Trench Warfare

[cyberia]

It has been estimated that if connected end to end, trench lines of the First World War could circle the globe, and then some.

Only an estimate, of course, but the fact is as the war ground to a stalemate combatants of all nations on all fronts had little choice but dig in.

A section of German trenches on the Western Front photographed by a French aircraft



Canadian troops entrenched on the Western Front, 1917



Turkish troops firing from their trenches at Gallipoli




Italian troops entrenched along the Montello Line



British troops fire from a shallow trench in France, 1916



A German sniper training from a trench line on the Western Front, 1917

[cyberia]

French troops use a box periscope to peer from their trench at German lines



Serbian troops firing from a trench line



Japanese riflemen packed shoulder to shoulder in a trench, date and location unknown



Royal Irish Fusiliers hunkered down in trenches at Gallipoli



Australian troops in a shell damaged trench on the Western Front



Russian troops with a propped up machine gun in a trench in Poland

[cyberia]

American troops hurl grenades from hastily dug trenches on the Western Front



Belgian troops at rest in a shallow trench line near Liege



Indian troops firing from their trench line in Mesopotamia



British troops hunker down in a trench near Salonika, 1917



A German solider sleeps on the mud boards of a trench on the Western Front

[cyberia]

A French barber trims a "customer" in a trench during a lull in the fighting




Mess call in the trenches




A French soldier catches some shut eye




A Royal Mail Service letter drop in a trench at Gallipoli

[Geek44]

I'm reluctant to use the 'quote' function because I don't want to double-up so many pics but...
In post number two above, the pic at the top 'French troops use a box periscope to peer from their trench at German lines'.
It would appear that the periscope is attached to the rifle for sighting. I've seen pics of Aussie troops at Gallipoli (Gelibolu in Turkish) with similar contraptions.
Lots of Turks in Australia...their alphabet is European. The only other words I know in Turkish describe food. The Turks were and are highly respected in this country. A sentiment that I believe is echoed in Turkey. Many Australians are now making the trip to Gallipoli for ANZAC day 'celebrations' these days. Thousands of people camp over night for the dawn service. There was a stink over it here a couple of years ago because people were sleeping on possible war graves and the litter...people never cease to amaze me with their complacent and ignorant disrespect...not only for an Aussie 'sacred site' but also a country that they are guests in. But I digress...

[cyberia]

Unable to carry away the dead due to fear of exposing themselves to enemy fire
French soldiers pile corpses up at one end of the other edge of their trench



British troops huddle against an embankment they share with dead comrades

[vitara]

.........................................

[vitara]

...................................

[vitara]

................................................

[vitara]