During the early years of the twentieth century, there were few major technological advancements in military technology. Weaponry, armaments, and the technology used by the armed forces of World War I were the primary weapons and equipment used by the military. Most frequently, armaments, at least partial, and even automated, technological advances were the primary root cause of the shifts that swept the world in the aftermath of World War I. It was the advent of industrialization and its accompanying weapons by-products that brought about the evolutionary changes that swept the world after the war.
Technology is the science of using new resources to make things better or more efficient. This includes the use of new or existing resources to accomplish tasks or achieve goals that had formerly been difficult or impossible. In the case of war, the evolution of air armaments brought about a new level of lethality for modern soldiers. Armies no longer had to spend hours in the cold steel of trenches to kill enemy soldiers because bullets now could kill enemies from a distance.
One of the most important advances in weapons technology that resulted from the development of newer, sturdier ships and vessels came in the form of the submarine. Initially, only larger ships were used as submarines. These weapons were initially used to sink German U-boats before they were eventually used against American subs during World War II. The development of the atomic bomb changed the face of warfare in many ways.
submarines became weapon platforms that could sink U. S. ships. As battles grew increasingly bloodier, destroyers became more capable of sinking U. S. ships. As technology advanced, destroyers became weapons systems that could fire long-range missiles and bombs, making them much more effective weapons than their predecessors.
During World War I, the technology was still developing at a very slow pace. Because of this, the development of U-boat designs took a longer time than later technologies. During this time, the United States had relatively few weapons available. However, after German submarines began building weapons that would be equipped with long-range U-boat-fired weapons, the United States took advantage of this German technology by adding a depth charge to its array of weapons in 1917.
World War 1 Weapons
A depth charge was a device that was attached to a warship’s stern. When an enemy ship surfaced, the charging device would shoot an electric bolt down to the sea floor and shock the enemy. The depth charge then fried metal and caused extreme damage to anything it hit. However, these types of weapons were not particularly accurate. They did not kill large numbers of enemy ships and often failed to kill a single vessel.
A new type of weaponry became available in World War 1: Gas Attacks. These weapons used a chemical agent to create as much confusion and psychological as possible to immobilize the enemy. Because many officers felt these new weapons to be barbaric and unnecessary, gas attacks did not become popular as weapons of the day.
As the years went on, new weapons of every kind and variety were developed to kill more enemy ships. In addition, new weapons such as the atomic bomb came into play during World War 2. These weapons changed the face of warfare forever. Some of the weapons you may see today, such as Anti-Ship Missiles and Cruise Missiles, came from the battleship yards of the US.
One offensive weapon that was developed at sea was the flame thrower. Flame throwers would use water as ammunition to throw at enemy vessels. The flame from the flame thrower would spread so quickly that it could blind or sink many enemy boats before they had time to react. In addition, the flames from the flame thrower were extremely hot. This made it easy for boats to be destroyed by them even on a rainy day.
During World War 1, there were no Gatlin Guns or Gatlin Rifle technology, but one weapon that was developed to shoot large projectiles was the grenade. These grenades were quite effective at causing damage to ships and at defeating enemy offensive weapons such as cannons and mortars. This is because the grenades were made out of powder and thus had a high burning speed.
The United States Navy used a great Britain Sea Bow Gun to destroy enemy vessels at sea. Though this weapon was obsolete in World War 2 when ballistic missiles became more popular, it was used during the Gulf War due to its effectiveness. Though British developed their own version of sea bow gun, the United States Navy still used theirs in World War 2. A great Britain sea bow gun was also used in the Pacific in the Battle of Midway.
- The Importance of Standard Operating Procedures in Manufacturing - April 26, 2024
- The Art and Science Behind Glass Engineering - January 2, 2024
- The Intersection of Physical and Cyber Battlespaces - October 19, 2023