trenchesDKIII




 * Trench Warfare **

Is a form of warfare in which combatants occupy fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery. It has become a byword for attrition warfare, for stalemate in conflict, with a slow wearing down of opposing forces. An individual unit's time in the front-line trench was usually brief; from as little as one day to as much as two weeks at a time before being relieved. The 10th Battalion, CEF, averaged front line tours of six days in 1915 and 1916.

On an individual level, a typical British soldier's year could be divided:
 * 15% front line
 * 10% support line
 * 30% reserve line
 * 20% rest
 * 25% other (hospital, travelling, leave, training courses, etc.)