Artifact 5 Darkness of Trench Warfare

Trench Warfare consumed the First World War as both sides used them for cover and living quarters.  When it came to battling in trenches, close-quarter combat was a skill Canadian soldiers had to master in order to succeed. The photograph's purpose is to show how tight trenches could be and how soldiers had to navigate them in combat.  Canadian soldiers became effective at clearing out trenches through the use of shotguns. These weapons had powerful and wide blasts but limited range, making them ideal for clearing trenches. American soldiers first used them, but later, they were also used by British forces, including Commonwealth nations. Germans, however, claimed the use of shotguns violated the laws of war. Canadian soldiers also used trickery to clear trenches as they would throw cans of food across trenches at different times of the day. Days later, when the enemy was expecting canned food to be thrown, Canadian soldiers would throw grenades.

Bibliography:

Parks, W. Hays. "Joint service combat shotgun program." Army Law. (1997): 16-17. 

https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/armylaw1997&div=53&g_sent=1&casa_token=yB2b38PGDaEAAAAA:EV0_QB_wWHwwYvAVm-BENVn3JypMZlFdCI_xg9nkhGlJOTNOelYiaAuM4tI9oQp_fr6foEYo&collection=journal