The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War I PDF Download

Author: Chris Bishop
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781782741411
Category : Airplanes, Military
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
From the first tanks to early submarines to the repeating rifle to the biplane, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War I examines key weapons from the Great War. It includes more than 300 pieces of equipment from handguns to zeppelins. Each weapon system is illustrated with a detailed profile artwork and a photograph showing the weapons system in service. Accompanying the illustrative material is detailed text that lists each weapon's service history, the numbers built, and its variants, as well as full specifications. Which tanks were first used at Cambrai? What was created in response to the request for a 'bloody paralyser'? What was the range of the Paris Gun? The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War I answers these questions and many more. Packed with artworks, photographs and information on each featured weapon, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War I is a fantastic book for any general reader or military enthusiast.

Author: Norman Friedman
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473816661
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1531

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Book Description
An in-depth reference to the naval weapons used by Britain, Germany, the US, and the other combatants in the Great War, with photos: “Superb…invaluable.”—History of War Although the Great War might be regarded as the heyday of the big-gun at sea, it also saw the maturing of underwater weapons, the mine and torpedo, as well as the first signs of the future potency of air power. Between 1914 and 1918 weapons development was both rapid and complex, so this book has two functions: on the one hand it details all the guns, torpedoes, mines, aerial bombs and anti-submarine systems employed during that period; but it also seeks to explain the background to their evolution: how the weapons were perceived at the time and how they were actually used. This involves a discussion of tactics and emphasizes the key enabling technology of fire control and gun mountings. In this respect, the book treats the war as a transition from naval weapons which were essentially experimental at its outbreak to a state where they pointed directly to what would be used in World War II. Based largely on original research, this sophisticated book is more than a catalogue of the weapons, offering insight into some of the most important technical and operational factors influencing the war at sea.

Author: Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781542734073
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 84

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Book Description
*Includes pictures *Profiles weapons such as superartillery, poison gas, rifles, grenades, flamethrowers, planes, and more. *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "God would never be cruel enough to create a cyclone as terrible as that Argonne battle. Only man would ever think of doing an awful thing like that. It looked like 'the abomination of desolation' must look like. And all through the long night those big guns flashed and growled just like the lightning and the thunder when it storms in the mountains at home...And it all made me think of the Bible and the story of the Anti-Christ and Armageddon. And I'm telling you the little log cabin in Wolf Valley in old Tennessee seemed a long long way off." - Alvin C. York World War I, also known in its time as the "Great War" or the "War to End all Wars," was an unprecedented holocaust in terms of its sheer scale. Fought by men who hailed from all corners of the globe, it saw millions of soldiers do battle in brutal assaults of attrition which dragged on for months with little to no respite. Tens of millions of artillery shells and untold hundreds of millions of rifle and machine gun bullets were fired in a conflict that demonstrated man's capacity to kill each other on a heretofore unprecedented scale, and as always, such a war brought about technological innovation at a rate that made the boom of the Industrial Revolution seem stagnant. The arms race before the war and the attempt to break the deadlock of the Western and Eastern Fronts by any means possible changed the face of battle in ways that would have previously been deemed unthinkable. Before 1914, flying machines were objects of public curiosity; the first flights of any account on rotor aircraft had been made less than 5 years before and were considered to be the province of daredevils and lunatics. By 1918, all the great powers were fielding squadrons of fighting aircraft armed with machine-guns and bombs, to say nothing of light reconnaissance planes. Tanks, a common feature on the battlefield by 1918, had not previously existed outside of the realm of science fiction stories written by authors like H.G. Wells. Machine guns had gone from being heavy, cumbersome pieces with elaborate water-cooling systems to single-man-portable, magazine-fed affairs like the Chauchat, the Lewis Gun and the M1918 BAR. To these grim innovations were added flamethrowers, hand grenades, zeppelins, observation balloons, poison gas, and other improvements or inventions that revolutionized the face of warfare. These technological developments led to an imbalance. Before the introduction of the man-portable light machine gun (which took place in the second half of the war), not to mention tanks (which also joined the fight late in the game), defensive firepower vastly outweighed offensive capability. Massed batteries of artillery, emplaced heavy machine guns, barbed wire entanglements, and bewildering fortifications meant that ground could not be taken except at incredible cost. This led to the (somewhat unjustified) criticism famously leveled at the generals of World War I that their soldiers were "lions led by donkeys." Certainly, every army that fought in the Great War had its share of officers, at all levels of command, who were incompetent, unsuitable, foolish, or just plain stupid, but there were plenty of seasoned professionals who understood their job and did it well. The main problem facing commanders in the war was that there was such a bewildering array of new armaments, with such vast destructive potential, that previous military doctrines were virtually useless. The Weapons of World War I analyzes the technological advancements in weaponry that produced the deadliest conflict in history up to that time. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the weapons of World War I like never before, in no time at all.

Author: John Campbell
Publisher: Conway Maritime Press
ISBN: 9780851779249
Category : Ordnance, Naval
Languages : en
Pages : 403

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Book Description
There is no shortage of reference books on the warships that fought the Second World War, but the weapons they carried have been largely ignored. This situation is entirely rectified in this classic work, which is encyclopaedic in scope and largely based on original research. Divided by country (including minor powers not directly involved in the war), the book covers all the major weaponry of the period. Weapons of earlier vintage that were employed during the war, and those that were at an experimental, trial or design stage in 1945 are also included. The size, scope and originality of this work make it one of the most important reference works available on naval warfare during the Second World War.

