4 ms·

> The creeping barrage of artillery fire suppresses the enemy so the infantry can charge How?

• rawgabbit 4y ago
  In WWI, concrete pill boxes were rare. Most machine gun emplacements were protected by sandbags and makeshift defenses. The defenders would have to be out in the open. When artillery rain down on them, they would stay in their bunkers which had no ports for them to fire out of. They would wait until the shelling stopped, get of their bunkers, and then man the machine guns. The attackers, meanwhile, if they got their timing right... would be on top of the trenches when this happens. Giving the attackers a chance to engage the defenders before the machine guns open up.
  • ogogmad 4y ago
    The creeping barrage was "creeping" in some sense. This is what I don't get. Surely, it would've been enough to aim it at the opposing trench, and not have it "creep up" at all. I feel like every explanation I'm getting now is deja vu.
    • rawgabbit 4y ago
      This link has an image of the artillery plan for the Passchendaele campaign. The barrages were timed at 3 minute intervals. Advancing a hundred yards at time. http://www.gutenberg-e.org/mas01/images/mas06f.html http://www.gutenberg-e.org/mas01/images/mas06f.html
    • afterburner 4y ago
      Individual trenches are 5-10 ft wide. The artillery barrage creeping was measured in planned "advances" of 50-100ft. Also there were always multiple layers of trenches.