Grenades were ideal weapons for trench warfare, they could be thrown into enemy positions before troops entered them. But they were risky weapons in the confined space of trenches, especially when not handled correctly. Soldiers disliked the Mark 1 Grenade above because it was liable to detonate if knocked against something when being thrown. As the war developed, the army also used rifle grenades, which were fired from a rifle, rather than thrown by hand, greatly increasing their range.

These were later modified to carry smoke, incendiary devices, flares and anti-tank warheads, as well as high explosive.

Even though the British Army had an arsenal of weapons at their fingertips, it took them most of the war to use these fighting tools to their advantage. The stalemate was only overcome in after years of bitter lessons, where the army learnt new tactics that combined the effective use of these weapons. Both resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties for both the Allies and Germans on the Western Front. The Somme offensive was one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War.

But it provided the Army with a tough lesson in how to fight a large-scale modern war. The bitter struggle that followed came to symbolize the horrors of trench warfare.

Despite early gains, the Germans exhausted themselves, setting the stage for a successful Allied counter-offensive. In September , the face of battle changed forever. On an unsuspecting enemy, Britain unleashed its new secret weapon - the tank. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Be the first to hear about our latest events, exhibitions and offers. Simply enter your email address below to start receiving our monthly email newsletter.

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Toggle navigation. View this object. British gunners take a break during the bombardment of Zonnebeke, Background Weapons played a big part in creating the difficult and unusual circumstances of trench warfare which the British Army encountered during the First World War Quick Firing pounder field gun Mk I, Artillery Artillery was the most destructive weapon on the Western Front.

Aerial photography of the front, 25 August Machine guns The machine-gun was one of the deadliest weapons of the Western Front, causing thousands of casualties. It was peculiarly horrible to watch. The gun was so successful that it was later fitted to aircraft. A Sopwith Snipe ready for a patrol over the German lines, Aircraft Aircraft were a such a new technology during the First World War that no one recognised their potential as a weapon at first.

Flying goggles used by the Royal Flying Corps, Two British fighters destroying a German aircraft, Mortars Mortars of all sizes were used on the Western Front. Australians loading a 9.

The Hawthorne Ridge mine detonating during the Battle of the Somme, Mines Tunnelling and mining operations were common on the Western Front.

Ammonal bag from the Durand Mine, Vimy Ridge, Royal Engineers mining under Messines Ridge, Short Magazine Lee Enfield. Rifles Rifles were by far the most commonly used weapon of the war.

Gas hood, Gas The Germans first used gas against the French during the capture of Neuve Chapelle in October when they fired shells containing a chemical irritant that caused violent fits of sneezing. In vain I looked for my landmarks in the German line, to guide me to the right spot, but I could not see through the gas.

Inevitably we scattered Men were clearly disorganised and running and walking in the direction of the German trenches, looking like ghouls in their gas helmets. Despite this, the British Empire suffered over , gas casualties during the war. Gas rattle, A Vickers machine gun team wearing gas masks, Morning star made from a polo ball and bullet spikes, Trench clubs Not all actions on the Western Front were large scale battles.

British Mark IV female tank, Tanks Tanks were developed by the British Army as a mechanical solution to the trench warfare stalemate. My first impression was that they looked ready to topple on their noses, but their tails and the two little wheels at the back held them down and kept them level. When astronauts make such a landing, they shall be safely and promptly returned to the State of registry of their space vehicle. In carrying on activities in outer space and on celestial bodies, the astronauts of one State Party shall render all possible assistance to the astronauts of other States Parties.

States Parties to the Treaty shall immediately inform the other States Parties to the Treaty or the Secretary-General of the United Nations of any phenomena they discover in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, which could constitute a danger to the life or health of astronauts. States Parties to the Treaty shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities, and for assuring that national activities are carried out in conformity with the provisions set forth in the present Treaty.

The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty. When activities are carried on in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, by an international organization, responsibility for compliance with this Treaty shall be borne both by the international organization and by the States Parties to the Treaty participating in such organization.

Each State Party to the Treaty that launches or procures the launching of an object into outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, and each State Party from whose territory or facility an object is launched, is internationally liable for damage to another State Party to the Treaty or to its natural or juridical persons by such object or its component parts on the Earth, in air or in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies.

A State Party to the Treaty on whose registry an object launched into outer space is carried shall retain jurisdiction and control over such object, and over any personnel thereof, while in outer space or on a celestial body.

