Trenches
A trench is a form of field fortification , usually in the form of an angled trench, which the shooter uses through a front and rear cover to safely fire shots while standing or kneeling and to protect against grenades and their splinters. Field fortifications were already used and perfected on a large scale by the Ottoman troops during the siege of Candia on Crete in 1648 and the second Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683. Many of the battles with the greatest losses in the second half of the Civil War and during the First World War were marked by trench warfare (see also Trench Warfare in World War I ).
Trenches were often dug in a zigzag shape ( fragmentation trenches) in order to provide more protection when enemy units entered the trench or a shell hit .
Different profiles were prescribed in the various armies. The situation before the First World War was as follows:
| army | Stop height | Amount of coverage | Parapet | Sole width |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kneeling shooters | ||||
| German | 0.9 m | 0.9 m | 0.4 m | 1.3 m |
| Austrian | 0.8 m | 1.0 m | 0.55 m | 1.0 m |
| French people | 0.8 m | 0.8 m | 0.5 m | 1.3 m |
| Italian | 0.8 m | 0.8 m | 0.45 m | 1.6 m |
| Standing shooters | ||||
| German | 1.4 m | 1.4 m | 0.6 m | 1.0 m |
| Austrian | 1.3 m | 1.75 m | 0.55 m | 1.0 m |
| French people | 1.1 m | 1.1 m | 0.6 m | 1.2 m |
| Italian | 1.25 m | 1.25 m | 0.7 m | 1.4 m |
| Reinforced profile | ||||
| German | 1.4 m | 1.8 m | 0.6 m | 0.75 m |
| Austrian | 1.2 m | 1.95 m | 0.6 m | 0.8 m |
| French people | 1.3 m | 1.35 m | 0.8 m | 1.0 m |
| Italian | 1.25 m | 1.8 m | 0.7 m | 0.6 m |
The inner parapet slope was stepped to lay arms on when shooting. A trench stride was calculated for each shooter .
The aim of these trenches is to distribute troops in such a way that the soldiers approaching the enemy are protected as far as possible from the enemy. It is also desirable that the troops move in such a way that the enemy does not notice them before fire is opened. The trenches also include stacked sandbags and, from 1873, barbed wire entanglements ( Spanish rider ). The main objective of such a rapprochement in trench warfare with the enemy is to gain a tactical advantage.
To protect the civilian population, cover trenches were used as a further development of the trenches .
Types of field fortifications
The word trenches has become synonymous with all types of earth fortifications.
- Schützenmulde is the smallest military earth fortification for a soldier.
- Foxhole is a field fortification for one soldier, the fighting post for two soldiers.
- Trenches are created as connecting trenches within large systems of positions.
See also
literature
- Hein: The little book about the German army. Lipsius & Tischer, Kiel, Leipzig 1901.
