How Warfare Changed During WW1
A talk by Wing Commander Steve Chaskin (retired)
1914 The Domination of the Battlefield by Artillery The start of the First World War saw years of development in the capability of artillery fully realised. However, the very success achieved by Field Artillery and Super Heavy Siege guns resulted in a total change to the nature of warfare. The artillery of all nations had to react to changed conditions and to counter new threats, such as aircraft.
The talk will examine the use of artillery in 1914 and illustrate the rapid changes required by trench warfare. This talk will also contain lots of genuine examples for the public to see.
About Wing Commander Steve Chaskin
Wing Commander Steve Chaskin OBE RAF (Retd) joined the Royal Air Force in 1980 and trained as a fast jet navigator, a role known as a Weapon Systems Officer in the United States Air Force. He flew F4 Phantom and then the Tornado F3 in the air defence role, amassing over 1000 flight hours on both aircraft types. From 1983 to 2000 he contributed to protecting NATO’s borders in Western Europe, intercepting Soviet intruders, operating between Iceland and Norway before policing the Inner German Border until the fall of the Soviet Union. He has extensive operational experience including flying from diverse locations such as the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, to the deserts of Southern Iraq.
After his flying career he worked in both the Royal Air Force electronic warfare and intelligence communities. For this service he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He also completed a deployment to Tashkent, Uzbekistan as the UK Defence Attache in support of operations in neighbouring Afghanistan. His last appointment before retiring in 2024 was commanding 611 Squadron (reserves) at RAF Woodvale.