Did the trench system cause more problems?

[Ir0n Cr0ss]

Hello all!

I just wanted to see everyones opinion with the trench system.

I know guns and artillary was a cause but I am asking if the trench system was a good idea and left the brave men trapped for a direct hit by a shell.

Let your opinions flow!

Ir0n

[CROONAERT]

I.C.

The trenches weren't a strategic plan you know! The war wasn't intended to end up that way - it was a product of necessity. When you have two pretty much evenly matched sides , both of whom cannot advance because of the overwhelming firepower of the opposition then there are only two options - retreat or dig in.

The trenches were what protected soldiers and kept them alive, they weren't man traps!

dave

[Joan and Terry]

Trenches have been around for many many years,normally they were used as a defence,(thinking back to Roman times) and beyond.There were certainly many hundreds of men on both sides killed whilst in the trenches,but like someone said,where else can you go?.The Germans built the trench because they were determined to stay or advance,we had to build them for cover,before advancing,thats one reason why the German trenches were far better than ours.

Joan

[Simon Jones]

I agree with Dave and Joan but during the Battle of the Somme the Germans began to move to a more flexible system of defence because strongly-held trenches with large numbers of men in the front line could be death traps. During bombardments they moved forward into shell holes in no mans land. Their defensive tactics of 1917-18 used a thinly-held forward zone with counter-attack troops held farther back out of range of the field artillery.

Simon