Scale of trench plans?

[AndrewBelsey]

I'm not sure if this is the right section to ask, but what scale were the British trench plans drawn in? They have a square grid which will represent a certain number of yards, but I'm not sure how many?

So please could you tell me the scale on this plan. Thanks for the answer, which I'm sure will come quickly.

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

A full square - in your example 9 or 10, is 1,000 x 1,000 yards. Each sub-square A B C D is 500 x 500 yards. Thus >

A B

9

C D

Tom

[AndrewBelsey]

Thanks Tom. I've just found the answer on the Long, Long Trail too.

[CROONAERT]

In answer to your question of what scale (British) trench maps were published in, you can find them commonly in 1:10,000 scale and 1:20,000 scale. Less common - and highly prized by collectors today - are the 1:5,000 scale maps produced in small quantities for local distribution only and for specific operations. The rarest scale of the lot , though, is the 1:2,500 scale produced in (comparatively) miniscule numbers. By 1918, trenchmaps in 1:40,000 scale could also be encountered, but these don't seem quite as attractive to collectors for some reason.....The answer above regarding the square size (and the 'how to read a trench map' info on the LLT) remains constant throughout all these scales however.

To throw a small spanner into the works though, a number of trenchmaps were produced in certain sectors in 1918 in 1:25,000 scale. The grid squares on these measured 1000 meters X 1000 meters. A different grid reference system could also be encountered which was not all that dissimilar to the French method (though it was not exactly the same). A move ,perhaps, towards a unified grid system to be used by all allied nations that never came into fruition due to the end of hostilities?

Dave.

[jscott]

Hi Dave

Thanks for posting the information above - its very helpful. Do you know of any online sites or books which deal with WW1 trench maps (whether British, French or German)? Id be keen to look into this a little further.

Thanks, Jonathan

[CROONAERT]

Hi Dave

Thanks for posting the information above - its very helpful. Do you know of any online sites or books which deal with WW1 trench maps (whether British, French or German)? Id be keen to look into this a little further.

Thanks, Jonathan

Artillery's Astrologers by Peter Chasseaud (basically dealing with the work of the Field Survey units)

Topography of Armageddon by Peter Chasseaud (an A3 trench map 'Atlas' in B&W showing examples of various trench map extracts with a handy potted history of British mapping)

Trench Maps - British Regular Series 1:10,000 by Peter Chasseaud (a basic listing of of 1:10,000 scale map printings but, again, with a nice short potted history)

Rats Alley by Peter Chasseaud (an account of trench naming on trench maps in the Great War. I find some parts of this to be a little 'debateable', but it has a good (if incomplete) gazetteer of British trench names)

Mapping the First World War by Peter Chasseaud (not yet released (Nov.7th publication) so cannot comment on content)

(plus various WO leaflets NOT written by Peter Chasseaud!!!!! )

I'm afraid I don't know of any websites that deal in trenchmap information in much detail (at the moment)

Dave

[Guest mickbernier]

Some really usefull info from Dave, many thanks. I am particularity looking for the detail of 1 Buffs in early 1917 up to the end of May, It is quite important in tracing the movements of a relative killed there on 24th May 17.

Mick

[stu]

Jonathan,

Try this website, http://library.mcmaster.ca/maps/ww1/ndx5to40.htm

Stuart

[Gazunder]

I don't know if I am in the right place for this question, but may be someone can help me out? Does anyone know of any outlets where I could purchase a really large scale map of the whole Western Front; about 1915-1916 when it was fairly static?

Thanks,

Gazunder.

[CROONAERT]

Depends what you mean by 'really' large scale.

To give an indication, you're looking at a map sheet some 64 feet long to cover the whole Western Front in 1:40,000 scale. To be in any way feasible, you'll be looking for a map at a scale of approx. 1:500,000 which, with them being not all that greatly detailed, may be available (somewhere!). The IGN, for example, produce a map entitled 'France - Lieux de Battailles' in 1:1,000,000 scale which, though it also lists a myriad of battles from other periods, also illustrates the position of the 1915/17 Western Front front-lines. Maybe have a word with them and see if they do a larger scale version also? (Though none are advertised).

Dave.

[Gazunder]

Thanks Dave,

Excuse me for my ignorance, what does IGN stand for?

Fred.

[Andrew Upton]

Excuse me for my ignorance, what does IGN stand for?

http://www.ign.fr/

"L'Information Grandeur Nature"

http://www.mapsonline.co.uk/publishers/ign/pb1356.aspx

"IGN is France's equivalent of the UK's Ordnance Survey."

[Gazunder]

http://www.ign.fr/

"L'Information Grandeur Nature"

http://www.mapsonline.co.uk/publishers/ign/pb1356.aspx

"IGN is France's equivalent of the UK's Ordnance Survey."

Thank you Andrew, most helpful. Fred. I am new to this Forum.