New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-05-15
MACHINE GUN BEST
WEAPON OF WAR
Responsible for Most Casualties,
British Expert Says

London, April 9 Correspondence Of
The Associated PresS) .-"Of all the
weapons used in the present war, the
machine gun has unquestonably
proved itself the most efficient" says
a British expert in the Daily Mail.
"Proba bly, a majority of the casualties
In the war have been caused by this
weapon; certainly the greater proper
ton Of the enormous losses during the
fighting Of the past few weeks have
been so inflicted.
Any type of machine gun in the
hands of skillful operator has the
same destructive effect upon men
moving in mass formation that keen
edged Scythe has in field of ripened
wheat. 1t cuts broad sWathes; moth
ing can stand against it.
"A Well-served machine gun is the
most forlnida bic thing that attacking
battalions have to face. 1t is not
merely the front ranks that suffer. At
anything approaching close ranges,
the bullets will go through the front
rank men, often through the second
rank as we'll, and kill or wound those
Immediately behind them.
There are several types of machine
gun now in use in the British army
such as the Lewis, the Maxim, tho
Vickers and the Hotchkiss. All are
very mobile. They can be moved from
one place to another, advantage being
taken of any cover that offers. Each
class of machine gun has with 1t a
squad Of about ten men. Should they
find themselves pressed too closely,
they pick up their weapon, fall back
with it, and reopen fire upon the en-
envy from the next formula BILE posi-
ton.
One authority has declared that in
the field one machine gun is worth
almost a whole battalion of men
armed with rifles. Few soldiers can
keep Up 5 rounds per minute rapid
fire with a rife, but a machine gun
can discharge 900 rounds in a minute.
and the Vickers can discharge 1900
! rounds without stopping. Bullets pour
from the muzzle in a rapid devastat-
| ing stream and as these guns use
| the same kind of ammunition as 2
rifle. there is little difficulty in keep
ing them fed.
The Lewis gun. is described as the
most m obile One man fires it, using
| A rounds in succession. Beside him
| is another man who puts on fresh
| trays of ammunition as required, the
| change being made in two seconds.
| Meanwhile other men are hard at
! work filling trays and passing them
| on for use. The gun has an effective
| range of about 1900 yards and can
| be fired. either from a stand or q par
apet, the gunner placing the piece to
! his shoulder as he pulls the trigger.
The Maxim and Nickers guns are
| fired from a tripod, the gunnerS
seruatting with legs a-straddle, and
pressing a key. AS long as he keeps
| his finger on the key. the gun con-
! tinues streaming out bullets as the
! belts, each holding $50 cartridges, fly
| through it. Gripping the handles With
! both hands. the gunner moves his
weapon back and forth, playing on
| the advancing troops much as a fire
man plays a hose on burning build
| ing. Guns of this kind can also b.
used for putting up barrages and it
| is possible to attack with them tar
gets one cannot see.
At the beginning of the war the
| British army had two machine gums
| to each infantry battalion. The mum l.
| Der is now much larger. Tn addition,
a special machine gun corps has been
| formed,