|
Artillery has been important in warfare even before the invention of gunpowder and cannon. The medieval trebuches could demolish stone castels, but the process was slow. The invention of cannons meant that fortified cassels that had resisted seiges for months if not years could be demolished in ours. This was an important factor in ending the European feudal system. The Napoleonic Wars had been fought at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Since then enormous improvements had been made in metalurgy and balistics. The American Civil War has been called the first modern war, but American at the time was just beginning to industrialize. Only in World War I had fully industrialized powers first come to grips in a general European war. And no where did this show on the battlefield more than artillery. The rapid fire French 75 mm gun made a poweful impression early in the more mobile phase of the War, but the French Army was unable to capitalize on the potential of this weapon. As the Western Front settled down into tatic trench warfare, the armies of both sides began demanding heavier artillery that could destroy heavily fortified positions. And the heavy industries of the major combatants were capable of producing truly fearsome artillery in great quantities.
Artillery has been important in warfare even before the invention of gunpowder and cannon. The medieval trebuches could demolish stone castels, but the process was slow. The invention of cannons meant that fortified cassels that had resisted seiges for months if not years could be demolished in ours. This was an important factor in ending the European feudal system. The Napoleonic Wars had been fought at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Since then enormous improvements had been made in metalurgy and balistics. The American Civil War has been called the first modern war, but American at the time was just beginning to industrialize. Only in World War I had fully industrialized powers first come to grips in a general European war. And no where did this show on the battlefield more than artillery.
Artillery was among the key weaons systems that decided World War I. Ohers included machine guns, poison gas, aircraft, and tanks. Artillery was not new, but mamy technical improvements made World War I artillery the most deadly in the history of warfare. All of the major weapon systems (except nuclear bombs) that were used in World War II were in place on the World WarI battlefield.
Artillery is mounted weapons capable of firing projectiles. It is detinguished from small arms weapons by the calibre of the projectile fired. Early cannons were commonly measured as to rhe weight of the projectile, often solid shot. This was still the principal measurement of 19th century artillery pices.
Artiller was commonly separated between light and heavy guns. The light weapons were usually deployed at battalion levelas were normally 4-6 pounders. Heavy guns were 8-12 pounders. Armies in the 20th century began categorizing artillery in terms of calibre, meaning the diameter of its barrel bore. Continental aemies used millimeter measurements. Americans used inches. The British continued using pounds into World War II.
Howitzers were used to hit targets beyond visible sight. Advance suchbas aerial recoconisance and radio/telephone communication meant that the targets coukld be effectively hit by long-range holitzers. The generally had short barrels and fired on a high trajectory. They were effective weapons against fortifications. The mortar had an even higher trajectory. World War I gunners dropped shells into a stubby barrel. It fired by igniting a pre-loaded explosive charge. Mortars had much shorter ranges than howitzers, but eventually achieved ranges of about 2 kilometers.
The French 75 (Canon de 75 modèle 1897) was France's main artillery piece during World War I. The French introduced it 1897. It was the first fully integrated quick-firing gun. The technical innovations became involved in the Drefus Affair. It had a firing rate of 20 rounds a minute -- very high for the era. The rapid fire French 75 mm gun made a poweful impression early in the more mobile phase of the War, but the French Army largely because of poor leadership in the General Staff was unable to capitalize on the potential of this weapon. It did help the French slow down the German advance through Belgium and played a key role in the critical Battle of the Marne (September 1914). It also played a a mjor role at Verdun (1916). The 75 had an innovativev recoil system that bounced the barrel back into firing position. This significantly increased the rate of fire--a critical factor on the battlefield. The recoil system also made for a smoother operation which also assisted gun crews. When the War broke out, the French had 4,000 of these 75mm Field Guns (1,000 batteries of 4 guns each). At the end of the Wat they had 17,000. The German and British armies did not develop a field gun of comparable performance until the last year of the War. The French Army on the other hnd did not have modern heavy field artillery until 1917. The French 75 was also heavily used by the American AEF when it arrived in France.
As the Western Front settled down into tatic trench warfare, the armies of both sides began demanding heavier artillery that could destroy heavily fortified positions. And the heavy industries of the major combatants were capable of producing truly fearsome artillery in great quantities.
Artillery played an important role in most World war I battels. It played an especially prominent part in the trenches of the Western Front, particularly at the Somme and Verdun.
The term "Big Bertha" came to be used for any German heavy artillery piece. Actually there was only one real Big Bertha (Dicke Berta). It was at the time the largest artillery piece ever built. It was produced by the famed Krupp factory. The weapon was a 42cm howitzer (model L/14). The Germany Army contracted the development of the weapon in the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05).
The gun's name was derived from the name of Gustav Krupp's wife--Bertha Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach. Gustav Krupp managed the family owned firm. It was an enormously complex artillery puiece, both to deploy and operate. Despite the notiriety of the weapon, Krupp only built four. The first two were completed only days after the War broke out (August 9). The 420 mm guns fired a huge shell (820 kg). They had a range of 15km their 420mm shells The guns were too large to be moved. Thus they had to be transported in pices and assembled in the field. Thus a crew of about 1,000 men were required to operate the gun. The Big Bertha were first used to smsh the Belgan fortresses at Liege and Namur (August 1914). They were also used at Antwerp). They were subsequently used to smash other Allied strong pounts on the western Front. All four guns wre deployed at the protracted German seige of Verdun (beginning February 1916). German Chief of Staff Erich von Falkenhayn had cinceived of the Verdun offensive as a way of breaking the back of the French Army. The Germans failed to take Verdun and Falkenhayn was replaced. Actually he had in large measure suceeded. The French Army did not crack, but its morakle was so weakebned that for the rest of the War, offensive operaions had to be carried by the British and Americans. What Falkenhayn had not anticipated was the cost to Germany in smashing the French at Verdun. The Germany Army itself was disaterously weakened. The Germans after the Verdun offensive was terminated, decommisioned the Big Bertha guns. The Allies had developed artillery with even a longer range.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main World War I fighting page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[Essays]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
