The Great War Technological Innovations The Great War

The Great War Technological Innovations

The Great War Thanks to the Industrial Revolution, WWI had become the most innovative and mechanical war to date.

Tanks

Tanks Built to be able to cross 5’ wide trenches

Tanks Built to be able to climb 5’ walls

Tanks First weighed 8 tons and was manned by 10 -person crew

Tanks First had: 2 mounted machine guns 1 Field Gun

Tanks

Tanks Very first was British “Little Willie” Built by William Forster & Co. Top Speed = 2 mph

Tanks

Tank

Airplane

Airplane Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first powered flight in 1903 Born in Dayton, OH Flew in Kitty Hawk, NC Gas-powered Lasted 59 seconds

Airplane Plane used in WWI: Bi-Plane British used: Sopwith Camel

Airplane

Airplane Germans used Tri. Plane Fokker

Airplane The Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen Flew famous his famous red Fokker

Airplane

Submarine

Submarine RADAR & SONAR had not yet been invented, so… They were invisible underwater

Submarine Most intimidating = German U-Boats (Unterseeboot)

Submarine Germany attacked in… Wolf Packs Many U-Boats in formation

Submarine German U-Boats sank the Lusitania British “passenger” ship Carrying American passengers Brought USA into the war

Battleships

Battleships 1906: Great Britain introduced the HMS Dreadnought

Battleships

Battleships Other Battleships: Four 12” mounted guns Travel at 18 knots 1 knot = 1. 15 mph HMS Dreadnought: Ten 12” mounted guns Travel at 21 knots plus 11” thick steel-plated armor

Artillery

Artillery = heavy, mounted guns Started with the cannon 1 st cannon in war 1260 (Egyptians vs. Mongols)

Artillery 1884: 1 st machine gun invented Maxim Gun Used to great extent in the securing of colonies in Africa

Artillery 1895: Tri-pod Maxim Gun

Artillery WWI “Vickers” Maxim Gun

Artillery 1898: French 75 75 mil. barrel Also adopted and used by American Expeditiary Forces 1 st gun to have hydraulic shock absorbers

Artillery American Howitzer

Artillery

Artillery German Howitzer

Flamethrower

Flamethrower Projecting flaming liquid as a weapon began in the 8 th Century (700 s) Medieval guards would pour boiling oil over castle walls to defend from attacks

Flamethrower WWI - First time to propel fuel that is caught on fire

Flamethrower Handheld flamethrowers as well as tankmounted

Flamethrower

Chemical Warfare

Chemical Warfare Why use Chemical Warfare? Kill many at once (larger kill ratio) More difficult to defend (bullet-proof vest) No destruction of equipment (can then steal and use)

Chemical Warfare