Learning this lesson, World War I soldiers would deploy barbed wire in so-called concertinas that were relatively loose. Effective as these obstacles were, their construction took considerable time.īarbed wire obstacles were vulnerable to being pushed about by artillery shells in World War I, this frequently resulted in a mass of randomly entangled wires that could be even more daunting than a carefully constructed obstacle. More elaborate and formidable obstructions could be formed with multiple lines of stakes connected with wire running from side-to-side, back-to-front, and diagonally in many directions. Horizontal wires were attached to these diagonals.

The double apron fence comprised a line of pickets with wires running diagonally down to points on the ground either side of the fence. At its simplest, such a barrier would resemble a fence as might be used for agricultural purposes. In World War I, barbed wire obstacles were made by stretching lengths of barbed wire between stakes of wood or iron. Origins A sketch of a typical concertina wire obstacle Concertina wire can be a feature of prisons.

It is also used in non-military settings, such as when used in prison barriers, detention camps, riot control, or at international borders.ĭuring World War I, soldiers manufactured concertina wire themselves, using ordinary barbed wire. In conjunction with plain barbed wire (and/or razor wire/tape) and steel pickets, it is most often used to form military-style wire obstacles. Triple concertina wire fence Baled concertina wire prior to deploymentĬoncertina wire or Dannert wire is a type of barbed wire or razor wire that is formed in large coils which can be expanded like a concertina.

Wire fence