I want to know the answer to the following question:
What precedent of the machine gun did the French troops also possess?
All the background I'm provided with is that "The army also possessed a precursor to the machine-gun: the mitrailleuse, which could unleash significant, concentrated firepower but nevertheless lacked range and was comparatively immobile, and thus prone to being easily overrun.". Is that enough to answer the question?
Answer: yes