WWI without Trenches?

[Highlander]

What would it take to have a WWI scenario without trenches?

I'm writing a story taking place on an alternate earth-like planet, with WWI technology. But I would like to keep trench warfare down to a minimum.

Any help?

 

[Alikchi]

No machineguns, or limit them to gatlings, a la 1871.

 

[Highlander]

No machineguns, or limit them to gatlings, a la 1871.

I was thinking that; or what about having instead very, very basic submachine guns?

 

[HueyLong]

Have armored vehicles from the beginning of it. Trenches are going to be obsolete, mostly.

Make the area a bit more inhospitable, and less able to support the laborer or soldier numbers for a trench- allow more manuever, essentially.

 

[Alikchi]

I think the problem with SMGs is that they're basically shrunken down heavy machine guns. You'd need a normal MG as a step towards an SMG basically.

Although you could have advanced clip-rifles, something like the Garand in WWI perhaps.

 

[The Abyss]

thats a toughie. hmmm. more advancements on Tank and Aircraft/gliders, and maybe no machine gun

 

[Highlander]

Have armored vehicles from the beginning of it. Trenches are going to be obsolete, mostly.

Make the area a bit more inhospitable, and less able to support the laborer or soldier numbers for a trench- allow more manuever, essentially.

The terrain in the story is mostly mountanious and heavily forested, so that may help. However it levels out towards the coast, and is mostly completely leveled in the invaders territory.

I think the problem with SMGs is that they're basically shrunken down heavy machine guns. You'd need a normal MG as a step towards an SMG basically.

Although you could have advanced clip-rifles, something like the Garand in WWI perhaps.

Ah, I see. Perhaps there could be MGs, but they are scarce on both sides.

 

[FrolicsomeQuipster]

what if they invent some form of beter body armour so geting a deadly hit wil hapen less
And what if it is realy hard earth there some how so that trenches will take to long or ar to hard to make or someting

 

[Ward]

Well to get rid of the trenchs you would have to get rid of the Russian Japanise war for one , And the American civil war . These were the wars that taught people that trenchs save peoples lives when they are attacked .

 

[MrP]

The terrain in the story is mostly mountanious and heavily forested, so that may help. However it levels out towards the coast, and is mostly completely leveled in the invaders territory.



Ah, I see. Perhaps there could be MGs, but they are scarce on both sides.

I recommend reading up on the whole Romanian campaign stuff in WWI (mountainous and often wooded). I'm reading some Rommel currently, and he's campaigning in that area. A lot of his actions and those of the enemy are focused or limited by the terrain. For example, at one point he has his troops entrench on the front side of a hill. Normally, this would be suicidal, but the enemy artillery can't fire on him because their own troops are attacking. There's also lots and lots of manoeuvre warfare going on.

Another suggestion is based on how similar to WWI do you want it to be? After all, the Western Front was at the right time and in the right place for everyone involved to bring up munitions, but the tech was lacking for instantaneous communications between front-line and HQ. Even that would make an incredible difference just insofar as arty barrages were used.

 

[Bulgaroktonos]

Get rid of fast firing howitzers. The Germans were able to annihilate the Allies because of their overwhelming superiority in artillery technology. If you get rid of the mass bombardments, and make the cannons slow and ponderous as opposed to easily transportable, then you might get somewhere.

 

[Matt]

Just look at the war in the east...

 

[Highlander]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

What I've pretty much decided on is limited use of MG's and artillery, which are bulky. I'll focus more on the rifle, armored vehicle and biplanes.

For rifles, I will make the invading forces (which are more numerious, better equipped and trained) have the more advance rifles (which are bolt action and semi-auto). Still, the most common weapon is the breech-loading rifle.

I would like to have alternate versions of OTL weapons. Not sure if this makes sense, but for bolt action rifles, I was thinking of having the bolt on the side of the gun instead of the top. Also, these weapons would have external clips. All of these rifles would have bayonettes.

Not even sure what I'll do for pistols.

Any suggestions?

 

[HueyLong]

There were some interesting combo pistol/blades.

Other than that, I don't know.

 

[Kien Kaije]

I recommend reading up on the whole Romanian campaign stuff in WWI (mountainous and often wooded). I'm reading some Rommel currently, and he's campaigning in that area. A lot of his actions and those of the enemy are focused or limited by the terrain. For example, at one point he has his troops entrench on the front side of a hill. Normally, this would be suicidal, but the enemy artillery can't fire on him because their own troops are attacking. There's also lots and lots of manoeuvre warfare going on.

Excellent advice from MrP or Matt.

Just look at the war in the east...

Wide spaces is the answer to your problem. At the Western Front there was a high density of troops per kilometer front line. Had their only been a quarter of the actual number present at the same stretch of front line it would have been maneuver warfare like at the Eastern front (Romania is a perfect example here).
If you like to thin out human presence even further you get scenario's like with colonel Von Littow-Vorbeck, waging a guerrilla war (hit and run tactics) in German East-Africa. No need really to tamper with weaponry.

 

[Max Sinister]

Wrong forum... I'll move it

 

[Weapon M]

Something like the Swiss K31 straight pull bolt action can give you a very fast rate of fire (for a bolt-action).....

You can make the ground harder, or make it wetter. It can be wet due to natural causes...or it can be flooded on purpose to prevent entrenchment....

Or you can make entrenchment too hazardous....either gas pockets which are toxic or explosive....or some kind of underground predator or parasite that hinders digging......

Or introduce some cultural prohibitions....trenches are against a religion...or a sign of cowardice.....

Or you could have some kind of gas weapon which tends to settle into trenches...and makes them death traps.....

Or lots more horses.......

 

[Cockroach]

What would it take to have a WWI scenario without trenches?

Pure ASB.
Without extensive trench warfare perhaps (earlier development of Tanks?) but there is no friggin way you will manage to get rid of the use of trenches for seige opperations etc.

 

[Glen]

What would it take to have a WWI scenario without trenches?

I'm writing a story taking place on an alternate earth-like planet, with WWI technology. But I would like to keep trench warfare down to a minimum.

Any help?

A very long front coupled with very long lines of communication would make trench warfare impractical. If you've more front line than people to cover it, there will be holes in what trenches can defend.

The Western front was compact, that's why it worked there.

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

Even without machine guns the armies of the early 20th century are equipped with weapons -guns and rifles- that made movements in the open quite dangerous once the initial war of movements is over.