The War Archives - Allied Tanks, Trucks and Weapons of World War I.pdf

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The War Archives
Allied tanks, trucks and
weapons of World War I
£7.95
Archive photographs and contemporary drawings
Established in 1840, Anderson & Garland are one of the largest provincial salerooms in the UK.
We hold regular sales of Militaria, Weapons, Military Books and Ephemera throughout the
year. Our specialists Rod Meek and Fred Wyrley-Birch offer free valuations on any items being
considered for sale. We are currently inviting entries for our forthcoming auction programme.
Items of interest include:
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Medals and Decorations
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Uniforms, Helmets and Headgear,
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De-activated Firearms,
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Photographs, Postcards, War Diaries,
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Edged Weapons,
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Regimental Regalia,
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Military vehicles etc…
Items we have sold recently:
WW1 War Diaries of Brigadier General H.H.S. Morant D.S.O.
A WW1 mahogany propeller by Tibbenham, Ipswich for a 200HP Hispanic-Suiza
A WW1 Brigadier-General’s battle dress uniform Four WW1 toby jugs by Wilkinson
A WW1 medal group awarded to Temp Lieutenant E.B. Nicholson MC MID, 15th Battalion Royal Scots
Call us on 0191 430 3000 and speak to one of the team
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INTRODUCTION
3
W
ORLD WAR I often described as the Great
War, or the ‘war to end all wars’ – was the
first conflict in which technology played a
significant role... a role that allowed slaughter to
take place on an unprecedented scale.
Following the German invasion of Belgium and
north-eastern France in August 1914, the opposing
sides quickly became bogged down on the Western
Front. Far from it ‘being over by Christmas’, the
armies dug-in for what turned out to be a very long
haul, facing one another across, often narrow, strips
of no-man’s land. It proved impossible to make any
significant gains and the war became virtually static.
The tactic of preceding an infantry advance by a
heavy and prolonged artillery barrage proved less
successful than was hoped and when the infantry
were ordered to go ‘over the top’, thousands were
immediately cut down by a hail of enemy fire.
New technologies were developed in an attempt
at breaking the stalemate. Toxic gas, for example,
proved to be a fearsome, if unpredictable, weapon.
Machine guns were deployed in huge numbers. It
was hoped that the appearance of tanks on the
Somme in 1916 would allow a breakthrough, but
mechanical unreliability combined with a lack of
understanding as to how these new weapons should
be used meant that it was not until the Battle of
Cambrai in late 1917 that the potential of the tank
became apparent.
But, the effects of technology were not just felt
by those in the trenches. Armaments factories
worked day and night to supply the fighting men
with the tools for the job. In the first 20 months of
the war, British factories produced close to 25 million
artillery shells, and the rate of ammunition
production increased exponentially as the war
dragged on... for example, by the end of 1918, the
number of rounds of artillery ammunition produced
in American plants was in excess of 20 million, with
a further 10 million rounds provided to the US Army
by the French and British. By the closing stages of
the war, Britain, France and the USA were producing
an incredible 98 million tons of high explosive a
month!
Behind the lines, motor lorries and buses ferried
men and ammunition to the front, whilst motor
ambulances carried an endless stream of wounded
in the opposite direction. The railways were used to
bring ammunition from the ports, and rail cars were
adapted as mounts for huge artillery pieces and as
mobile hospitals. Primitive armoured cars were
developed that could provide mobility for machine
guns, and motorcycle combinations were adapted
for the same purpose.
There is little doubt that the technology was
responsible, at least in part, for the unimaginable
human and financial cost of the war. The Allied
armies lost five million soldiers, whilst the Central
Powers saw more than three million killed. The total
number of military and civilian dead is estimated at
14.66 million worldwide, with a further 22 million
wounded... in Britain alone, some 0.75 million men
were killed and a further 1.5 million wounded. In
financial terms, the total cost of the war has been
calculated at $186.3 billion.
...and despite a firm conviction that this should
never happen again, it was little more than 20 years
before a British Expeditionary Force (BEF) once again
found itself in France!
