How did soldiers protect themselves from the powerful artillery fire during World War 1?

Answer 1

Artillery was a major advantage in WWI. No-Man's land was the area in between opposing trenches, which was usually shelled continuously. Imagine trying to run a couple hundred yards through being bogged down by muddy terrain, artillery impact craters everywhere, through barbed-wire, while shells are raining hell down on you. Not only that, they could be used to deploy chemical weapons, which saw their first major use during WWI. Artillery was used as a shield in front of the trenches, thinning out charging infantrymen, and continuous pounding of enemy trenches to demoralize and kill if possible.

Answer 2

The military effectiveness of artillery in World War I was mixed. The primary reasons were inaccuracy and the inability of Command during a battle to relay back to the artillery batteries when and where they needed covering fire the most.

World War I was unprecedented in the numbers and size of artillery that the waring nations produced. But properly designed fortifications and bunkers could defy even the heaviest bombardments. For example, at the beginning of the battle of Verdun the Germans lobbed and incredible 2 million artillery shells within 48 hours over a six mile stretch of front. The "mix" included high explosive shells, blockbuster shells, shranel and poison gas. The terrible barrage was described as "ripping and tearing the ground like an earthquake". Yet at the end of this, there were still enough French troops that survived to beat off the first German assault. According to SLA Marshall, about 200 artillery rounds had to be fired to take out a single soldier at Verdun.

The British bombardment that preceeded the Battle of the Somme in 1916 lasted a week. The gunfire was so intense that it was heard several hundred miles away in England. The British generals were certain the German lines had been destroyed. Yet when the British attacked they discovered that most of the Germans had survived to beat off the British. More than 60,000 Allied casualties (including 20,000 dead) were suffered on the first day of the assault. Furthermore according to AJP Taylor, such heavy bombardments pitted the ground so extensively that orderly advance of the attacking troops was impossible. And even when a German bunker happened to be destroyed, the pits and shell craters gave them fresh cover for their machine guns.

Answer 3

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_artillery_develop_during_the_First_World_War"

Answer 4

Ran back the direction they came.