Fighting Methods Essay

World War 1 Since fire power (guns) had now become the main weapon of use, people began to dig trenches and use them for protection/barracks for the war. They used a wave maneuver to attack other sides, where they swarmed over No-man’s land (huge danger of being shot from opposite side) to try to get in to the other side’s trenches to fight. This kind of attack caused many casualties because people became very vulnerable once on No-man’s land. Gas attacks were also used but they were hard to control since the wind could change direction and blow it back to your own side. People had to constantly have masks It caused a lot of suffering and immediate death (lungs deteriorated), If you didn’t die you were still severely affected. Psychologically as well. Tanks were invented and used, however they also had a difficult time because they continually got stuck in the mud. Tanks were first invented in this war. However they were rushed into combat before the idea of it was fully perfected. So they were usually defective. Very good for fighting, hard time on No-Mans land Places that were bombed a lot caused tanks to get stuck. They also broke down a lot. Out of 42 sent to the Battle of Somme, 32 actually could begin attacking, however only 9 made it across No-man’s land. World War 2 Tank became the dominating weapon Used other methods over land and sea unlike ww1 some sea battles were so expansive that sometimes ships could not even see each other because they sent aircrafts to bomb/sink the other side. America and Britain mainly used aerial warfare because it could be destructive enough to cause surrender (e.g. Hiroshima) AIR WARFARE: Strategic: used bombers to destroy the opposing side’s industries, cities, and morale. The ‘Heavy Bomber’ aircraft was used for this, primarily by british and American Troops Tactical: Used planes to attack opposing side’s army forces on the battlefield. They usually coordinated with their own troops on the ground The ‘Fighter Bomber’ was the plane they mainly used for this. It was fast and heavily armed/armored. NAVAL WARFARE: Submarines became a major danger to ships Germans used a ‘Wolf Pack’ technique where they ganged up and used coordinated attacks on shipping convoys American forces adopted this method and used it against the Japanese The normal type of submarine used was the ‘Torpedo’ and the most famous of these being the ‘Long Lance’ used by the Japanese, which sunk 4 cruisers. LAND WARFARE: Tanks: Fast, heavily armored and low to the ground. Armed with powerful large and small caliber guns. The Soviet ‘T-34’ was considered the best model. The Germans liked it so much that they copied it and called it a ‘Panther Tank’ Artillery: Was developed to have easy mobility. Guns were often mounted on tracked, self-propelled carriages. Hand-carried rocket launchers were widely used against tanks. Example of that would be the Bazooka. Small Arms: Small, semi-automatic hand guns were used. People liked them because you didn’t have to pull a lever or bolt, and they weren’t hard to reload. (simple) Similarities: Other than the fact that firepower was the main weapon of choice, the wars differed widely in fighting methods. Differences: – Tanks were changed from tall unwieldy vehicles that fought alongside troops, to an independent offensive weapon. – The range of different firepower weapons increased dramatically, as well as quality No longer fought in trenches or used the ‘storming’ technique. First world war was an offensive attack of the Germans, however the second was more about border conflict. New developments in technology for battle World war 1 Armored tanks (1915), Junkers (1918), Bomber (1916-1918), Garros (1915), Voison, Gas (1915), Synchronized guns (1916), Antiaircraft (1916), Bolt action rifle, Lee Enfield, Mauser Rifle World war 2 M1 Garand, MP43 (Sturmgewehr 44), Colt M1911, Bazooka, Panzerfaust Almost all types of technology were utilized, although major developments were: Weaponry; including ships, vehicles, aircraft, artillery, rocketry, small arms, and biological, chemical and atomic weapons. Logistical support; including vehicles necessary for transporting soldiers and supplies, such as trains, trucks, and aircraft. Communications and intelligence; including devices used for navigation, communication, remote sensing and espionage. Medicine; including surgical innovations, chemical medicines, and techniques Industry; including the technologies employed at factories and production/distribution centers. Similarities between the two wars In both technology dictated the way the war was fought and often dictated events on the battlefield. Differences between the two wars Technology was relatively primitive in world war 1, with most of the war being done in trenches. Early airplanes were used. Poisonous gas was deployed for the first time. In World War 2, tanks were used as the main deployment in many areas. Planes had improved, and bombers and fighters were heavily used. Submarines were also more heavily used. Encryption codes for secret also became more complex.