In 1903 the US Army adopted a new rifle, but it also had 2 standard machine guns...

[cowadle]

My late Gfather was a machine gunner in WW1. He was wounded in France 3 days prior to the Armistice, and carried shrapnel in his leg to the the end of his days. I think he was selected as a MG Gunner because he was rather large for his day - about 6'2", over 200 lb.

Remember, MG tactics were fairly new at that time. MGs were used more as artillery than Anti-personnel weapons. note I'm not saying that MGs weren't used in the AP role, just that more often they were used as a long-distance harassing fire.

They trained on the Colt-Browning M1895. When they got over there, all the 1895s were taken away (more likely the guns never made it there), and they were given that French POS to use - the Chauchat.

He hated it.

The Chauchat was eventually replaced with the Hotchkiss, at least for his unit. He was using the Hotchkiss when he was wounded - at the same time his remaining 2 team members were killed by an artillery airburst.
He said that he used the corpses as further protection - pushing them up on the lip of the position.

He was there, by himself, wounded, for 2 days before being relieved/rescued (he couldn't walk) by his unit.

they had the B.A.R. but it was late in the game

 

[Bocephus123]

My late Gfather was a machine gunner in WW1. He was wounded in France 3 days prior to the Armistice, and carried shrapnel in his leg to the the end of his days. I think he was selected as a MG Gunner because he was rather large for his day - about 6'2", over 200 lb.

Remember, MG tactics were fairly new at that time. MGs were used more as artillery than Anti-personnel weapons. note I'm not saying that MGs weren't used in the AP role, just that more often they were used as a long-distance harassing fire.

They trained on the Colt-Browning M1895. When they got over there, all the 1895s were taken away (more likely the guns never made it there), and they were given that French POS to use - the Chauchat.

He hated it.

The Chauchat was eventually replaced with the Hotchkiss, at least for his unit. He was using the Hotchkiss when he was wounded - at the same time his remaining 2 team members were killed by an artillery airburst.
He said that he used the corpses as further protection - pushing them up on the lip of the position.

He was there, by himself, wounded, for 2 days before being relieved/rescued (he couldn't walk) by his unit.

Good Man!

 

[TerryMiller]

I can't say that I knew the answers, but this discussion made me think of the movie "Rough Riders," wherein they used both Gatling guns and another, smaller (possibly the one whose image was posted earlier) machine gun.

In the movie, they used the Gatling gun to fire upon the Spanish position on the hill from a distance. If I remember right, the Gatling was placed near where small artillery pieces were placed to fire on the hill.

On second thought, maybe that was the Hitchkiss Revolving Cannon in the movie. I guess I need to watch the movie again.

Found the spot in the movie. At least for the movie, it looks to be a Gatling gun.

 

[sherrick13]

Colt potato digger and maybe a benet-mercie?

Benet was 1909.

 

[sherrick13]

Wouldn't the browning 30 caliber be one of them and the Hotchkiss machine gun was the other one?

Browning was 1917. Hotchkiss was used in WWI , but I don't think was adopted standard.

 

[sherrick13]

sho-sho

Used in WWI, never adopted standard AFAIK.

 

[sherrick13]

I can't say that I knew the answers, but this discussion made me think of the movie "Rough Riders," wherein they used both Gatling guns and another, smaller (possibly the one whose image was posted earlier) machine gun.

In the movie, they used the Gatling gun to fire upon the Spanish position on the hill from a distance. If I remember right, the Gatling was placed near where small artillery pieces were placed to fire on the hill.

On second thought, maybe that was the Hitchkiss Revolving Cannon in the movie. I guess I need to watch the movie again.

Found the spot in the movie. At least for the movie, it looks to be a Gatling gun.

;-)

 

[sherrick13]

I can't say that I knew the answers, but this discussion made me think of the movie "Rough Riders," wherein they used both Gatling guns and another, smaller (possibly the one whose image was posted earlier) machine gun.

In the movie, they used the Gatling gun to fire upon the Spanish position on the hill from a distance. If I remember right, the Gatling was placed near where small artillery pieces were placed to fire on the hill.

On second thought, maybe that was the Hitchkiss Revolving Cannon in the movie. I guess I need to watch the movie again.

Found the spot in the movie. At least for the movie, it looks to be a Gatling gun.

;-)


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[sherrick13]

 

[sherrick13]

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