Author: Robert Bruce
Publisher: Crowood Press UK
ISBN: 9781847970329
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
All the guns examined in this new paperback edition of Machine Guns of World War 1 belong to the class known as "automatic" and seven classic World War 1 weapons are illustrated in some 250 color photographs. Detailed sequences shows them in close-up: during step-by-step field stripping, and during handling, loading and live firing trials with ball ammunition, by gunners wearing period uniforms to put these historic guns in their visual context. These fascinating photographs are accompanied by concise, illustrated accounts of each weapon's historical and technical background. The reader will learn exactly what it looked like, sounded like and felt like to crew the German, British and French machine guns which dominated the battlefields of the Western Front in 1914-18, and which changed infantry tactics forever.

Author: Valdimir Glazkov
Publisher: MMP
ISBN: 9788365281289
Category : Military weapons
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Book tells the readers about machine guns, automatic rifles, handguns and revolvers, including both the official weapon models in service in the Russian Army in 1914-1917 and weapons not officially approved as weapons in service but nevertheless used by the troops such as obsolete Russian and non-Russian arms both supplied by the allies or captured from the enemies. A special highlight of this book is the part describing the experimental automatic weapons, without which the reader would hardly get the big picture of the state of the Russian defense engineering developments in the early 20th century. For each model described in the book, there is a brief history of how it was designed and started to be used as an approved army weapon, also with the description of the key modifications made to it throughout the period of its manufacturing for further use as in-service weapon. The book contains a detailed and meticulous description of the field use, strengths and weaknesses of the weapon seen through the eyes of the soldiers. It is the first book written by a Russian weapons history researcher providing a detailed description of machine gun system parts such as mounts, carriers and pack equipment. This book also contains unique information on flare guns and special accessories. Book contains detailed color photos of the guns preserved in different Russian museums.

Author: Ian Westwell
Publisher: Southwater Publishing
ISBN: 9781844769568
Category : Military weapons
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
World War 1 was a global military conflict. It began as a skirmish between Serbia and Austria-Hungary with the assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand in June 1914 and was transformed into a European war when Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914. The loss of life was unequalled, with some 8 million solders and more than 6 million civilians dying during four years of stagnant trench warfare and in failed attacks. It was the first time that many of the military technologies we now take for granted were seen, including aircraft, submarines and tanks. Yet, these were overshadowed by more established weapons such as machine guns, and artillery, the most lethal weapon of all. This visual encyclopedia looks at the key weapons used during the Great War. Each is listed chronologically within sections on the Army, Air Force and Navy. Each weapon features a brief history with a description on how it was used and key specifications, such as calibre, magazine, system, length, weight and muzzle velocity. The first section on Army Weapons features weapons used by the armies and infantry men, such as mortars, rifles and tanks. This is followed by Airforce Weapons and Airships, which includes bombers, fighter aircraft and Zeppelins. Finally Naval Weapons features the warships of Germany's Imperial Navy, the Royal Navy and the Allied powers' fleets, from the early battleships to more modern dreadnoughts and destroyers. From rifles, the main weapon used by British infantry men, to machine guns which needed four to six men to work them, and from tanks which were used for the first time during the battle of Somme to the new torpedo-boats whose main targets were the older battleships and more modern dreadnoughts, this is a detailed and fascinating guide to the military technologies developed during the First World War. Illustrated with more than 180 evocative contemporary photographs, the book will offer new insights for both general and specialist readers.

Author: Alexander Lüdeke
Publisher: Parragon Pubishing India
ISBN: 9781445424354
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
This book describes the weapons and vehicles of all the countries that fought in World War II in a clear and comprehensive manner. It offers an excellent overview of the divers weaponry used by both the Axis Powers and the Allies, with everything you might want to know about the development and deployment of each type of weapon along with the relevant technical specifications.

Author: Jan Suermondt
Publisher: Chartwell Books
ISBN: 9780785829317
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This is the first book that shows in full color all the details of the war’s greatest weapons—handguns, rifles, submachine guns, machine guns, mortars and antitank weapons. This reference is much more than a photo book. Each weapon is examined in detail, including a history of how each was developed, how and where they were utilized, and how they evolved during the war. The performance of each weapon is reviewed, and a profile of important variants for each model is provided. A summary box for each weapon provides numerous key details, including physical specifications, system of operation, feed system, rates of fire, manufacturer and collector value range. There have been many books on World War II infantry weapons, but none with photographs like this one. With over 500 photographs showing major infantry weapons from the Cobberton collection in North Devon, England, this book also contains a detailed examination of the small arms used in the conflict. Revolvers, pistols, rifles, submachine guns, machine guns, mortars, grenades, mines, and hand-held anti-tank weapons.

Author: Paul Cornish
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1844688380
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 291

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Book Description
An in-depth study of how these direct fire weapons were actually employed on the battlefields and their true place in the armory of World War I. The machine-gun is one of the iconic weapons of the Great War—indeed of the twentieth century. Yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. During a four-year war that generated unprecedented casualties, the machine-gun stood out as a key weapon. In the process it took on an almost legendary status that persists to the present day. It shaped the tactics of the trenches, while simultaneously evolving in response to the tactical imperatives thrown up by this new form of warfare. Paul Cornish, in this authoritative and carefully considered study, reconsiders the history of automatic firepower, and he describes in vivid detail its development during the First World War and the far-reaching consequences thereof. He dispels many myths and misconceptions that have grown up around automatic firearms, but also explores their potency as symbols and icons. His clear-sighted reassessment of the phenomenon of the machine-gun will be fascinating reading for students of military history and of the Great War in particular. “For those wanting a little more in-depth information about the role and development of machine guns during the war, this book offers an excellent, well written and easily accessible account of what became the iconic weapon of the war, mainly due to the massive casualties it was able to inflict . . . This really is well worth reading.” —Great War Magazine