What was the most secret and safest way to build a trench?

Tunneling
The most secret way to build a trench was to make a tunnel and then remove the roof when the tunnel was complete. Tunneling was the safest method, but also the most difficult. The land between the two enemy trench lines was called “No Man’s Land.” This land was sometimes covered with barbed wire and land mines.

What was the theory behind charging towards enemy trenches and machine guns?

The machine gun made it inevitable that any charge on an enemy trench would cost many lives. However, the theory was that if enough soldiers charged then no matter how many were killed or wounded on the way there would still be enough men alive to capture the machine guns in the enemy trenches.

What methods of warfare were used in ww1?

Much of the war along the western front was fought using trench warfare. Both sides dug long lines of trenches that helped to protect the soldiers from gunfire and artillery. The area between enemy trenches was called No Man’s Land. Trench warfare caused a stalemate between the two sides for many years.

What were the main items used to stop soldiers from attacking the trenches?

Thick belts of barbed wire were placed in front of the trenches on the Western Front. They were placed far enough from the trenches to prevent the enemy from approaching close enough to throw grenades in.

Do any ww1 trenches still exist?

A few of these places are private or public sites with original or reconstructed trenches preserved as a museum or memorial. Nevertheless, there are still remains of trenches to be found in remote parts of the battlefields such as the woods of the Argonne, Verdun and the mountains of the Vosges.

What were bolt holes used for in ww1?

Front-line trenches were usually only about eight feet deep, but by 1918, the Germans had managed to construct trench systems that were at least 14 miles deep in some areas. Bolt-holes were often carved out on each side of the front-line trench to allow soldiers to eat, rest, or sleep.

Why was WWI all about tactics against machine guns?

The machine-guns in use at the start of the war were too heavy and cumbersome to be carried and fired by advancing troops. It was not just the guns themselves. To function they needed tripods for stability, water for cooling, barrels to replace those worn out by heavy fire, and massive quantities of ammunition.

Why were machine guns effective in ww1?

At ranges of 600 meters or less, machine guns could create fixed lines of fire which would never rise higher than a man’s head, with deadly results for those attempting to advance across them. Or the gun could be traversed between bursts to offer what the French called feu fauchant (mowing fire).

How did the machine gun change ww1?

Machine guns could shoot hundreds of rounds of ammunition a minute and the standard military tactic of World War One was the infantry charge. Casualties were huge. Many soldiers barely got out of their trench before they were cut down.

Which weapon killed the most in ww1?

artillery
The greatest number of casualties and wounds were inflicted by artillery, followed by small arms, and then by poison gas. The bayonet, which was relied on by the prewar French Army as the decisive weapon, actually produced few casualties.