Era of the Great War - weapons of war

1. Era of the
Great War
Weapons of the
Great War

2. Weapons of the Great War
In today’s class I am learning to:
• Describe different weapons used during
the Great War
• Analyse the strengths and weaknesses
of each weapon

3. Weapons of the Great War
The Great War is famous for the range of weapons
which were used to try and win the battle, some of
which appeared for the first time in war.

4. Weapons of the Great War
This presentation
includes facts about:
• Machine guns
• Tanks
• Gas
• Artillery
• Aircraft
• Submarines

5. Weapons of the Great War
Machine
guns

6. Weapons of the Great War
Machine guns could fire
400-600 bullets every
minute, causing
devastation and terror
amongst the enemy as
they approached.
They were placed on a
tripod and then four to
six men were needed to
operate the guns.

7. Weapons of the Great War
Strengths
Machine guns could kill
large numbers of soldiers
in a short period.
Their quick firing nature
meant that precise aim
was not an essential part
of firing, making them
easy and deadly to use.

8. Weapons of the Great War
Weaknesses
Machine guns often
overheated because of
the speed at which they
fired, stopping them
being completely useful.
They were also heavy
and could not be easily
moved around the
battlefield.

9. Weapons of the Great War
Tanks

10. Weapons of the Great War
Tanks were first used
during the Battle of the
Somme in 1916.
They were originally
known as landships and
the first one was
nicknamed ‘Little Willie’.
Tanks were armed with
guns, as well as metal
armour.

11. Weapons of the Great War
Strengths
Tanks could provide
defensive cover for
soldiers as they crossed
No Man’s Land.
Tanks were also used to
destroy barbed wire,
making it easier for
soldiers to advance.

12. Weapons of the Great War
Weaknesses
Tanks were very slow (up
to four miles per hour).
Tanks often got stuck in
muddy fields, or their
tracks could become
removed from the body.
Tank crews often got sick
due to petrol fumes.

13. Weapons of the Great War
Gas

14. Weapons of the Great War
Different types of gases
were used during the
war, including chlorine,
phosgene and mustard.
These gases damaged
lungs when inhaled,
causing injury or even
death. Gases could also
causes blisters or led to
internal bleeding.

15. Weapons of the Great War

16. Weapons of the Great War
Strengths
Gas was capable of
disorientating or even
killing enemy soldiers.
With the development of
gas filled shells it
became easier to target
enemy soldiers, without
the gas hurting a side’s
own soldiers.

17. Weapons of the Great War
Weaknesses
When gas was first used
a change in wind could
send it back towards a
side’s own soldiers.
Over the course of the
war the development of
gas masks made it easier
to limit the effectiveness
of gas attacks.

18. Weapons of the Great War
Artillery

19. Weapons of the Great War
Artillery was highly
explosive shells that
could be fired great
distances at the enemy.
Both sides used artillery
to pound enemy
defences or creeping
barrages which were
fired just in front of
advancing soldiers.

20. Weapons of the Great War
Arguably the most
famous example of
artillery was Big Bertha.
This was a German super
gun which could fire
projectiles weighing up
to 810 kilograms as
much as six miles. There
were 12 Big Berthas
used during the war.

21. Weapons of the Great War
Strengths
Artillery was very
difficult to defend
against, and caused
more casualties than any
other weapon.
It is estimated that up to
60% of Western Front
soldier deaths were due
to artillery.

22. Weapons of the Great War
Weaknesses
As soldiers advanced it
was difficult to measure
where to fire, causing
casualties to a side’s own
soldiers.
The barrels of artillery
cannons also needed
regularly replaced,
slowing down their use.

23. Weapons of the Great War
Aircraft

24. Weapons of the Great War
The Great War saw
aircraft being used for
the first time as a
significant part of war
tactics.
Zeppelins (hot air
balloons) and airplanes
formed different parts of
each side’s battle and
preparation plans.

25. Weapons of the Great War
Strengths
Planes and zeppelins
could be used to spy on
enemy positions, helping
battle plans.
Planes later had guns
added and zeppelins
were used in bombing
raids (such as in
Edinburgh in 1916).

26. Weapons of the Great War
Weaknesses
Airplane guns were not
always effective,
including jamming.
Zeppelin raids were
countered by anti-
aircraft artillery, or
barrage balloons to limit
locations.

27. Weapons of the Great War
Submarines

28. Weapons of the Great War
Submarines were
underwater ships that
could move without easy
detection. They could
fire torpedoes capable
of sinking enemy ships.
In September 1914,
HMS Pathfinder became
the first ship to be sunk
by a German U-boat.

29. Weapons of the Great War
Strengths
Submarines were not
easy to spot and so
military and civilian ships
feared them.
The Germans used
submarines to great
effect to try and stop
supplies from reaching
Great Britain.

30. Weapons of the Great War
Weaknesses
Using submarines rather
than engage in open
battles was felt by some
military people to be
dishonourable.
Germany sinking the
Lusitania helped bring
the USA into the war
against Germany.