Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-17
M achjne Gun Proves
to Be Most Efficient
Veapon Of the War

Correspondence Associated Press.1
London April 9.-"Of all the wea-
pons used in the present war, the ma
chine gun has unquestionably proved
itself the most efficient" says a Brit
ISL expert in the Daily Mall. Probably
2 majority Of the casualties in the war
have been caused by this weapon; GER
tairly the greater portion of the enor-
nous losses during the fighting OF the
past few weeks have been so inflicted.
Any type of machine gun in the
hands of a skilful operator has the
same destructive effect upon men
moving in mass formation that a keen
edged scythe has in a field OF ripened
wheat. 1t cuts broad swathes;
nothing can stand against it.
"a we'll served machine gun ls the
most formidable thing that attacking
battalions have to face. 1t Is not mere
ly the front ranks that suffer. At any
thing approaching close ranges, the
bullets will go thru the front-rank
men, often thru the second rank as
we'll and kill or wound those immed-
lately behind them"
There arc 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 wea-
fol hoc yIyifh II md fire
upon the enemy from the next favor
able 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 keep up
fifteen rounds per minute rapid-tire
with a rife. but machine gun can
discharge 500 rounds in a minute, and
the Vickers can discharge 1900 rounds
without stopping. Bullets pour from
the muzzle in a rapid devastating
stream, and as these guns use the
same kind Of ammunition as a rifle,
there is little difficulty in keeping them
fed
The Lewis gun is described as the
most mobile. One man fires 1t, using
| forty-seven rounds in succession. Be-
side 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 filing trays and passing them on
| for use Tho gun has an effective
range OF about 1900 yards and can be
| fred either from a stand or parapet
the gunner placing the piece TO MS
shoulder as he pulls the trigger
The Maxim and Vickers guns are
! fired from a tripod, the gunnens squat
T., ting with legs a-straddle. and pressing
q 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 thru it. Gripping
the handles with both hands, the gun
ner moves his weapon back and forth,
playing on the advancing troops much
as fireman plays a hose on a burning
building. Guns of this kind can also
be used for putting up barrages, ana
it is possible to attack with them with
targets one can not see
At the beginning Of the war, the
British army had two machine guns to
each infantry battalion. The number
Is now much larger. In addition. a
special machinegun corps has been
formed.