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This topic has moved here: Subject: Trench Warfare?
  • Subject: Trench Warfare?
Subject: Trench Warfare?

Today during my History classes up in the college, my professor showed us a film during World War 1 about the daily life in the trenches. They proved to be very formidable and extremely protective. Looking at it through the Halo world, this would prove to be extremely protective against Plasma.

Was trench warfare never thought of or did we just not run into it during the Halo games? I remember seeing something like it in Halo Wars but they didn't seem like the trenches I mentioned.

If someone could supply me with an answer why they didn't use trenches, that would be much appreciated, my professor is actually a fan of Halo and he wanted me to ask this, please and thank you.

  • 03.01.2011 9:22 PM PDT

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Probably because the humans have no way of knowing where the Covenant are going to attack/where to build trenches. The Covenant can bring troops in dropships and drop them behind the UNSC's trenches and lines, etc. Much different than WW1 battles.

  • 03.01.2011 9:30 PM PDT

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Trenches work well when its infantry vs infantry. The invention of the Tank, Airplanes, and maneuver warfare made trenches obsolete. Not to mention that an orbital bombardment takes care of anyone in a trench.

[Edited on 03.01.2011 9:39 PM PST]

  • 03.01.2011 9:39 PM PDT

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Trenches are static defenses with two fatal weaknesses. They are vulnerable from above, and unmovable.

Having:

1) Precision artillery

2) Aerial bombers

3) Orbital bombardment

4) Dropships

All of which the Covenant posses and can use to completely by pass a trench line.

Tanks alone made trenches obsolete back in WWI, and the use of rapid mobile assault forces such as with the Germans against the Maginot Line in WWII pretty much went to show that static defenses in general were useless unless the enemy was forced to go through them.

I'm relatively surprised that a history professor would consider WWI style trenches as a viable defense against futuristic technologically advanced and highly mobile forces...

[Edited on 03.01.2011 9:53 PM PST]

  • 03.01.2011 9:51 PM PDT

"Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things."

"Waiting is good. It means you’re not going to die. The person you need to feel sorry for is the one who gets rushed into the ER and treated first."

NREMT-B

Tiocfaidh ár lá!

Except the germans didn't even have to deal with the Maginot line. They went through the forest just next to the line and came back to the line later.

[Edited on 03.01.2011 9:55 PM PST]

  • 03.01.2011 9:55 PM PDT

Brains beats brawn get used to it

Fear the Red Comet

Variety is the spice of life.
Long live games.
Death to all fanboys.


Posted by: Spartan 104 S2AM
Except the germans didn't even have to deal with the Maginot line. They went through the forest just next to the line and came back to the line later.


Exactly, which was my point. Either I didn't clarify that in my previous post or you misread. If the former I apologize haha. In any case rapid deployment of troops meant that static defenses were utterly useless unless they were placed in an area in which the enemy would be forced to come through. For practicalities sake for example, the Rommel's Atlantic Wall could not be bypassed as easily as the Maginot Line was, the Allies were forced to go through the meat grinder that was Normandy.

The only thing the UNSC have that effectively works against the Covenant as a static defense were the orbital mac stations on Reach and Earth otherwise when it comes to planet side defense there really isn't anything in the UNSC arsenal that can provide an adequate block against the covies other than the environment of a planet itself. Bases entrenched in mountains anyone? Course even then, glassing renders mother nature null as well if there isn't anything important preventing them from outright demolishing it in the first place.

  • 03.01.2011 10:16 PM PDT

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trenches are non portable hard to maintain and hard to make, with extremely precise weapons orbital bombardment and quick light aircraft they are incredibly impractical, especially in the fast paced ground engagements in halo where your forces need to be able to move.

also in the books the wraith rounds are described to float across the ground rather than just explode, how much would you want to be stuck in a hole with liquid fire running around on the ground like water?

  • 03.01.2011 10:19 PM PDT

Good answers. And they aren't portable to escape or hide from gas. The covies could just glass the trenches from above or launch a strike from the rear. dot dot dot.
Since the humans are technologically weaker than the covies, the humans sometimes have to fight unconventionally. Head-on attacks between ground forces or space ships were usually unsuccessfull. Staying in one spot, sa, in a hard trench can be deadly. Spring an ambush, or stealthily infiltrate a base, or hide in a bombed-out building are examples of such tactics.

  • 03.01.2011 10:40 PM PDT
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  • 03.01.2011 11:40 PM PDT

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For some reason, I thought there were actual rules to War a very long time ago... Not "rules" , but more of "loose guidelines", or am I just imagining it on my own? Probably am, it's late.

Anyhow, digging out trenches took a very long time. With plasma hailing over one's head the last thing I'd be worried about is if my trench was dug yet.

  • 03.01.2011 11:48 PM PDT

"Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things."

"Waiting is good. It means you’re not going to die. The person you need to feel sorry for is the one who gets rushed into the ER and treated first."

NREMT-B

Tiocfaidh ár lá!


Posted by: King Nis085
For some reason, I thought there were actual rules to War a very long time ago... Not "rules" , but more of "loose guidelines", or am I just imagining it on my own? Probably am, it's late.

Anyhow, digging out trenches took a very long time. With plasma hailing over one's head the last thing I'd be worried about is if my trench was dug yet.


There were and still are. Articles of the geneva convention govern certain aspects of war (what weapons can be used, how to treat prisoners of war, etc). Most militaries have Rules of Engagement (ROE) for a particular operating theater.
The covenant (to our knowledge) have none of this. Taking the time to dig trenches would have zero effect on someone who will use everything in their power to destroy you.

  • 03.02.2011 12:42 AM PDT

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Well, when it comes to wiping out a species the rules of war get thrown out the window pretty quickly...

  • 03.02.2011 2:33 AM PDT

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Posted by: Spartan 104 S2AM
Most militaries have Rules of Engagement (ROE) for a particular operating theater.
The covenant (to our knowledge) have none of this. Taking the time to dig trenches would have zero effect on someone who will use everything in their power to destroy you.


Agreed good sir.

  • 03.02.2011 2:56 PM PDT

*Teal'c's eye-brow raise* "...Indeed..."

  • 03.02.2011 8:54 PM PDT

So far the best ground defensive structure against plasma weapons would have to be the stone castle like building in DIRT.

  • 03.02.2011 9:08 PM PDT