WWI, French 220mm Siege Gun

Siege artillery were heavy guns and other bombardment devices designed to bombard fortifications, cities, and other fixed targets. They were capable of firing heavy cannonballs or shells but required enormous transport and logistical support to operate. The onset of trench warfare after the first few months of WWI greatly increased the demand for howitzers that gave a steep angle of descent, which were better suited than guns to the task of striking targets in a vertical plane (such as trenches), with large amounts of explosive and considerably less barrel wear. In January 1914, the French Army had 47 divisions, composed of 777, 000 French soldiers and 47, 000 colonial troops. Another 2.9 million men were mobilized in the summer of 1914, and heavy losses on the Western Front forced France to conscript men up to the age of 45. At the end of the war the French had called up 8, 317, 000 men, including 475, 000 colonial troops, and suffered over 4.2 million casualties, with 1.3 million dead

Picture No

10978369

Media ID

47619227

Size

4500px x 2529px (1.9MB)

Credit

Source

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