German 10-cm (Model 1917) Field Gun Features: It was also deployed for the home defence of Great Britain. This gun,together with its Mark I and Mark V versions, was widely deployed on the Western Front. British 12-inch (Mark III) Railway Howitzer Features: Originally equipped with shrapnel shells – the better to neutralize exposed infantry – they adapted to use in ‘creeping barrage’ maneuvers, and in pre-emptive strikes before major offensives.Īt the Armistice there were 3,162 18-pounders in service on the Western Front and the gun had fired approximately 99,397,670 rounds. The standard British field-gun of the war, the 18-pounder was a general purpose gun. It proved a reliable and effective artillery piece on the battlefields of the Western Front. Starting in late 1916 the French produced over 700 GPFs and soon were receiving requests for them from incoming American forces. French 15-mm Grande Pussane Filoux GunĪlarmed by a void in their artillery at the start of the war, the French adapted existing, static weapons to meet the challenges of modern warfare. Below are 12 of the most important artillery weapons used in the war. The effect on soldiers was terrible – with far more being killed by artillery fire than opposing infantry.Ĭoming under bombardment was also a terrible mental experience, and tens of thousands of British soldiers had to be treated for shell shock.
So who was this daughter of a Dutch hat-maker, who was executed for espionage after a secret trial during the darkest days of World War One? Listen NowĪs the war progressed, the emphasis came for increasingly heavier weapons, as many field guns did insufficient damage to fortifications. More than 70 years after her death, Mata Hari is still a household name throughout the Western world.