Germany. Heer - German Machine Guns of World War I

Author

Dr Stephen Bull is Curator of Military History and Archaeology for Lancashire Museums, with particular responsibility for local regimental collections, and is a consultant for the University of Oxford on World War I projects. His many books include several Osprey titles.

Illustrators

Johnny Shumate works as a freelance illustrator living in Nashville, Tennessee. He began his career in 1987 after graduating from Austin Peay State University. Most of his work is rendered in Adobe Photoshop using a Cintiq monitor. His greatest influences are Angus McBride, Don Troiani and Edouard Detaille. Johnny completed the battlescene artwork for this book.

Born in Malaya in 1949, Alan Gilliland spent 18 years as the graphics editor of the UKs Daily Telegraph, winning 19 awards in that time. He now writes, illustrates and publishes fiction (www.ravensquill.com), as well as illustrating for a variety of publishers, architects and developers (www.alangilliland.com). Alan completed the cutaway illustration for this book.

Acknowledgements

My real introduction to the Devils Paintbrush was in the 1980s, when Dolf Goldsmith visited the weapons department of the National Army Museum to undertake research for the debut edition of his ground-breaking book of the same name. Dolf sparked my interest in Maxims guns, and so to him is due the greatest thanks. Since then, and like many others, I am much indebted to the late Herbert Woodend, formerly of the old MoD Pattern Room; also to Mark Murray-Flutter of the Royal Armouries at Leeds; and Fergus Read and the team at what was, until recently, the Department of Exhibits and Firearms at the Imperial War Museum, London. I cannot also fail to mention Colonel John Downham and Jane Davies at the Lancashire Infantry Museum, who helped bring together a group of no fewer than four MG 08s and MG 08/15s as part of the World War I display in the Museum of Lancashire, Preston.

Editors note

Unless otherwise noted, the illustrations in this volume are drawn from the collection of the author. Metric measurements are used in this book. For ease of comparison please refer to the following conversion table:

1km = 0.62 miles

1m = 1.09yd / 3.28ft / 39.37in

1cm = 0.39in

1mm = 0.04in

1kg = 2.20lb

1g = 0.04oz / 15.43 grains

Front cover, above: MG 08/15 with drum magazine and muzzle booster, c.1918 ( Royal Armouries PR.7307). Below: MG 08 with Saxon infantry gun team, c.1916. The belt feeds from a single-belt 250-round box; in the foreground are two 500-round Modell 1911 boxes, each designed for two 250-round belts. The gun loader wears a leather dragging strap around his shoulder for manhandling the gun.

Title page: A Bavarian NCO with an MG 08 on a light anti-aircraft tripod mount, working from a pit, c.1918. The 500-round ammunition box has been crudely marked with a K, denoting that the rounds are armour-piercing. The gunner aims using the flip-up iron sight; suitable adjustment of the mount would also allow engagement of ground targets.

Glossary

Abteilung department, detachment or section

Ausbildungsvorschrift training provision, or instruction

Auslser trigger or release

Dampfrohr steam tube or pipe

Dreibein or Dreifu tripod

Einheitsmaschinengewehr universal machine gun

Felddienst field service

Flugbahn trajectory or flight path

Gewehrprfungskommission Rifle Test Commission

Gurt belt

Gurtfller belt loader or filler

Kasten box, chest or receiver

Kastendeckel box lid, receiver cover

Korn sight bead (also grain)

Lauf barrel, as in gun barrel

Lehrkursus training course

Mantel jacket

Mantelpanzer armoured jacket

Maschinengewehr machine gun

Maschinengewehr-Kompagnie machine-gun company

Maschinengewehrtruppen machine-gun troops

Patronen cartridges

Rckstoverstrker recoil, or muzzle, booster

Schild shield

Schiegestelle gun mount (literally shooting stand)

Schievorschrift shooting provision or instruction

Schlitten sled

Schlo lock

Schlohebel lock lever, crank handle

Sperrklinke Trommel pawl or ratchet drum

Unterrichtsbuch instruction book

Visier sight

Visierlinie line of sight

Waffenmeister armourer

Zielfernrohr telescopic or optical sight

Zufhrer feed

INTRODUCTION

In a moment the gun was in order and began to bark, recalled Georg Bucher of his time on the Verdun battlefield.

Gaaten pulled ammunition belts from the cases which Sonderbeck held ready for him. Tak tak tak tak tak tak ... we trembled with blood lust and fury as we mowed them down. Rows of them fell at a time but still the sky blue flood came nearer ... tak tak tak tak tak ... The crowd on the right! Riedel screamed. The barrel of the gun moved to the right, my eyes, which were as inflamed and blood thirsty as Riedels, followed the sights. Such were the Verdun battles ... Tak tak tak tak tak tak. The crowd dissolved in blood and death. Sonderbeck pushed a heap of empty cartridge cases out of the way. Riedel thrust a fresh belt into place, while Gaaten had another in readiness. Tak tak tak ... Would it never end? (Bucher 2005: 5152)