Artillery battery

Inside the besieged city of Leningrad, Russian citizens experienced deplorable conditions that would be equal in devastation to the atrocities at Auschwitz. Following the German encirclement of the city on July 8, 1941, a directive from Adolf Hitler was given to the Nazi commanders of Army Group North on Sep. 29, 1941, which foreshadowed the struggle that Leningraders would soon be forced to survive: “The Fuehrer has decided to have [Leningrad] wiped off the face of the earth . . . . the…

World War I is seen as the dawn of modern chemical warfare, with multiple chemical agents being used on a large scale. The variety of poisonous gases resulted in 1,240,000 injuries and 91,000 fatalities. Chemical weapons in World War I were primarily used to subdue, injure, and kill enemy soldiers who were in the trenches, against whom the slow moving gas clouds would be most effective. The types of chemical warfare weapons dominated from debilitating chemicals, such as tear gas and the dreadful…

A boomerang was originally used for a tool to kill animals when there were no guns. The boomerang it supposed to come back to you after you throw it so you can use it over and over. The wooden ones are the original ones but they come in plastic too sometimes. Some are cheap but they still can work. Also a boomerang can be used to hunt and kill animals. Most boomerangs were utilized by gatherings of individuals in Australia. These weapons, now and then called "toss sticks" or "kylies", were…

After weeks of reconnaissance, on the morning of July 1, 1970, the North Vietnamese started firing mortars at the firebase. The began to besiege the Americans, in the firebase. During the siege that held on for 23 days, 75 US servicemen were killed. The battle for the hilltops raged for days. The 101st was surrounded, outnumbered almost ten to one and running low on supplies. It was only the high ground and the bravery of its defenders that kept the enemy from overrunning the FSB Ripcord. Major…

The trebuchet was used to hurl large stones at castles in the medieval era. The trebuchet was a new war machine that terrorized castles throughout the British isles. With it’s origin dating back to China in 300 B.C., the trebuchet was used primarily by the French until the twelfth century. During the Siege of Dover, the French attacked the British stronghold at Dover. Once King Edward the first of Britain laid his eyes on this weapon he knew he must construct one for Britain. He told his master…

Millions of young men have gone through life-altering experiences in their time in World War I. In Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul Bäumer, a 19-year-old German soldier, narrates his personal memoirs of this war. As he is forced to mature from a young boy to an experienced warrior in order to survive, Paul is left permanently scarred from the throes of war and his attitude towards life is forever changed. Paul is used as an example for all of the young soldiers…

1a. Tenterhooks Due to its versatility and economic value, tenter hooks are one of the most interesting objects from the past. The hooks are believed to originate from England and first composed of in the 17th century. Ever since then, Archaeologists have found over 270 tenterhooks in James Fort. Tenter hooks, composed of iron or wooden tenders, and spanning from one to two inches long, were used to dry clothes after they have been washed and pounded. Wool, for example, was hung on wooden…

Trebuchet: A machine used in medieval siege warfare for hurling large stones or other missiles. This is one of the most important and game changing weapon of all time. When the trebuchet is fired, the weight box falls and the force of gravity causes rotational acceleration of the attached throwing arm around the axle (the fulcrum of the lever). The throwing arm is usually four to six times the length of the counterweight portion. These factors multiply the acceleration transmitted to the…

During 1914 all the way to 1918 the people left confined in their homes were surging with nationalism, grief and sorrow. Women found out of their husband’s deaths, mothers mourned their sons and children lost their father. In history the Western Front attracts most of the attention and the home front sometimes is forgotten. Such a crucial part that greatly influenced the outcome of the war cannot be sidelined. The war took its toll on the British economy. The war was getting heavy and the only…

During the Battle of Yorktown the Americans and French used three different types of artillery which where categorized as howitzers, cannons, and mortars. Each piece of artillery had a different use or propose during the battle. Since the artillery was not as precise as it is today, the success of the artillery fell upon the expertise and talent of the gun crews. Most crews where a six man team made up of a Gun Commander, Firer, Vent Tender, Ram and Sponge, Worm and Loader, Powder Handler,…