The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-17
MACHINE GUN WORST
WEAPON IN BATTLE
ACTS AS KEEN EDGED
SCYTHE IN FIELD OF
GRAIN.

London, April l4.-(Correspond-
ence of The Associated Press )-'Of
all the weapons used in the present
war, the machine gun has unques-
tionably proved itself the most ef-
ficient," says a British expert in the
Daily Mail. "Probably majority
OF the casualties in the war have
been caused by this weapon; GER
tainly the greater proportion 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 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 well-served machine gun is
the most formidable thing that at
tacking battalions have to face. 1t
is not merely the front ranks that
suffer. At anything approaching
close range, the bullets will go
through the front rank men, often
through the second rank as well,
and kill or wound those immediate
ly behind them
There are several types OF ma
chine gun now in use in the British
army. such as the Lewis, the Maxim
the Nickers and the Hotchkiss. All
are very mobile. They can be NOV
ed quickly from one place to an
other, advantage being taken OF any
cover that offers. Each class of
machine gun has with it squad of
about ten men. Should they find
pressed too closely, they
pick up their weapon. fall back with
it, and reopen fire upon the enemy
from the next favorable position.
One authority has declared that
in the field one machine gun is
worth almost whole battalion OF
men armed with rifles. Few sol
dcrs can keep up Is rounds per
minute rapid fire with rifle, but
a machine gun can discharge 600 !
rounds in a minute, and the NickerS
can discharge 1000 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
S little difficulty in keeping them
ed
The Lewis gun is described as
he most mobile. One man fires it,
iSirg A. rounds in succession. Be
ide him is another man who puts
IN fresh trays of ammunition as re-
Iuired, the change being made in
wo seconds. Meanwhile other
nen are hard at work filling trays
md passing them on for use. The
run has an effective range OF about
200 yards and can be fired either
rom stand or a parapet. the gun
Ter placing the piece to his shoul-
Ter as he pulls the trigger.
The Maxim and Nickers guns are
ired from a tripod, the gunners
quatting with legs a-straddle, and
ressing a key. AS long as he keeps
is finger on the key the gun CON
inues streaming out bullets as the
clts. each holding 250 cartridges, t
Iy through it, Gripping the han {
les with both hands, the gunner !
loves his weapon back and forth, =:
laying on the advancing troops
luch as a fireman plays hose on
burning building. Guns OF this
ind can also be used for putting
Y barrages, and it is possible to at
lck with them targets one cannot
ee.
At the beginning of the war, the
British army mad two machine guns
D eahc infantry battalion. The
lumber is now much larger. In ad-
ition, a special machine gun corps
as been formed.