What was it like for World War 2 soldiers in the trenches?

Answer 1

The First World War, from 1914 to 1918, was trench warfare, while the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945 was not. During WW2, the fighting was in the open countryside, with mobility and lots of movement. Soldiers only "dug in" below ground level when they stopped for the night, to give themselves protection from artillery or mortar rounds. By being below ground level, they were protected against anything except a direct hit on their small hole in the ground. A trench is a long narrow linear excavation that could run for miles, and be occupied by hundreds of men. Trench warfare died in ww2 with the early success of the Germans new form of mobile and combined arms(Air and Ground) warfare. Fixed positions were simply bypassed or attacked from the rear or the air by paratroopers/glidertroops. Limited trenches were used during the Italion campaign when the Germans used trenches and fighting positions to tie in fortified positions along the Gustav Line (Monte Cassino). The weather was terribly cold and men ,from both sides, were found frozen to death in their fighting positions. As in ww1 disease was rampant with the flooding of the lower area and typhoid was rampant with those who weren't vaccinated. Add to this a lack of clean drinking water or proper sanitation, rats, lice, filthy uniforms and living conditions. These conditions affected men on both sides. One only has to feel the North Atlantic Wind coming across the Atlantic Ocean in the winter time along the Belgium and French Coast to imagine the severity of the cold and storms in the trenches along the Atlantic Wall. == == Trenches where STILL used in the World War 2 in the Italian Invasion of Greece and in The Siege of Moscow and Stalingrad what happened is that some people think Western Allies only fought the World War 2.