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Weapons of WW1 Task

This document provides information about various weapons used in World War 1, including airplanes, chemical weapons like chlorine gas, machine guns, tanks, flamethrowers, artillery, submarines, and more. It discusses how each weapon was developed and used, key inventors and battles, and consequences of their usage. For example, it notes that airplanes went from 100 mph to 200 mph from 1914-1918 and lists famous pilots like the Red Baron. It also explains that while chlorine gas attacks disoriented troops, the use of gas in warfare is now banned.

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Paul Choi
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45 views

Weapons of WW1 Task

This document provides information about various weapons used in World War 1, including airplanes, chemical weapons like chlorine gas, machine guns, tanks, flamethrowers, artillery, submarines, and more. It discusses how each weapon was developed and used, key inventors and battles, and consequences of their usage. For example, it notes that airplanes went from 100 mph to 200 mph from 1914-1918 and lists famous pilots like the Red Baron. It also explains that while chlorine gas attacks disoriented troops, the use of gas in warfare is now banned.

Uploaded by

Paul Choi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Weapons of WW1 Task.

World War One was a war like no other. No longer did the opposing sides arrange
themselves in straight lines and advance upon firing. Advancements in technology
changed the way this war would be fought. Machine guns, massive artillery and
airplanes would “improve” the efficiency of killing. Over the course of the war a
generation of young men on both sides would be lost forever. This research activity will
help you better understand the horrible reality of war and the new weapons that came
with it.

Activity= Visit the following Link https://www.historynet.com/weapons-of-world-war-i.htm.


Using the information on this webpage AND YOUR OWN RESEARCH complete the
table.

Airplanes

How Were they Used

Airplanes proved more and more useful as the


war went on. Once the planes potential was
realized they were used to deploy bombs over
the enemy. Before long planes were equipped
with machine guns to shoot down other planes
and artillery this idea of putting guns on planes was improved by a man called Anthony
Fokker who managed to synchronize the guns and the propeller so that guns could be
placed on the nose and be shot by the pilots rather than a co-pilot.

What Models were used (German, British, French)?

The list of different models of planes designed and used by each of these countries is
very long so only the most well-known will be listed.

The British planes during WW1


FB5 Gunbus
FE2b
DH2
Sopwith Pup
Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Triplane
SE5a
German planes used during WW1

Eindecker III
Albatross III
Fokker DR I
Fokker D VII

French Planes used during WW1


Morane-Saulnier
Nieuport Bebe
Spad VII
Spad XIII

Interesting Fact: Between 1914 and 1918 the top speeds of the planes that were being
produced had doubled from 100mph to 200mph in 4 years.

Name 3 Famous Pilots.

Manfred von Richthofen (the Red baron)

This German pilot didn’t start out as a pilot but as cavalry officer, after he made the
switch to the air force he quickly got his first kill during a dogfight before his death he
would proceed to down a further 78 planes. He painted his plane red, this and his
reputation got him known as the red baron.

Eddie Rickenbacker

Eddie Rickenbacker (an American) was two years of the age restrictions for enlisting as
a pilot but he got in anyways. He got his reputation by getting very close to enemy
aircraft before shooting, he took many risks while in the air. His tactics probably
succeeded because they were unexpected and put the enemy off. His most incredible
feat was taking on a group of 7 German planes on his own, downing two of them and
then making a successful escape.

Albert Ball

The British Ace Albert Ball at the time of his death had a kill count of 44. He was one of
Britain most famous pilots using complicated tactics to down his enemies. He often left
dogfights only when his plane was covered in bullet holes. Despite having a fighting
attitude he disliked the violence that the war presented so when he crashed during a
dogfight against the Red Barons flying circus it was uncertain exactly why he crashed.
Chlorine Gas

How was the Chlorine gas released/used?


Chlorine gas was released from canisters that
were shot by artillery.

How did it effect troops?


The gas disoriented the troops significantly,
many went blind temporarily and often damage to
the lungs was also affecting the troops.

Why can’t people use gas anymore?


Under a globally recognized rule of war using gas to harm or incapacitate enemies is
not allowed.

Machine Gun:

When were they invented


The guns that were manufactured and used
during WW1 were based off of a design by Hiram
Maxim who came up with the idea in 1884.

How were they used in ww1?


Machine guns proved very efficient at taking
down large numbers of enemy attackers at a time so it was generally used to quickly cut
down incoming enemies.
Tanks:

Who invented them?

The British were the first to construct a tank but


the idea of a land-based battleship had been
around for a long time before the first world war.

When were they invented?


th
On September 6 1915 the first tank was introduced to the battlefield.
How were they used in WW1
Tanks were useful for supporting soldiers during attacks against the enemy.

What was the main issue they faced?


Tanks were slow and heavy making them easy targets for enemy artillery and because
of their weight tanks were vulnerable to sinking in mud and water.

Flamethrower:

Who invented them/how long have they existed?


Richard Fiedler invented the Flamethrower he
first proposed his idea in 1901 however
there have been claims that flamethrowers
were used in ancient china and the
American civil war.

How did it work?


Most designs required two tanks of different
gases one was flammable and the other was used as a propellant these two tanks were
worn on a soldier’s back, when the soldier pulled the trigger gas would travel through a
pipe and out the end of a barrel where an ignitor was placed.
What did the Germans Call them?

The Germans named them Flammenwerfers.

Artillery:

How deadly was it/Why?


Artillery was deadly because it allowed armies to
fire at their enemies from very far distances.

What was the Devil Gun?

The devil’s gun as it was know by the Germans


was a 75mm cannon used by the French. The
French could shoot up to 4 miles with accuracy.
Research: What is a creeping barrage?

Barrage means artillery fire effectively the infantry would move forward while the artillery
followed behind them as support fire.

What is Shell Shock?


The mind and the body work together to react a certain way when something
unexpected happens, when a bomb explodes near you hundreds of times over the
soldiers were in a constant state of shock that even when they got to go home they
were constantly expecting another explosion because of the non-stop bombing their
brains were trained to be paranoid.
Submarines:
Which navy used these the most? What
were they called?
The Germans although late onto the scene
for submarines used theirs the most during
WW1. The submarines that they used were
known to the British as U-boats

What tactics were used with Submarines?


The submarines were usually used for sinking enemy vessels something that the
Germans did on a regular basis. They would float up beneath vessels at sea and send
torpedos rocketing into their hull before sinking back to the depths.

What was the Lusitania incident?

The Lusitania incident was the sinking of a luxury cruiser on May the 7 th 1915 at the
hands of the Germans. The sinking killed almost 1,200 people 128 of whom were
Americans, at the time of the sinking America was a neutral country but soon became
active part of the war after this show of violence against their country.

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