CONFLICT ZONE: World War I & II

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From the trenches of Europe to the mushroom clouds over Japan, the first half of the 20th century reshaped armed warfare. So far, World War I (WWI) and World War II (WWII) remain the largest and most destructive conflicts in human history. They redefined the global balance of power and transformed military innovation worldwide. This photo feature offers a chronicle of that transformation, tracing the strategic shifts that forever changed the battlespace. When WWI (1914–1918) erupted, armies marched with cavalry traditions and 19th-century tactics. However, within four years, battlefields became testing grounds for modern technologies.

The first picture captures L-boat submarines stationed in the Azores in the North Atlantic Ocean. Operated by the United States (US) Navy, these boats were reportedly deployed between 1917 and 1918. They were among the first submarines used in naval warfare.

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In the second picture, US soldiers are seen wearing gas masks for training purposes near frontline trenches in France, reportedly in 1918. Chemical weapons, in the form of deadly poison gases, were used for the first time in WWI, quickly leading to the development of countermeasures like the first gas masks. The countries that deployed these masks included the German Empire, France, the United Kingdom, then Austria-Hungary, and the US.

In the third picture, soldiers follow a British Mark IV tank at Ribecourt-la-Tour near Cambrai, France, during the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917. This heavy armoured vehicle was invented to break the trench warfare stalemate. It was primarily deployed by the British Army.

The following picture showcases a French soldier aiming an anti-aircraft machine gun from a trench in eastern France. During WWI, the French army heavily used these guns like the Hotchkiss Mle 1914 and the Saint-Étienne Mle 1907 to counter the threats of enemy planes, bombers, and strafing biplanes. This collection of images belonged to a French army viscount in the armoured cavalry branch and was later published by Reuters in 2014.

The next picture shows a fighter pilot next to a biplane. These aircraft were deployed en masse for the first time in the war, reportedly in 1918, for both air-to-air combat and reconnaissance.

German forces under Adolf Hitler invaded Poland in September 1939, triggering WWII, which lasted six years. This war was technologically transformative, accelerating the development and use of atomic weapons. The sixth picture shows US torpedo bombers and dive bombers (SB2Cs) launching an airstrike on the Japanese port of Hakodate in July 1945. These carrier-based warplanes operated directly from the USS Essex (CV-9), a prominent US Navy aircraft carrier active during the conflict.  

US Army paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division can be seen driving a captured German Kübelwagen (previously known as the Kübelsitzwagen) on D-Day (Operation Overlord) at the junction of Rue Holgate and RN13 in Carentan, France, in June 1944. This light military vehicle, shown in the seventh picture, was uniquely designed with distinct corrugated panels that provided immense structural rigidity without adding unnecessary weight. According to official German military manual specifications (D 605/1), the vehicle prioritised extreme mechanical simplicity and field serviceability. Driven by an air-cooled, rear-mounted engine, the vehicle required no antifreeze, making it incredibly dependable.  

The eighth picture shows the Coast Guard LCI(L)-85, battered by enemy fire after approaching Omaha Beach, preparing to evacuate troops to the USS Samuel Chase in June 1944. LCI(L) or the Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) was one of four Coast Guard LCIs destroyed on D-Day, according to Reuters. It was specifically designed to transport and land large numbers of infantry directly onto hostile beaches.

During the Task Force 58 raid on Tokyo on February 16, 1945, the USS Hornet’s 40 millimetre anti-aircraft guns were deployed against Japan, as depicted in the ninth picture.