Source A (ii), is a table, a secondary source showing the statistics of AIF (Australian Imperial Force) casualties caused by different weapons, between April 1916- March 1919. This source shows the most destructive weapon which caused the greatest battle casualties among the AIF, it was shell fragments and shrapnel pellets which killed 72 513 (50.93%). This type of artillery was fired from upgraded versions of cannons, they were used to soften up enemy trenches and attack heavily fortified positions. Light artillery was used in the initial stages on the Western Front such as the French 75-mm field gun, however with time technological developments allowed Germany to develop heavier guns of greater range and more destructive power such as the Big Bertha; however its effectiveness was limited as their immense weight, which meant that rail transport was needed to move them. Shells were used as a way to break through enemy lines of barbed wire, they were extremely dangerous as thin pieces of shrapnel could penetrate deep into the skin and inflict serious wounds. High velocity bullets from machine guns and rifles caused the second most damage as shown in Source A (ii) (33.93%), Rifles were initially used in 1914, and most had a range of 500 meters, and they were deadly in the hands of trained troops. The machine gun was an excellent defensive weapon, with its range between 500 and 1000m it could wipe

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