Telephones were used extensively in WWI because radio sets were large, heavy, expensive, in short supply, affected by weather, and could only be used for telegraph codes instead of voice communication. As the distances of guns increased, the telephone was particularly valuable to artillery forces, but the wires laying on the ground where they could be cut or destroyed were a weakness. On the Western Front, the telephone allowed armies spread over great distances to coordinate unit activity. Carrier pigeons and motorcycle couriers were also used, but the telephone was the fastest. No date or location available.
