WWI ANZAC HEAVY WEAPONS

ANZAC (full name: Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) is a military unit in the strength of the corps formed of soldiers from Australia and New Zealand from the First World War. Formally, the corps was established in December 1914 in Egypt, and its disbandment took place in 1916. The first ANZAC commander was General William Birdwood. The unit became famous during the fights on the Gallipolli in 1915, where she became famous for her courage and dedication. ANZAC troops also suffered considerable losses in this battle, both wounded and killed. After the evacuation from Gallipolli, the unit returned to Egypt, and over time, the 1st and 2nd ANZAC Corps were formed on its basis - each of them initially consisted of three infantry divisions. Both of these corps served in the years 1916-1917 on the Western Front within the British forces, where they suffered very high losses. Although the composition of ANZAC changed several times, it can be assumed that it was based on the 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions and the New Zealand Division. These divisions had a triple-brigade structure, and each brigade consisted of four infantry battalions. Interestingly, the sapper units were subordinate at the division, not the battalion level. During World War I, ANZAC infantry units - like those of the British Army - were increasingly imbued with support weapons. We can mention, first of all, the 7.7 mm Lewis hand machine guns, the 7.7 mm heavy Vickers machine guns or the mortars, the model of which was developed by Sir Wilfred Stokes in 1915.