Pat Ware
Editor
Men of the Irish Brigade, part of Britain’s Fourth Army, returning from the front after taking the French village of Guillemont in September 1916. No doubt
delighted that they no longer need to march, the men are riding in overloaded Wolseley CR6 3-ton trucks.
(Warehouse Collection)
Collectors’ Archive
Mechanised Warfare
Allied Vehicles and Weapons of World War I
Editor
Pat Ware.
Design and layout
Rob Terry.
Scanning assistant
Lizzie Ware.
Image restoration
Paul Sanderson.
Picture credits Special thanks to the National Library of France, Royal Armouries Collection, Royal Arsenal West Historical Society (RAWHS), Royal Artillery Archive Trust (RAHT), Tank
Museum, US Library of Congress, US National Archives, US Signal Corps, Warehouse Collection, and World War 1 Document Archive (GWPDA); other photographs as credited.
Published by Kelsey Publishing Group, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG. Telephone 01959 541444. Fax 01959 541400. www.kelsey.co.uk
Printed by William Gibbons & Sons Ltd, Willenhall, West Midlands.
© 2013 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with prior permission in writing from the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements. The views expressed
are not necessarily those of the Editor or Publisher. ISBN 978-1-909786-23-3
Mechanised Warfare
Allied Vehicles and Weapons of World War I
3
6
INTRODUCTION
ARTILLERY
6
The static ‘siege war’ nature of combat on the Western Front meant that artillery was enormously
important, and it was believed that the sheer volume of fire could help turn the tide of battle. As
the war dragged on the guns grew ever larger.
18 MACHINE GUNS
The modern machine gun was developed at the end of the 19th century, becoming one of the
defining weapons of World War 1. By 1914, the machine gun was ubiquitous and, with an average
rate of fire of 400-600 rounds a minute, one machine-gun crew could have the same effect as more
than 80 riflemen.
26 PISTOLS, REVOLVERS & RIFLES
34 TRENCH MORTARS
Whilst the typical bolt-action rifle of the period was generally an accurate and reliable weapon,
even in the hands of a well-trained soldier, it was no match for the machine gun.
Although considered to be virtually obsolete at the start of the conflict, the upward trajectory of
the mortar made it ideally suited to trench warfare and, by the end of the war, both sides were
deploying heavy mortars firing projectiles weighing 150 lb (68kg) or more.
18
38 TANKS
Tanks made their first appearance on the battlefield in 1916 but, the lack of a proper
understanding of how these new weapons should be used, combined with mechanical
unreliability, meant that their impact was not as great as had been hoped.
52 WHEELED ARMOURED VEHICLES
Early armoured cars consisted of little more than a truck or heavy motorcar chassis onto which was
mounted a box-shaped body, often of boilerplate, and typically armed with a light machine gun.
By 1914, such vehicles were being produced in Britain, France, Belgium and the USA.
56 LORRIES & MOTORCARS
Motor lorries – or trucks – had started to have an impact on the civilian transport industry by the
turn of the century and by 1914 had also become increasingly important in military service. All-
wheel drive was in its infancy, but the use of ‘standardised’ or ‘subsidy’ vehicles was commonplace.
72 MOTORCYCLES & BICYCLES
Although bicycle-mounted troops continued to play a role throughout the war, most European
armies had been quick to embrace the motorcycle in the role of courier or despatch rider.
Motorcycle combinations were also used to carry wounded, and as a mount for machine guns.
85 HAND GRENADES
First seen during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, hand grenades proved themselves
invaluable in the static trench warfare of the Western Front, with literally millions produced by the
opposing nations.
86 TRACTORS & STEAM ENGINES
The typical petrol-engined truck of the period produced just 35-40bhp and, in order to haul
the larger guns being developed, it was necessary to employ specialised wheeled and tracked
machines. Steam traction engines were also common in specialised roles.
92 AMBULANCES
Contents
evacuated from the front created a logistical nightmare for the medical services. Thousands of
motorised ambulances were constructed; nevertheless, it was also necessary to carry the wounded
in converted taxis, motorcycle combinations and horse-drawn vans.
D
uring the conflict, some 22 million men were wounded, and the steady stream of injured being
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