How were the trenches built in WW1?

The WWI trenches were built as a system, in a zigzag pattern with many different levels along the lines. Sometimes the soldiers would simply dig the trenches straight into the ground – a method known as entrenching. Entrenching was fast, but the soldiers were open to enemy fire while they dug.

How many miles of trenches were dug in WW1?

In total the trenches built during World War I, laid end-to-end, would stretch some 35,000 miles—12,000 of those miles occupied by the Allies, and the rest by the Central Powers.

What did trenches look like in WW1?

Trenches were long, narrow ditches dug into the ground where soldiers lived. They were very muddy, uncomfortable and the toilets overflowed. There were many lines of German trenches on one side and many lines of Allied trenches on the other.

Were the trenches dug in straight lines?

Trenches were not dug in straight lines. Otherwise, if the enemy had a successive offensive, and got into your trenches, they could shoot straight along the line. Each trench was dug with alternate fire-bays and traverses.

How long did it take to build the trenches in ww1?

It is estimated that if all the trenches built along the western front were laid end-to-end they would total over 25,000 miles long. The trenches needed constant repair or they would erode from the weather and from enemy bombs. The British said it took 450 men 6 hours to build about 250 meters of a trench system.

Why were ww1 trenches built?

Trenches were common throughout the Western Front. Long, narrow trenches dug into the ground at the front, usually by the infantry soldiers who would occupy them for weeks at a time, were designed to protect World War I troops from machine-gun fire and artillery attack from the air.

What did they eat in the trenches in WW1?

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 it difficult to get rid of the lice in the trenches?

Lice were impossible to get rid of in the trenches. Lice, like the rats also carried disease which “proved to continually and heavily drain on manpower. With the stench and abundance of rotting bodies, not only did the rats and lice have a utopia, but flies also swarmed the battlefields.

What did they eat in the trenches in ww1?

Why was a trench zigzag?

The trench system had a main fire trench or front line. All the trenches were dug in a zig-zag pattern so the enemy couldn’t shoot straight down the line and kill many soldiers. If a mortar, grenade or artillery shell would land in the trench, it would only get the soldiers in that section, not further down the line.

What were trenches in World War I?

Trenches—long, deep ditches dug as protective defenses—are most often associated with World War I, and the results of trench warfare in that conflict were hellish indeed. Trenches were common throughout the Western Front.

What was life like in the trenches?

Life in the Trenches of World War I Trenches—long, deep ditches dug as protective defenses—are most often associated with World War I, and the results of trench warfare in that conflict were hellish indeed.

How far away from the German front line were the trenches?

The first was the front-line trench (the firing trench) which was located 50 yards to 1 mile away from the German front line. Behind the front line, several hundred yards away was the support trench which would help assist the front line with men and supplies.

How long did it take to build a trench system?

The trenches needed constant repair or they would erode from the weather and from enemy bombs. The British said it took 450 men 6 hours to build about 250 meters of a trench system. Most of the raids took place at night when soldiers could sneak across the “No Mans Land” in the dark. Each morning…