Trenches weren’t dug in straight lines. The WWI trenches were built as a system, in a zigzag pattern with many different levels along the lines. They had paths dug so that soldiers could move between the levels. Trenches typically had an embankment at the top and a barbed wire fence.
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How long did it take to dig trenches in ww1?
6 hours
The guidelines for British trench construction stated that it would take 450 men 6 hours at night to complete 250 m (270 yd) of front-line trench system. Thereafter, the trench would require constant maintenance to prevent deterioration caused by weather or shelling.
How were trenches dug out?
Each trench was dug in a type of zigzag so that no enemy, standing at one end, could fire for more than a few yards down its length. Each of the main lines of trenches was connected to each other and to the rear by a series of communications trenches that were dug roughly perpendicular to them.
What tools did they use to dig trenches in ww1?
Tools of Trench Warfare
- Trench Knife. The trench knife was developed in response to the need for an effective close combat weapon for assaults on enemy trenches.
- Wire Cutters.
- Barbed Wire.
Where did they dig trenches in ww1?
The trench system on the Western Front in World War I—fixed from the winter of 1914 to the spring of 1918—eventually stretched from the North Sea coast of Belgium southward through France, with a bulge outwards to contain the much-contested Ypres salient.
How did soldiers sleep in the trenches?
Getting to sleep
When able to rest, soldiers in front line trenches would try and shelter from the elements in dugouts. These varied from deep underground shelters to small hollows in the side of trenches – as shown here.
Do any ww1 trenches still exist?
A few of these places are private or public sites with original or reconstructed trenches preserved as a museum or memorial. Nevertheless, there are still remains of trenches to be found in remote parts of the battlefields such as the woods of the Argonne, Verdun and the mountains of the Vosges.
How deep is a trench in ww1?
Frontline trenches were usually about seven feet deep and six feet wide. The front of the trench was known as the parapet. The top two or three feet of the parapet and the parados (the rear side of the trench) would consist of a thick line of sandbags to absorb any bullets or shell fragments.
Why weren’t trenches dug in straight lines?
All the trenches were dug in a zig-zag pattern so the enemy couldn’t shoot straight down the line and kill many soldiers. If a mortar, grenade or artillery shell would land in the trench, it would only get the soldiers in that section, not further down the line.
How did soldiers have time to dig trenches?
Sometimes the soldiers would simply dig the trenches straight into the ground – a method known as entrenching. Entrenching was fast, but the soldiers were open to enemy fire while they dug. Another method was to extend a trench on one end. It was called sapping and was a safer method but took a lot longer.
Does Shell Shock still exist?
The term shell shock is still used by the United States’ Department of Veterans Affairs to describe certain parts of PTSD, but mostly it has entered into memory, and it is often identified as the signature injury of the War.
Did soldiers use shovels as weapons?
Yes, a simple shovel was an astoundingly effective weapon during WWI. Soldier’s shovels were relatively compact. They had a sturdy handle and wide, sharp blade which could be sharpened to make it almost as effective as an ax.
What did soldiers eat in trenches?
The ‘trench ration’ was designed to feed a certain number of soldiers. It was used when the food prepared in the field kitchens could be delivered. It included corned beef, sardines, salmon, coffee, salt, sugar and even cigarettes. The ’emergency ration’ included highly caloric aliments, such as chocolate.
Why are the trenches so disgusting?
Conditions in the Trenches
They were actually quite disgusting. There were all sorts of pests living in the trenches including rats, lice, and frogs. The rats were everywhere and got into the soldiers’ food and ate just about everything, including sleeping soldiers. The lice were also a major problem.
What did soldiers in ww1 eat?
By the First World War (1914-18), Army food was basic, but filling. Each soldier could expect around 4,000 calories a day, with tinned rations and hard biscuits staples once again. But their diet also included vegetables, bread and jam, and boiled plum puddings. This was all washed down by copious amounts of tea.
How were dogs used in the trenches?
The canines carried aid to the wounded, took messages between the lines and sniffed out enemy soldiers. Their roles were deemed so important that in the early months of 1917 the War Office formed the War Dog School of Instruction in Hampshire to train them. They were also used for pulling machine guns and equipment.
Did rats eat soldiers ww1?
More horrifically the rodents were sometimes referred to as corpse rats. They bred rapidly in their millions and swarmed through No-Mans Land gnawing the corpses of fallen soldiers. The rats would taut sleeping soldiers, creeping over them at night. There were long bouts of boredom and rat hunting became a sport.
What did the trenches smell like?
The stink of war
Then there was the smell. Stinking mud mingled with rotting corpses, lingering gas, open latrines, wet clothes and unwashed bodies to produce an overpowering stench. The main latrines were located behind the lines, but front-line soldiers had to dig small waste pits in their own trenches.
What time did soldiers wake up in ww1?
“Stand-to” at Dawn. Each dawn, the usual time for an enemy attack, soldiers woke to “stand-to,” guarding their front line trenches. Afterwards, if there had not been an assault, they gathered for inspections, breakfast, and the daily rum ration.
Who cleaned up ww1 battlefields?
It was done by the soldiers themselves (engineers helped by Battlefield Clearance & Salvage platoons). Due to lack of available men, the French and British employed Chinese people to help them.
What happened to the dead soldiers in ww1?
They were often buried where they fell in action, or in a burial ground on or near the battlefield. A simple cross or marker might be put up to mark the location and give brief details of the individuals who had died.