Aspects of military hydrogeology and groundwater development by Germany and its allies in World War I

Abstract

The German Army developed a military geological organization during World War I largely as a response to near-static battlefield conditions on the Western Front, in Belgium and northern France. In 1916 it was assigned to support military survey, but in late 1918 it was reassigned to the engineer branch of the Army. It contained over 350 geologists and associated technicians by the end of the war. Military geologists contributed advice on engineering geology and hydrogeology (principally on water supply, but also site drainage). They compiled a large number and wide range of groundwater prospect maps to guide military planning, at scales typically from 1:250 000 to 1:25 000. They contributed advice to guide effective use of groundwater by means of dug or bored wells, ‘Abyssinian’ driven tube wells, and protected capturing of springs. Field hygiene was of particular concern, and military geologists helped to avoid contamination of groundwater, for example by appropriate siting of cess-pits and cemeteries. A few officers made use of dowsing in attempts to locate groundwater, including at least one German in support of Ottoman Turk campaigns SW from Palestine towards the British-held Suez Canal, their Austro-Hungarian allies in campaigns south against Italy and in the Balkans, but with relatively insignificant success.

Military aspects of hydrogeology: an introduction and overview

“…Water supply was a problem to combatants in the Palestine Campaign of World War I (Rose 2012a;Willig & Häusler 2012a ). More extensive problems were encountered by forces on both sides campaigning in North Africa during World War II.…”

“…Most were concentrated on the Western Front, and were assigned tasks relating to water supply, both the provision of potable water and the avoidance of contamination of ground or surface waters. Not only were there far more hydrogeologists serving with the German Army than with the British and US (and indeed French) armies combined, but they were operational across a greater geographical area and range of geological terrains from the early months of the war, so achieving technical results far more extensive than those of the Allies (Willig & Häusler 2012a). Rose et al (2000) have compared the military use of geologists on opposing sides in the war, and Rose (2009) has illustrated and described examples of several British, German and US military hydrogeological maps from this period.…”

“…Waterbearing sands were negotiated using a technique known as 'tubbing', in which cast steel sections, and later concrete rings, were driven to reach the clays beneath. The Germans also used this technique (Willig & Häusler 2012a), but failed to countermine British tunnelling at Messines in 1917, where nearsimultaneous detonation of 19 mines became the most successful example of mine warfare in history (Doyle 2012).…”

“…At the start of World War I, responsibility for the supply of drinking water to German troops was in the hands of army physicians. Medical regulations introduced in 1907 specified principles for such things as the exploitation of groundwater in river plains and the construction of driven wells (Willig & Häusler 2012a). Whether or not army physicians were given any training in the geology of water supply is yet to be established, but by late 1914 it was thought necessary for geological advice to be provided to support the consulting hygienic officer working inland from the Belgian coast.…”

“…Rose 2012b). During World War I they were widely used by both the British and German armies (Rose 2012a;Willig & Häusler 2012a) and subsequently by British consultants in developing countries, particularly in Africa (Beeby Thompson 1924).…”