The constant sounds of artillery, drove many men insane.
Artillery
Artillery, grenades and mortars were used effectively during the First World War.
Both forces used artillery extensively as they were long range and very destructive weapons. Most artillery guns could fire around 25 rounds and the impact of each explosive shell would leave a crater hole about 10m wide.
Even though artillery were very destructive and deadly, their effectiveness was limited in WWI as the gunner’s would have difficulty aiming at a specific point.
Mortars were metal tubes with an opening at the top. An explosive would be dropped into the metal tube. When it hit the bottom it would be propelled into the air. Their range would be limited to around 500m but they were used to harass the enemy.
Artillery and Mortars were used in continuous bombardment in attempts to soften the front line of the enemy prior to an attack.
Grenades were smaller bombs, which could be thrown by hand. The first grenades had a fuse, which had to be lit by the operator. Later grenades consisted of a pin, which had to be pulled by the thrower. This would then cause a chemical reaction with the explosives. The Germans used grenades, which had long handles on the end of the explosives to give them more leverage and more distance when thrown. Towards the end of the war, an extensive amount of deaths were caused by grenades as they became much more effective. They were an ideal weapon as they were small easy to use and produced a large blasting impact.