8 Innovative Weapons of World War I: How New Tech Transformed 20th-century Warfare
The First World War (1914-18) has a close association with static trench warfare dominated by heavy artillery and machine guns, but the conflict witnessed many entirely new developments in weaponry as all sides desperately sought to outdo the enemy and then, very often, invent countermeasures to these new and terrible devices of destruction. Innovative weapons of WWI include the flamethrower, hand grenade, gas shell, tank, long-range bomber plane, mine, torpedo, and depth charge.
1. Flamethrowers
Flamethrowers were first developed by the German Army, although they were then adopted by others. Some flamethrowers required three men to carry and operate, but the development of a portable version allowed a single soldier to carry a weapon that could cause devastation if he managed to get in or near the enemy's trench system. The weapon was used by specially trained assault units known as 'storm troops'. The device used gas to push out fuel under pressure, which was ignited when it reached the nozzle. The flaming petrol could shoot out to a distance of up to 36 metres (40 yards). This impressive-looking weapon was not quite as effective as hoped for. Apart from the high risk of the bearer blowing himself up, the most serious flaw was that the soldiers armed with flamethrowers became the first (and most visible) targets for enemy fire, and so using one became almost a form of suicide.
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⇒ 8 Innovative Weapons of World War I: How New Tech Transformed 20th-century Warfare
