Weapons of world war 1

Essay by dolceHigh School, 11th gradeA-, April 2005

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World War II was not only about airplanes, tanks and submarines, but also, the army on foot had a lot of influence on war. Their infantry weapons were designed to be specialized in all types of situations.

At the beginning of World War II, most soldiers were equipped with bolt-action riffles; they were powerful and accurate weapons for over half a mile. However, they required manual loading after each shot, which took time. Therefore, they replaced it with the semi automatic riffles which were more accurate and faster than the bolt action riffles because it ha an automatic reloading system. It not only helps the soldier by firing at a faster rate, but also helps the soldier by letting him keep his eye on the target. The semi-automatic riffle was a revolutionary weapon.(www.encarta.com)

After the bolt-action riffle and the semi-automatic riffles were invented, it got other people thinking. That led to the invention of the sub-machine gun.

It is a much more portable weapon that is capable of rapid fire thanks to its automatic reloading system. The sub-machine guns were more reliable than bolt-action riffles and semi-automatic riffles because they were cheap and easier to find. A man carrying a sub-machine gun can carry a lot more ammunition than a soldier carrying a bolt-action riffle or a semi-automatic riffle.(www.encarta.com)

Another more portable type of weapon is the pistol. Pistols are not very suitable for military fighting because the shots are only meant to be at close range. They also carry small amounts of ammunition compared to the other weapons in World War II. Pistols were handed to soldiers on the battlefield as a backup weapon. Another more portable weapon is the hand grenade. It is cheap, easy to find and easy to use. It is also very explosive, just simply...