had settled

52
Q

What were the 3 main types of gas used?

A

Phosgene, chlorine, mustard

53
Q

What were 2 weaknesses of gas?

A
  1. Changes in wind direction
  2. Improvised gas masks soon appeared-urine soaked cloth-by 1918, effective gas masks-full rubber face masks, charcoal box respirators used by both sides
54
Q

How effective was gas?

A

Did not have a significant impact on battle outcomes, but effective at spreading panic

55
Q

When were tanks first used, and which type?

A

Battle of Flers-Courcette in 1916, a subsidiary attack of the Somme. Mark I tank

56
Q

How effective were tanks

A

Initially ineffective-caused fear among German soldiers when first used (Mark I), but subject to mechanical failure, slow-6kph-could be taken by enemy artillery. Improved over time-first used successfully at Battle of Cambrai in Nov 1917 (Mark IV)

57
Q

What was an example of the successful use of tanks?

A

The Battle of Hamel, a response to the Ludendorff Offensive. Mark V and Whippet tanks successfully used in combination with artillery

58
Q

How effective were machine guns?

A

Excellent as defensive weapons. Initially difficult to transport-British Vickers weighed over 30kg, could not be carried forward easily to support assaulting troops. Later lighter versions used (Brits-Lewis; German-Bergman)-could be carried and fired by one man

59
Q

How quickly could machine guns fire rounds?

A

More than 450 per minute. As effective as 80 rifles

60
Q

What were artillery?

A

Large-calibre guns

61
Q

How effective were artillery?

A

Mixed-Big Bertha, German Howitzer, used successfully at Leige; however, heavy-rail transport needed to move them; often inaccurate as reconnaissance not yet refined and gave enemy time to respond if mistimed; often inadequate defence against barbed wire, as would throw into tangled mess–>became more effective as reconnaissance and tactics improved

62
Q

How was reconnaissance used by 1917-18 to increase the effectivness of artillery?

A

Both sides collected data to predict enemy locations, more effective picture of where shells landed meant defensive/offensive fire became more precise

63
Q

What were examples of artillery used by the British and Germans?

A

German Howitzer-short gun firing shells on high trajectories-Big Bertha; BL 9.2 for British

64
Q

What were 3 ways offensive tactics improved in sophistication for the Allies?

A
  1. Creeping barrage, 2. box barrage, 3. firing on reserve trenches or artillery to prevent reinforcement of attacked sector instead of only front line
65
Q

What were creeping barrages?

A

Attempts to protect troops by providing artillery fire as a screen of cover while troops advanced-however, limited how quickly troops could move

66
Q

What were box barrages

A

Artillery fire which surrounded an area, making it safe for advancing troops to move and retire after raid

67
Q

What were 3 ways offensive tactics improved for the Germans?

A
  1. Stormtrooper tactics, 2. defence in depth, 3. Bruchmuller tactics
68
Q

What were Stormtrooper tactics?

A

Specialist assault infantry developed from 1915. Elite formations of shock troops which spearheaded attacks, broke through weak points to capture enemy guns.

69
Q

What were Stormtroopers armed with?

A

Heavy/light machine guns, flamethrowers, light artillery, flamethrower

70
Q

How effective was the flamethrower?

A

Limited-caused terror, but short range, short duration, and could sometimes explode, endangering its user

71
Q

What was defence in depth?

A

Where enemies were lured into ‘killing zones’, where the Germans would yield ground; when enemy entered, ground regained using rapid counterattack.

72
Q

Against which types of assault was defence in depth effective?

A

Wave assaults; less successful against mass tank attacks

73
Q

When were Bruchmuller tactics adopted?

A

1916-17

74
Q

What were Bruchmuller tactics?

A

Adapted version of box barrage, with use of heavy artillery and gas shells. Quite successful

75
Q

What percentage British casualties did artillery cause?

A

60%

76
Q

How did cold affect soldiers?

A

Frostbite, death from exposure to cold, trenches did little to protect soldiers from cold, clothes/blankets frozen solid, food almost inedible

77
Q

When did cold most affect soldiers?

A

1916-17–one of the harshest winters, felt most strongly in France and Flanders

78
Q

What psychological impact did trench warfare have?

A

Short term-anxiety, ‘shirking’-lack of aggression in combat; long-term-shell shock

79
Q

When was shell shock first diagnosed?

A

1915

80
Q

What was shell shock?

A

Psychological disturbance of soldiers subjected to long periods of artillery bombardment

81
Q

What percentage of discharged personnel from the British Army were due to psychological illness?

A

1/7 by 1917

82
Q

How many German soldiers were estimated to have committed suicide?

A

At least 3800, although doesn’t reflect those who simply walked into enemy fire

83
Q

Why was severe exhaustion a common issue?

A

Repairing trenches/other operations often occured at night-soldiers generally slept in the afternoon or at night for an hour at a time, woken up frequently for chores or to fight

84
Q

How did trench foot occur?

A

Swelling of feet due to constant immersion in water, which led to painful swelling and sometimes required amputation due to gangrene or foot rotting.

85
Q

How was the food for British soldiers?

A

Generally, most food was tinned. Depended upon parts of the Front, time of year, location of soldiers, relationship with locals who could sometimes provide food

86
Q

What was gas gangrene?

A

When spore-producing bacterial commonly found in northern France came into contact with wounds, caused gas gangrene.

87
Q

What % British soldiers were affected by lice?

A

1916-~95% usual level of infestation, 5% dangerous level of infestation

88
Q

Why were lice a problem?

A

Constant scratching led to breaking skin, development of sores, often secondary infections like boils, ulcers

89
Q

What were 2 examples of specialist medical developments resulting from the war?

A

Plastic surgery pioneered; more widespread X-ray pathology including portable X-ray machines

90
Q

What were death rates from mustard gas?

A

3%, but physical effects excruciating

91
Q

What were symptoms of shell shock?

A

Anxiety, amnesia, headaches, tremors

92
Q

What was the nature of medical care?

A

System was overstretched on both sides. For Germans, 32 stretcher bearers per 600 expected casualties

93
Q

What was the triage system?

A

System of categorising casualties and prioritising medical treatment accordingly

94
Q

What were the 3 tiers of the triage system?

A

Mild injuries-received treatment at first aid post then cont’d fighting; more severe requiring hospitalisation but thought to be survivable were given highest priority; fatal-made as comfortable as possible

95
Q

What medical facilities were available?

A

First aid post, casualty clearing station-basic hospitals, stationary/general hospitals at bases

96
Q

Were stretchers sterilised?

A

No

97
Q

What were stretchers used for?

A

To carry severely wounded men from the front

98
Q

Who was in charge of maintaining the health of forces, and to ensure evacuation in the event of illness or injury?

A

Royal Army Medical Corps

Modern History (4 decks)

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