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WW1 Era German Trench Shield


Gildwiller1918

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Here is a WW1 era German Trench Shield, it seems these shields which were utilized by all sides (in various styles) and came into play around 1915. These shields were portable, weighing at least 20 to 30 pounds and had a closeable loophole for firing. This German version weighed 30 pounds and measured 24 by 18 inches, the firing loophole was 2 inches by 6 inches. The shield itself was made from a silicon nickel steel and was .23 inches thick and could stop machine gun fire at 100 yards. However with the advent of armor piercing shells, this armor became less effective. So heavier and thicker shields were developed in 1916 and 1917, where the weight increased to 50 pounds and had a thickness of 11mm. 

This particular shield I acquired some time ago, and it was in rough shape. I refurbished the shield base and had a new support leg fabricated, using the original as a template (the original had broken into pieces). I viewed several original pieces and decided to add a camo scheme based upon contemporary examples. I also learned that the soldiers who manned these had leather slings made to facilitate easier carrying when moving positions. At 30 pounds it is quite cumbersome. The picture of the shield with the loophole at the bottom is the heavier 50 pound version. 

 

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I would say, the contemporary colours used were much more subdued. Repainted camouflage tends to be very much too bright. I have seen examples in the Imperial War  Museum London and elsewhere, I also had an original M.16 helmet with almost 90 percent of it's original colour and the colours were all much duller and darker than here, and were hand-applied, showing brush marks.

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Yes, freshly painted examples done today look brighter. I imagine that with time, exposure to sunlight and dirt/grime, it will look better. I did use brushes to apply the paint as well (front side). I can age it some more by adding some coats of wash, but it took long enough to do what I did. I am restoring another one right now, which will be all green, no camo. I have seen some pictures of these shields with the black and white cross painted on the back, so when their planes flew overhead, the troops would turn the shield down to show they were friendly. Interestingly enough there are slight design differences between the two, different shaped support legs, different shaped bolts, etc. 

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  • 3 months later...

There seems to be an increase of these shields on the market lately, coming from Eastern Europe and Russia. Below is a picture from a vendor in Russia, showing his cache. Note there are 2 different types, one like the shield I have restored and the shorter type with the folding sides.

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You might easily get the impression, there were more of these on the Eastern than the Western Front, which would not be the case. A lot of stuff was left behind when the war ended. Whole depots in the West could not be cleared on time after 11. November 1918, as the troops were compelled to carry out the immediate evacuation of the occupied territories and leave. Leaving the Eastern theatre proved more difficult and more dangerous, as the East was full of marauding bands during the revolution there.

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 I don't doubt it Fritz, I have seen plenty of photos of these shields being used on both fronts. 

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Here is another idea that probably sounded better on paper than in practice. This is a mobile (man-powered) shield. The idea was for the infantry behind to to be able to fire with relative protection while pushing it closer to the enemy. One big problem is the weight, if you look in the picture you can see the wheels sinking into the ground. Another issue was the terrain, this obviously could not go through the battlefields, in which case it most likely became a static defense station. Interestingly enough most nations made versions of this as well. This version is a Russian type captured by the Germans. 

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Here is another image of the German shield in use, this time by a searchlight unit. 

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Another view of the shield being used to observe the enemy, it was much safer to use the periscopes instead, as enemy snipers would watch for movement, especially on these plates. 

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Nice view of a German dug out with the shield on the top. Note the mess gear. 

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  • 1 year later...

Image of German soldiers in Flanders 1914, trench shields were plentiful. 

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Pair of very young looking assault soldiers. By this point in the war, most of the European powers were getting low on manpower and age requirements were adjusted accordingly. 

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