Leslie Massey
During World War I, a variety of weapons were used by all nations involved, including Austria-Hungary. The Austro-Hungarian Empire utilized an array of firearms, artillery, and other innovative weapons during the conflict. One of the most commonly used rifles by the Central Powers, including Austria-Hungary, was the Steyr-Mannlicher M95. Additionally, they employed hand grenades and portable artillery systems. The First World War also witnessed the introduction of tanks, flamethrowers, and chemical weapons, forever changing the nature of warfare and resulting in millions of casualties.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Rifles | Steyr–Mannlicher M95 |
| Lee-Enfield .303 | |
| Lebel and Berthier 8mm | |
| Mannlicher–Carcano M1891, 6.5mm | |
| Mosin–Nagant M1891 7.62 | |
| Springfield 1903 .30–06 | |
| Mauser M98G 7.92mm | |
| Mauser M1877 7.65mm | |
| Muzzle-loading Lorenz rifle | |
| Dreyse needle guns | |
| Artillery | French 75mm cannon |
| Giant guns that could hurl projectiles over long distances | |
| Flamethrowers | Hand-held |
| Back-mounted, using nitrogen pressure to spray fuel oil | |
| Hand Grenades | |
| Portable Artillery Systems |
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Steyr–Mannlicher M95 rifles
The Steyr–Mannlicher M95 rifle, also known as the Infanterie Repetier-Gewehr M.95, was a straight-pull bolt-action rifle used by the Austrian Army during World War I. It was designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher, who created a refined version of his revolutionary straight-pull action bolt, similar to the one used in the Mannlicher M1890 carbine. The M95 was a reliable rifle for soldiers in the field during World War I, seeing action on at least three fronts.
One unique feature of the M95 was its bolt action, which was operated by a straight-pull bolt rather than the more common rotating bolt-handle found on other rifles. This gave the rifle a faster rate of fire compared to its contemporaries. The M95 was designed to fire 8x50mmR cartridges, which were loaded using a five-shot en-bloc spring steel clip. This clip was held inside the rifle and could be reloaded quickly, making the M95 a fast-operating bolt gun.
During the interwar period, many of the M95 rifles were converted to fire the more powerful 8x56mmR cartridge, and these modified rifles were designated as the M95/30. The main modifications included rechambering the rifle for the new cartridge, converting ladder sights from the older pace unit to meters, and adding a brass front sight protector. The M95/30 conversion was undertaken in the First Austrian Republic by Steyr-Mannlicher during the 1930s, and most of these rifles were sent to Bulgaria.
The Steyr M95 rifles have a long history and have been in use since the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Even today, these rifles are sought after by collectors and enthusiasts due to their historical significance and relatively low price compared to other antique rifles.
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Flamethrowers
The Germans shared their knowledge with their allies, providing training for the Austro-Hungarian and Turkish armies. The Austro-Hungarians then developed their own flamethrower models. The German Brandröhre M.95, a weapon consisting of a sheet metal tube filled with an incendiary mixture, was used during assaults on forts in 1914 and 1916. The Brandröhre was eventually replaced by the flamethrower in 1909, but it was still in use during World War I. Flamethrowers were also used by the British Royal Navy during a 1918 raid and by the French army, who first used them in 1915.
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Hand grenades
During the early stages of World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Army, like other combatant nations, used improvised hand grenades. These were often tins filled with metal bits or anything that could cause damage, sometimes attached to handles for easier throwing. By 1915, the Austrians started importing the German Stielhandgranate in large quantities and also began manufacturing their own stick grenades, such as the Rohr hand grenade. The Rohr grenade, a cheaper version of the German Stielhandgranate, had a cast-iron cylinder filled with explosives and attached to a cardboard or wooden handle. It featured a seven-second delay fuse and became the standard grenade used by Austria-Hungary during the war.
Another notable hand grenade used by the Austro-Hungarian forces was the Universal Grenade, which was first introduced early in the war on the Serbian front. This grenade was unique as it could be used as both a hand grenade and a rod grenade fired from a rifle, accommodating either an impact or delay fuse. It had a brass nose cone and a brass base, with a steel fragmentation tube inside that held an Ecrasite (Ekrasit) explosive charge.
The use of hand grenades in World War I introduced new challenges and tactics to the battlefield. Soldiers had to learn how to effectively throw grenades from standing or kneeling positions, and the lethal radius of these explosives posed dangers even when thrown from sheltered positions. The development of cup launchers during the Korean War improved the range of grenade projection, further influencing combat strategies.
Overall, the Rohr hand grenade and the Universal Grenade were pivotal in the Austro-Hungarian Army's arsenal during World War I, contributing to their combat capabilities and shaping the nature of warfare during that era.
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Artillery
The Austro-Hungarian Empire used the Steyr-Mannlicher M95 rifle, which was also used by Bulgaria. This rifle was one of the standard firearms used by the Central Powers during World War One.
In addition to rifles, the Austro-Hungarian Empire also utilised hand grenades and portable artillery systems. These weapons would have been used by infantry soldiers in the trenches and on the battlefield.
While we don't have specific details about the types of artillery used by Austria, we can look at some of the notable artillery pieces of World War One to understand their characteristics. For example, the French 75mm cannon, nicknamed the "Devil Gun" by the Germans, was known for its rapid rate of fire, which could deliver five rounds per minute. This cannon was so effective that French commanders claimed it won them the war.
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Gas attacks
Although I could not find specific information about Austria's use of gas attacks in WWI, gas attacks were a significant feature of the war. The first significant gas attack occurred in April 1915 at Ypres when German forces released clouds of poisonous chlorine gas, causing widespread panic and confusion among French colonial troops. This attack forced two colonial French divisions north of Ypres from their positions, creating a 5-mile gap in the Allied line defending the city.
Poison gas was initially released from cylinders embedded in the ground, but this required ideal weather conditions and could be risky. The first British gas attack, at Loos in September 1915, was a failure due to unfavourable winds and technical issues with the cylinders. From 1916, gas was employed in shells, allowing attacks from a greater range.
Gases used during the war included chlorine, mustard gas, bromine, and phosgene. The physical effects of these gases were agonising, and they also had a pervasive psychological impact. While only 3% of gas casualties resulted in immediate death, hundreds of thousands of ex-soldiers continued to suffer the effects for years after the war.
Defensive anti-gas measures were quickly developed, including the distribution of primitive cotton face pads soaked in bicarbonate of soda to troops in 1915. By 1918, more advanced filter respirators using charcoal or chemicals to neutralise the gas were in common use. The development of gas warfare during WWI prompted the creation of chemical warfare units and schools to train soldiers in offensive and defensive tactics.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria-Hungary used a variety of weapons during World War I, including rifles, handguns, and artillery.
The Steyr-Mannlicher M95 rifle was the most commonly used rifle by the Central Powers during WWI.
The Rast & Gasser Model 1898 was an Austro-Hungarian service revolver used during WWI. However, by the time of the war, it was in the process of being replaced with semi-automatic pistols - Steyr M1912s for the infantry and Roth-Steyr M1907s for the cavalry.