Ownership of objects launched into outer space, including objects landed or constructed on a celestial body, and of their component parts, is not affected by their presence in outer space or on a celestial body or by their return to the Earth. Such objects or component parts found beyond the limits of the State Party to the Treaty on whose registry they are carried shall be returned to that State Party, which shall, upon request, furnish identifying data prior to their return.

In the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, States Parties to the Treaty shall be guided by the principle of co-operation and mutual assistance and shall conduct all their activities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, with due regard to the corresponding interests of all other States Parties to the Treaty.

States Parties to the Treaty shall pursue studies of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, and conduct exploration of them so as to avoid their harmful contamination and also adverse changes in the environment of the Earth resulting from the introduction of extraterrestrial matter and, where necessary, shall adopt appropriate measures for this purpose.

If a State Party to the Treaty has reason to believe that an activity or experiment planned by it or its nationals in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, would cause potentially harmful interference with activities of other States Parties in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, it shall undertake appropriate international consultations before proceeding with any such activity or experiment.

A State Party to the Treaty which has reason to believe that an activity or experiment planned by another State Party in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, would cause potentially harmful interference with activities in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, may request consultation concerning the activity or experiment. In order to promote international co-operation in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, in conformity with the purposes of this Treaty, the States Parties to the Treaty shall consider on a basis of equality any requests by other States Parties to the Treaty to be afforded an opportunity to observe the flight of space objects launched by those States.

The nature of such an opportunity for observation and the conditions under which it could be afforded shall be determined by agreement between the States concerned. In order to promote international co-operation in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, States Parties to the Treaty conducting activities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, agree to inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations as well as the public and the international scientific community, to the greatest extent feasible and practicable, of the nature, conduct, locations and results of such activities.

On receiving the said information, the Secretary-General of the United Nations should be prepared to disseminate it immediately and effectively. All stations, installations, equipment and space vehicles on the moon and other celestial bodies shall be open to representatives of other States Parties to the Treaty on a basis of reciprocity.

Such representatives shall give reasonable advance notice of a projected visit, in order that appropriate consultations may be held and that maximum precautions may be taken to assure safety and to avoid interference with normal operations in the facility to be visited. The provisions of this Treaty shall apply to the activities of States Parties to the Treaty in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on by a single State Party to the Treaty or jointly with other States, including cases where they are carried on within the framework of international intergovernmental organizations.

Any practical questions arising in connection with activities carried on by international intergovernmental organizations in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall be resolved by the States Parties to the Treaty either with the appropriate international organization or with one or more States members of that international organization, which are Parties to this Treaty.

This Treaty shall be open to all States for signature. At first, pilots took pistols with them and shot at each other in the air. Then the planes were armed with machine guns, but these only became effective in when each side found a way of timing the shots so that they did not shoot off their own propellers! As the war went on, planes were used to drop bombs over the enemy, usually with little accuracy.

By the end of the war, Britain and Germany had built special aircraft that could fly long distances carrying a heavy cargo of bombs. British inventors had also devised effective bomb-sights that allowed more accurate attacks. The age of the bomber had arrived. Artillery killed more people than any other weapon between The biggest guns used in the Great War could fire shells as large as a soldier. The troops were terrified of them.

Men watched their fellows being blown apart or dreadfully wounded by shrapnel. They lived in fear that their turn would soon come. Generals ordered artillery to bombard enemy trenches for hours on end before sending their own troops 'over the top' to attack. The idea was that the artillery would kill many enemy soldiers, terrify others and destroy barbed wire defences and machine gun positions. In fact, enough enemy machine guns usually survived to mow down the infantry when they finally attacked.

In many ways, artillery fire made it even harder to attack enemy trenches as it destroyed all cover and created the famous barren landscape of blasted trees and shell holes that was known as 'no man's land'. At the start of the war, Britain had real problems in supplying ammunition.

As the war went on, Britain greatly improved its supply of guns and munitions. This was partly because hundreds of thousands of women worked in factories to produce the ammunition that was needed. Britain also relied heavily on the USA to supply shells and machines for making weapons. In their search for a weapon that could break the stalemate on the western front, generals turned to a frightening new weapon - poisonous gas.

On 22 April near Ypres, the Germans released chlorine gas from cylinders and allowed the wind to blow the thick, green vapour across to the Allied trenches.

The first to suffer were Algerian soldiers of the French army. Their throats burned, they spat blood and struggled to breathe. Thousands died. As the war went on, gas technology developed.