WW1 German Army trench digger - photo

[Altair]

WW1-era Pioniertruppe A7V-Schützengrabenbagger LMG trench digger of the German Army, c. 1918. Only one was produced.




Previously:

1946 hand-built trenching machine - video
Belt-driven tractor with giant trenching wheel - GIF
V-trenching excavator - GIF
WWI mechanical trench-digging machine - GIF

[mklotz]

Schützengrabenbagger

Gotta love those German compound words...

Schützen - protective
graben - trench
bagger - excavator

What grabbed my attention on this one was the fact that "graben" is also the German word for "grave". Given that that was what the trenches became for many poor soldiers, it seems sadly appropriate.

[ranald]

Schützengrabenbagger

Gotta love those German compound words...

Schützen - protective
graben - trench
bagger - excavator

What grabbed my attention on this one was the fact that "graben" is also the German word for "grave". Given that that was what the trenches became for many poor soldiers, it seems sadly appropriate.

The Irony! wonder how often they broke down as similar much smaller trenchers did decades later. I think it was our hardwood roots that created problems for such machines here.

The German made tools I have owned have been terrific long lasting & hard working. Wacker Werke, Metabo to name a couple & not suggesting other country's made tools were inferior.