The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-06-25
MACHINE Gun IS
MOST DEADLY Of
vi AR ORDNANCE
Vicious Weapons Spout
Steady Streams OF Lead
And Now Men Down In
Rows.

LONDON, April 9-fCorrespodence
of The Associated Press -"Of all the
weapons used in the present war. the
machine-gun has unquestionably prov.
ed itself the most efficient" saws n
British expert In the Daily Mail.
Probably majority of the casualties
I'm the war have been caused by this
weapon; certainly the greater proper.
tiOn 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 skilful operator has the
same destructive effect upon men NOV.
ing in mass formation that keen.
edged scythe has in field of ripened
wheat. It cnts broad swathes; moth
ing can stand against ii.
"A well.served machine-gun Ia the
most formidable thing that attacking
battalions have to face. II 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 well and kill or wound those
Immediately behind them"
There the several types of machine.
gun now in use In the British army.
such as the Lewis, the Maxim, the
Vickers. and the Hotchkiss. All are
very mobile. They can be moved
quickly from one place to another. ad-
vantage being taken of any cover
that offers. Each class of machine
gun has with it 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 enemy from the next fay-
Orable position.
One authority has declared that in
the field one machine.gun is worth al.
most whole battalion of men armed
with rifles. Few soldiers can keen up
ID rounds per minute rapid.fire with
rifle, but q machine-gun can dis.
charge 600 rounds in a minute. and the
Vickers can discharge 1000 rounds
without stopping. Bullets pour from
the muZzle in rapid devastating
stream. and as these guns use the
same kind of ammunition as a rifle.
there is little difficulty i'm keeping
them fed.
The Lewis gun is described as the
most mobile. One man fires it, using
~ 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
De hred either from stand or a para
pet the gunner placing he piece to
ms shoulder as he pulls the trigger.
The Maxim and Vickers guns are
fired from tripod, the gunners squat
ting with legs a.straddle, and pressing
key. AS long as he keeps his finger
on the key the gun continues stream.
ing out bullets as the belts, each hold
ing 25O cartridges, fly through if
Gripping the handles with both hands.
the gunner moves his weapon back
and forth, playing on the advancing
troops much as fireman plays hose
on burning building. Guns of this
kind can also be used for putting by
barrages, and it is possible to attack
with them targets on cannot see.
At the beginning of the war; the
British army had two machine guns
to each infantry battalion. The nun.
ber is now much larger. In addition, a
special machine-gun corps has been
formed.