WW1 barbed wire defences

[LarryH57]

Connected with my original post on the shape of trenches, I'm also interested to know about the barbed wire in front of the trenches. If the British set up wire in front of their own positions, then surely they needed to leave gaps in it so that when they went over the top towards the Germans they would not get held up. But then the Germans could equally use these gaps to attack the British lines! So how did it work; did they have to remove wire before an attack and then fill the gaps in quiet times. BTW I have heard that the Germans often set up their Machine Guns to cover the gaps presumably in their own wire. Thanks in advance.

[Tony B]

First patented in the US in 1867. Military wire is difrent to the usual agri stuff. Longer barbs closer together. Wiring was originally done on wooden posts, laid as a horizontal apron, rather than vertical. As the noise of banging in posts called attention to work , inviting enemy attention, the so called silent picket was developed. The intention was to keep the opposition beyond the range of thrown grenades. Later as man power and wire became scarce less thick belts were used.

 

Lanes in the wire could either be preset in chicanes, or cut prior to attack. The wire also suffred attrition from artillery fire. Indeed the mian reason for artillery bombardment prior to assualt in early stages of the war was to cut wire. The Allies developed both hand held and rifle mounted cutters. The other wire cutting tol was invented by a man calld McLintock of the Madras Sappers and Miners in about 1912, as he was based at Bangalore, it became known as the Bangalore Torpedo. Originally it was used to destroy booby traps, the wire cutting was unexpected consequense. The idea of one man throwing himself onto the wire so others could cross over hime. Bu**s*it! Good strling proganda, but in practice useless.