Impact of new technology?

Question 1

Sea warefare?

Answer 1

• In response to German U boats - British developed - Mines, depth charges, Q-ships, convoy system
• other developments - hydrophone - microphone allowed U boats to be detected from miles away
• Floatplanes - October 1918 - aircraft carrier (war ended before could be used)
• U-boats presented most serious threat to allied ships - development of tech to counter attacks made them much less effective

Question 2

Air warfare?

Answer 2

• start of war - planes only used for reconnaissance - by 1918 - able to play important role due to number of key improvements
• stronger materil made them more manoeuvrable - anthony fokker - developed way of firing machine guns without damaging propellar
• larger fuel tanks allowed planes to travel great distances - more attacks
• planes could support ground troops
• able to fly in formations
• radio allowed pilotes to communicate with grounds while in air
• more powerful planes - huge impact - planes brought ability to do war in air

Question 3

Tanks?

Answer 3

• first tanks used in battle of somme 1916 - slow and largely ineffective
• over next few years tanks - stronger + more reliable
• at battle of cambrai - 400 tanks cross german line - gained 8km of land - at battle of amiens in august 1918 - 600 tanks led advance that captured 32km
• germans developed ways of combatting tanks - german leaders never caught on - fell behind allies in development - important factor in defeat

Question 4

Artillery

Answer 4

• powerful artiller existed from beginning of war
• special shells made to destroy barbed wire - larger/more accurate guns - mine warefare - creeping barrage
• more damage done to enemy line - march 1918 - germans had guns - fire up to 130km

Question 5

Infiltration tactics?

Answer 5

• old methods led to heavy casualties
• new approach was used - group of elite soldiers advance early in order to destroy enemy machine gun posts
• decreased number of casualties

Question 6

Commanding the troops?

Answer 6

• for most of war, allied countries each had own command structure
• march 1918 - decided that allied troops would come under command of Ferdinane Foch - french general
• uninfied command structure allowed allies to act quickly to halt german spring offensive - launch successful counter-attack