Category Archives: Weapons
British Unifroms, Equipment and Weapons of the First World War
BRITISH UNIFROM, EQUIPMENT AND WEAPONS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Continue readingStokes 3-inch Trench Mortar
The Stokes 3-inch Trench Mortar was a bipod-mounted light mortar weapon designed and developed by English engineer Frederick Wilfred Scott Stokes, later to become Sir Wilfred Stokes KBE. It was adopted by the British Army in mid-1915 and would remain in service for more than two decades. While existing howitzers were extremely capable against entrenched enemy […]
Continue readingThe Mills Bomb
The No.5 grenade was designed by Sunderland-born engineer William Mills and brought into service with the British Army in May 1915. More commonly known as the Mills Bomb, the No.5 was a percussion cap fragmentation grenade that was made from cast iron and most commonly filled with the explosives, ammonal or amatol. It proved a robust and effective weapon on […]
Continue readingNo.1 Grenade
The No.1 Grenade was designed by Martin Hales at the Royal Laboratory, Woolwich in 1908 and was the first hand grenade used by British Army during the First World War. Loosley-based on grenades used during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, the No.1 would soon prove costly to mass-produce, in addition to being unsuited to the cramped conditions of trench […]
Continue readingNo. 2 Mark I and Mark II Grenade
The No.2 Mk I “Hales Pattern” or “Mexican Pattern” Grenade was a percussion type grenade designed by Marten Hale in 1907 and manufactured at the Cotton Powder Company in Faversham, Kent. First used as a rifle grenade during the Mexican Revolution, the No.2 was initially rejected by the British Army before it was belatedly brought into […]
Continue readingBritish 1907 Pattern Sword Bayonet
The 1907 Pattern Bayonet was the British Army’s standard-issue bayonet for the duration of the First World War and remained in service until 1945. Developed after the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) replaced the much-longer Magazine Lee-Enfield (MLE) rifle in 1903, the 1907 pattern bayonet was 5 inches longer than the previous issue weapon and was designed to compensate the new disadvantage faced […]
Continue readingBritish Army Weapons of the First World War
Many weapons were used by the British Army during the First World War. Below is a list of some of the standard-issue weapons that were used by soldiers in every theatre of war between 1914 and 1918. For more details on each weapon, including histories, specifications and photographs, please click on the relevant link and a new […]
Continue readingThe Lewis Gun
The .303 calibre Lewis Gun was officially adopted by the British Army in October 1915 and was on general issue to its infantry battalions by early 1916 when its replaced the much heavier, and far less mobile, Vickers machine gun. Designed by U.S. Army colonel Isaac Newton Lewis in 1911, the Lewis Gun was based on an earlier, and more complex, design […]
Continue readingWebley Mark V and VI Revolvers
The Webley Mark V .455 revolver was the standard-issue sidearm of the British Army when the First World War broke out in August 1914. The revolver had been introduced in December 1913 and replaced the Webley Mk IV that had been in service for the previous 14 years and had been widely-used, although not exclusively, during the Boer […]
Continue readingShort Magazine Lee-Enfield Mark III/III*
The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) Mark III entered service with British Army in January 1907 and was its standard-issue rifle during the First World War. Featuring a reliable bolt action and charger system that enabled the loading of five rounds into its 10-round magazine at once, the rifle was adapted to fire the Mk VII High Velocity .303 ammunition […]
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