This 1918 map depicts the deadly toll taken by German U-boats during the war. Each red dot represents a sunken ship (see below for a close-up of the British coast).
How Maps Became Deadly Innovations in WWI
Advances in weaponry and cartography had deadly repercussions in World War I, which the United States entered 100 years ago today.
By the time the United States entered World War I, 100 years ago today, the conflict had been raging in Europe for nearly three years. It was to become one of the deadliest wars in human history, claiming more than 15 million lives.
Advances in military technology—including more lethal artillery and rapid-fire machine guns— contributed to the heavy toll. Maps, too, played a role. Recent cartographic innovations allowed artillery gunners to fire at targets they couldn’t directly see and aim their guns without first firing “ranging shots” that would ruin the element of surprise. Airplanes—another relatively recent invention—allowed both sides to update their maps daily with the positions of enemy troops.
The maps in the gallery at the top of this post
