Most feared U.S. WWI weapon

[Bengalzona]

World War I was noted for the fearsome array of new or improved weapons introduced onto the battlefields. Gas, airplanes, tanks, massive cannons, dreadnoughts, flamethrowers, submarines, etc. By the time the U.S. troops began arriving during the final year of the war, all of these weapons were already in use. But the U.S. troops brought a weapon with them that had not been seen on the WWI battlefields up to that point. And this weapon sent such a shock through the German high command, that the German government filed a formal complaint that the weapon violated the Hague Convention... the only such complaint filed by the Germans during the war (while they were gassing the hell out of troops from other countries). And the weapon was not a bomb or machine, etc. It was a firearm.

Wonder what that weapon was?

The M1911 Colt Automatic Pistol?

The M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle?

Those would be reasonable guesses. Both were powerful firearms, the 30-06 round of the BAR and the .45 round from the Colt could easily drop an enemy soldier in one hit. And both weapons were automatic (BTW- the BAR, slung from the shoulder with a sling, was conceived to be the world's first 'assault weapon in a concept the developers called "walking fire").

But, no, it was neither of those venerable weapons.

The weapon that through the hardened German troops into fits was this:


This is the Winchester Model 1897 pump action shotgun.

European armies of the day favored rifles, particularly bolt action rifles with a long range that could be used to snipe across 'No Mans Land' like the British Lee-Enfield or the German Gewehr 98. But warfare inside the trenches was different it was close quarters. Unless you were using it with a bayonet or as a club, that bolt action rifle wasn't gonna help much after the first shot.

Yes, despite the wide array of weapons being used on the battlefields during WWI, no one was using shotguns. And when the Americans brought them it was a shock to the troops in the trenches facing them. These weapons quickly became known as 'trench sweepers'. Soldiers were trained to enter an enemy trench and use the weapon in 'slam-fire' mode (keeping the trigger held while continuously pumping). In this manner, they could unleash the weapons six rounds within seconds, spraying the trench laterally with 54 8.44mm buckshot rounds. In the close combat of the trenches, it was terrifying to face.

But why would the Germans be so upset about this particular weapon compared to the many other horrifying weapons in use? In 1918, the Germans introduced new tactics designed to break the stalemate on the Western Front. These tactics were a combination of timed and concentrated artillery fire and "stosstruppen" (shock troops) specially trained to infiltrate enemy trenches in coordination with the artillery barrages. The tactics actually worked quite well against the hardened British and French troops on the line. And when the rookie American troops came, naturally the Germans expected devastating results when they met.

But that is not what happened. American commanders had not sat around idly during the prior years of the war. They studied what was going on and planned for the weapons and training U.S. troops would need if they should have to go. And part of those plans included the shotgun. When the Germans moved against the American positions, they were stopped butt cold. And American offenses were surprisingly successful. It was the end of the last remaining hope for the German army and they became desperate. So they protested. But the Americans countered and nothing ever came of it.

As for the shotgun, Americans have used the weapon in every conflict since WWI. Truly, an effective American weapon.