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Poison Gas Alarm
New and unseen war tactics were used by both sides during the war. Mustard gas, chlorine gas, and other chemical warfare was waged. Poison gas alarms were essential in trenches to warn of danger and alert to wear gas masks. One WWI medical unit veteran later recalled seeing a man jump into a hole to dodge machine gun fire and he landed in a hole of mustard gas. Mustard gas attacks any moist areas of the body with sores and rashes. The soldier ended up clawing himself to death.
Periscope
Soldiers needed to see out of the trenches and toward the front. A periscope was a tool using mirrors and light to view the distance. Sometimes this would be done to plan an “over the top” attack running into the open and sometimes it would be done to aim weapons.
Duckboards
Trenches were muddy, disease infested places. Many trenches were lined with wooden planking known as duckboards to keep feet from rotting in the festering water. Duckboards were not comfortable on the feet, but they kept the feet from literally rotting and becoming “trench-foot.”
Dugout
Caves were carved into the sides of trenches for soldiers as bunk-houses for sleep. They were also used for planning purposes, or for general rest from the weather.
Bed
Beds consisted of a blanket roll or sleeping bag that was provided for by the military. After long deployments at the front, these bunks became filthy, rotten, and unsanitary. Yet this was home.
Telephone
Mainly found in headquarters, phones were used to reach other command posts. Telephone technology was limited, and wires were needed to connect lines. Army engineers and technicians worked hard to maintain communication between and within trenches.
Hole to take shelter
Soldiers just needed a place to duck out of the way of rain and bullets. Unfortunately, these holes in trench walls would not protect from gas attack.
No Man’s Land
Trenches did not help win the war unless there was a way to advance or move trenches. The area between trenches was littered with barbed wire, craters in the ground from explosions, and lurking chemicals. This land was entirely unsafe due to the location between trenches, but many times platoons of men would charge “over the top” of the trenches through No Man’s Land to try to obtain an advantage. Machine gun fire was very efficient at cutting down “over the top” charges.
Observation Post
Within the maze of trenches, there would be designated spots for soldiers to be able to observe the enemy movements. They were often poorly hidden to appear to the enemy as trees or bushes.
Barbed Wire
Barbed wire lined the tops of the trenches in many areas as well as the fields between trenches. No man’s land was littered with barbed wire. One of the only ways to get through no man’s land and the fields of barbed wire was with a tank or an armored car. However, mud, machine gun fire, and lack of infantry (foot soldier) support made it very difficult to advance through it all.
Signposts
The trench system was very complicated, so there were signposts pointing direction.
Sandbags
While trenches were dug 6-8 feet deep, the tops of trenches had to be lined with sandbags. This provided more room for protection but also provided more of a bullet-proof wall. A high-powered machine gun round could penetrate 10-15 inches through the sand bag. Better the sand bag than your head!
Step to stand and shoot
Walls and sand bags protected the men, but in the process it made them too deep to fight the enemy from. Steps had to be built into the side of the trenches for the men to be able to step up and shoot.
Loopholes for guns
Loopholes were built into the walls and the sandbags so that men could shoot weapons through the walls instead of having to go over the top to shoot. This kept the soldiers safer when battling.
Eating
Soldiers did everything in the trenches since that was their only form of protection form machine guns and chemicals. They slept, ate, and relieved themselves in close area. Men ate and rats cleaned up the scraps in the trenches at mealtime.
New Weapons
Machine guns, heavy artillery (a cross between a cannon and rocket launcher), and chemical launchers were large, heavy, stationary weapons. They were mounted in the trenches at strategic locations. It proved very difficult to move many of them, even when on wheels due to the craters, mud, barbed wire, and attack in open fields.
Gas Mask
Soldiers needed to wear gas masks while fighting most of the war. Sometimes commanding officers did not know how serious the chemicals were and commanded soldiers to go on without necessary protection. In other scenarios, some men used rags or clean shirts soaked with urine to help sterilize the air they breathed.
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