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Weapons of World War I facts for kids

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During World War I, many weapons changed a lot, and some completely new ones appeared. Soldiers used better grenades, flame throwers, poison gas, and artillery. New weapons like the submarine, warplanes, and the tank also changed how battles were fought.

Powerful Machine Guns

Both sides in the war used much stronger heavy machine guns than ever before. These guns were very powerful. It took four to six soldiers to operate one machine gun. They could fire an amazing 400 to 600 bullets every minute!

These guns got very hot from all the shooting. Because of this, they needed water to cool them down. The first machine gun was invented in 1884 by Hiram Maxim.

German and British Machine Guns

The German army used a version called the MG08. The British army used the Vickers machine gun. The Vickers was known for being very safe and easy to use.

Machine guns completely changed how wars were fought. They caused many soldier deaths. Sometimes, if a machine gun got too hot, it would slow down. Every soldier in a machine gun team was trained to take over if someone was hurt. As the war went on, more machine guns were used. They were often placed with barbed wire in trench warfare. This made them the most deadly weapon on the battlefield.

Soldiers' Rifles

Besides machine guns, soldiers also carried rifles. These were their main personal weapons.

British Lee Enfield Rifle

The standard rifle for the British army was the Lee Enfield 0.303. James Lee made this rifle in 1907. The Lee Enfield could fire twelve bullets in one minute. This was quite fast for a rifle at the time.

German Mauser Rifle

The German army used the Mauser rifle. Paul Mauser made this rifle in 1898. It was known as an excellent rifle. However, it could only hold five bullets at a time.

Images for kids

  • Grabenkeulen IMG 1703

    British improvised weapons in Fort Reuenthal

  • Temporary exhibition about WWI, gare de Paris-Est, 2014 (German helmets)

    German helmets went from leather to steel

  • Cannon 75 mm Schneider with limber Memorial de Verdun

    French Canon de 75 modèle 1897 gave quick, accurate fire in a small, agile unit, but the Western Front often needed longer range

  • Austro-Hungarian artillery 1914

    Austro-Hungarian artillery 1914

  • Somme -- French Auto in mud LOC 15276629134

    Motor trucks rarely performed well

  • Lot-7868-8 (28364510440)

    Renault FTs in U.S. service, Juvigny, France

  • Submarine U-14 (LOC) (6358166395)

    German U-boat U-14

  • German grenades WWI Memorial de Verdun

    German grenades from the First World War, Verdun Memorial, Fleury-devant-Douaumont, France

  • 7.7 cm FK 16 CMHM Brantford 1

    German 7.7 cm FK 16, developed during the war because an earlier model had insufficient range

  • Australian infantry small box respirators Ypres 1917

    Australian infantry with gas masks, Ypres, 1917.

  • Fokker Dr1 on the ground

    The Fokker triplane belonging to Manfred von Richthofen (the "Red Baron")

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Tecnología durante la Primera Guerra Mundial para niños

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