Are trenches still used in war?
In fact, trench warfare remains arguably the most effective strategy for infantry where, for whatever reason, armor and air support are lacking. During the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88), after initial gains by the Iraqi army, the fighting settled into years of trench warfare.
How big could the trench rats grow?
There were many soldiers’ corpses found in trenches for them to eat. How big could trench rats grow to be? They could grow to be as large as cats.
Who has the best trenches in ww1?
Simple answer: Germany, by far. Why? Because Germany recognized, at the beginning of stalemate in late ’14, that frontal assault was suicide, and that defensive warfare was far more economical and efficient, unlike the allies who kept trying for the “great breakthrough”.
Did soldiers sleep in the trenches?
Most activity in front line trenches took place at night under cover of darkness. During daytime soldiers would try to get some rest, but were usually only able to sleep for a few hours at a time.
What was trench warfare and why did it occur?
During WWI, trenches were used to try to protect soldiers from poison gas, giving them more time to put on gas masks. Dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, and trench foot were all common diseases in the trenches, especially during WWI. Gigantic rats were common in the trenches of WWI and WWII.
Why did armies dig trenches?
Life in the Trenches, 1914-1919. World War I was a war of trenches. After the early war of movement in the late summer of 1914, artillery and machine guns forced the armies on the Western Front to dig trenches to protect themselves. Fighting ground to a stalemate.
What does I’m in the trenches mean?
“In the trenches” is a common English expression. Originally this was used literally to refer to soldiers engaged in Trench warfare , however it is now commonly used to refer to somebody engaged in a long, difficult, and unrewarding task. “In the trenches” is a common English expression.
Why was ww2 not fought in trenches?
By WWII those Generals were long dead and by 1938 Hitler had launched extremely mobile and quick armor based assaults and fluid attacks, digging in for a trench war was not possible. In fact the Maginot line , born from a WWI mindset was quickly over run by Germanys superior equipment and tactics.
How did trench warfare prove to be ineffective?
Rapid frontal assaults, such as head-on infantry attacks, became ineffective against modern weaponry like machine guns and heavy artillery, and soldiers on both sides had to dig protective trenches to try to avoid casualties, while maintaining hard-won territory. …
What was life like in the trenches?
Trench life involved long periods of boredom mixed with brief periods of terror. The threat of death kept soldiers constantly on edge, while poor living conditions and a lack of sleep wore away at their health and stamina.
Why was trench warfare so bad?
Life in the trenches was very difficult because they were dirty and flooded in bad weather. Many of the trenches also had pests living in them, including rats, lice, and frogs. Rats in particular were a problem and ate soldier’s food as well as the actual soldiers while they slept.
Why was no man’s land so dangerous?
the narrow, muddy, treeless stretch of land, characterized by numerous shell holes, that separated German and Allied trenches during the First World War. Being in No Man’s Land was considered very dangerous since it offered little or no protection for soldiers.
Do any World War 1 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 was trench warfare like in ww1?
Trench warfare caused enormous numbers of casualties. Not surprisingly, this approach was rarely effective, and often led to mass casualties. Later in the war, forces began mounting attacks from the trenches at night, usually with support of covering artillery fire.
What trench means?
A trench is a deep and narrow hole, or ditch, in the ground, like the kind soldiers on frontlines might dig to give themselves shelter from the enemy. The verb trench means to dig or to cut into, but you will most often hear the word as a noun, particularly relating to soldiers.
How do you counter trench warfare?
What was the best way to counter trench warfare? The very ways in which it WAS countered during the war. That is to say, the development of mortars, hand grenades, the creeping barrage, aerial bombardment and close air support, and the tank.
Were there rats in the trenches?
Many men killed in the trenches were buried almost where they fell. These corpses, as well as the food scraps that littered the trenches, attracted rats. One pair of rats can produce 880 offspring in a year and so the trenches were soon swarming with them.
How did soldiers get rid of Trench Rats?
Many troops were awakened by rats crawling across their faces. Cats and terriers were kept by soldiers in the frontline trenches to help free them of disease-carrying rats. The terriers were actually very effective in killing rats
What happened to all the trenches after ww1?
In some places, trenches cut across farms, roads, towns, etc. and were naturally filled in by returning inhabitants. In other places, trenches didn’t get in the way and were simply abandoned to nature. In yet others, especially major battlefields, small sections were deliberately preserved.
What are trenches in the hood?
Trenches means a low income neighborhoods where lots of crimes and violence occurs. The term “Trenches” has been used by Kanye West, Eminem, Lil Durk, Trippie Redd, Future, Lil Baby, Meek Mill, Polo G, Luxury Tax, J.I the Prince of N.Y, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and many more rappers.
What is a deep ocean trench?
Ocean trenches are steep depressions in the deepest parts of the ocean [where old ocean crust from one tectonic plate is pushed beneath another plate, raising mountains, causing earthquakes, and forming volcanoes on the seafloor and on land.
Did they use trenches in ww2?
Trenches (fighting holes, slit trenches, etc) were indeed used in World War II by all major combatants. The stark difference between their use in WWI and WWII was that trenches typically did not become static front-lines for long periods of time (lasting more than six months)
Why did the Germans build trenches?
During the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914, the Germans were pushed back by Allied forces. They subsequently “dug in” to avoid losing any more ground. Unable to break through this line of defense, the Allies also began to dig protective trenches
Why was trench warfare important in ww1?
Trench warfare was important during The First World War. Trench warfare has opened up a new way to fight a war. Trenches were used to protect solders from machine guns from the opposing side. Due to the trenches defending the opposing side’s solders, the countries had to advance in their military technology.
What did they eat in the trenches?
The bulk of their diet in the trenches was bully beef (caned corned beef), bread and biscuits. By the winter of 1916 flour was in such short supply that bread was being made with dried ground turnips. The main food was now a pea-soup with a few lumps of horsemeat.
Why was trench warfare so costly in human lives?
There are many reasons as to why trench warfare was so costly in humans. One reason was because men were ussually in the same place and as a result, the enemy knew where to strike. For example, the enemy would know the exact location of a group of people
What did rats do in the trenches?
More horrifically the rodents were sometimes referred to as corpse rats. They bred rapidly in their millions and swarmed through No-Mans Land gnawing the corpses of fallen soldiers. The rats would taut sleeping soldiers, creeping over them at night. There were long bouts of boredom and rat hunting became a sport.
Did soldiers eat rats in ww1?
Rats crawled around in the trenches, soldiers tried to kill them and eat them for food because they didn`t have much to eat. When they have nothing to eat they have to wait for a rat to come so they can kill it and eat it. If they can`t find a rat they will have to be left with an empty tummy.
How did soldiers use dead bodies in the trenches?
Many men killed in the trenches were buried almost where they fell. If a trench subsided, or new trenches or dugouts were needed, large numbers of decomposing bodies would be found just below the surface. They usually went for the eyes first and then they burrowed their way right into the corpse.