What was it like in the front line in ww1?
On the Western Front, the war was fought by soldiers in trenches. Trenches were long, narrow ditches dug into the ground where soldiers lived. They were very muddy, uncomfortable and the toilets overflowed. These conditions caused some soldiers to develop medical problems such as trench foot.
What did soldiers stand on to shoot?
There were three different types of trenches: firing trenches, lined on the side facing the enemy by steps where defending soldiers would stand to fire machine guns and throw grenades at the advancing offense; communication trenches; and “saps,” shallower positions that extended into no-man’s-land and afforded spots …
Why did they shoot in lines?
Since reloading was a slow process, the officers wanted to make sure soldiers didn’t waste a volley by firing at beyond effective range. If the men are dispersed in cover, it’s hard for for an officer to control their fire. They’re in a line because that puts the most guns online but is unwieldy to move.
What is a line of soldiers called?
company. noun. a group of soldiers that is usually divided into two or more smaller groups called platoons: can be followed by a singular or plural verb.
Did medieval armies fight in lines?
You could normally see the layout of the enemy forces before battle and since they were often miles long they could not just rearrange their lines last minute. It could take many hours to set up a battle line. Sometimes armies meet each other in tricky situations.
Why do soldiers walk in line?
Fire in huge volleys of musket balls to increase your chances of hitting more of the enemy. So lines upon lines of men were needed in order to achieve these volleys. To do this, an army needs extreme discipline. The British Army of the 18th century is a great example.
Why do soldiers march instead of walk?
Now, new research shows that when soldiers march in unison, it not only intimidates enemies, but also gives the soldiers a confidence boost. In a new study, men who were asked to walk in unison judged their potential opponents as less formidable than men who didn’t walk in unison.
Why did armies have drummers?
From the publishers: Military drummers have played a crucial role in warfare throughout history. Soldiers marched to battle to the sound of the drums and used the beat to regulate the loading and re-loading of their weapons during the battle. Drummers were also used to raise morale during the fight.
Why did soldiers walk in civil war?
American (and British) soldiers and officers therefore had a much greater respect for “firepower.” The way to maximize the value of firepower was to have soldiers “walk” across a battlefield at a measured pace, even if some of them, inevitably, get killed.