Figure 1.--Here a German soldier is training an older man and a Hitler Youth boy how to use the MG-34 machine gun with a bipod mount. It was one of the finest infatry weapons of World War II. They are probably members of the Volksstrum. The photograph is not dated, but was probably taken in late-1944 as the Germans braced for the invasion of the Reich by huge, well-equipped and experienced Soviet and Allied armies.

The machine gun is an automatic weaon, capable of rapid fire. The machine gun automstically fired and continued firing as long as thec trigger is depressed. There were automatic rifels sometimes called assault guns. The difference between a auomatic rifkecand machine gun is that the machine gun was hevier and could not be carried any distance by an individual soldier. It thus was a mounted weapon. The machine gun first appeared on the battlefield in a major way during World War I and had a major impact on how wars were fought. It was the machine gun in large measure that forced the armies on the Western Front into trenches. The machine gun was also a major weapon during World War II. The advent of the tank returned mobility to the battlefield as tanks and armored cars provided protection from withering machine gun fire. Tanks were equipped with machine guns as well as a heavy artillery gun. World War II machine guns for the most part used the same basic technology as World War I guns, but with many refinements. They were vmuch more reliable. World War II machine guns included lighter more portable versions as well as versions with much higher fireing rates. Light machine guns were designed to be mobile so they could be used by infantry on the move. Heavy machine guns could be moved, but not by small units. Thus they were usually employed in fixed, defensive positions. The heavy machine guns had a much greater rate of fire than the more mobile light machine guns. The light machine guns tended to be magazine fed weapons. Heavy machine guns tended to be belt fed weapons. The heavy machine guns had more accurate aiming sites and could sustain very accurate and sustained fire. Machine guns were not just infantry weapons, but used in tanks and armored cars as well as aircraft. Each of the major combatant countries developed machine guns. The Germans had some of the better guns in terms of rate of fire. They tended, however, to be be very complicated weapons, difficult to manufacture and maintain in the field. Also the German logistical situation meant that gunners had to be limited in how they used their weapons. Infantry tactics both defensive and offensive had to be developed to adjust to advanmces in machine guns. The Japanese failure to make neded adjustments resulted in the loss of Guadalcanal after the disaterous battle at the Tenaru River/AligatorCreek (August 1942).

Definition

The machine gun is an automatic weapon, capable of rapid fire. The machine gun automstically fired and continued firing as long as thec trigger was depressed. There were automatic rifels sometimes called assault guns. The difference between a auomatic rifle and machine gun is that the machine gun was hevier and could not be carried any distance by an individual soldier. It thus was a mounted weapon.

History

The most innovative World War I infantry weapon was the machine gun. Automatic weapons had appeared as early as the American Civil War (1861-65). The U.S. Army Quater Master did not want to use the Gatling Gun at the time because it used too much amunition. World War I was the first time the machine gun was used in a major conflict. By the time of the War, the machine gun had been perfected. Infantry tactics, however had not adjusted. Machine guns properly deployed with effective lines of fire mowed down whole columns of advancing infantry. World War I machine guns needed 4-6 men to work them and had to be set up on a flat surface to work properly. They could generate the fire-power of 100 soldiers armed with boldt-action rifles rifles. They thius had an impact on how the War was fought. The AEF used a lot of foreign machine guns. In this case the excellent Browning M1917 was available, but many AEF units did not get them until after the Armistive was signed. It was the machine gun ithat was part of the reason that soldiers were forced the armies on the Western Front into trenches. It was the artillery that was the real killer in Workd War I, but the machine gun was another deaddly killer.

Armored Vehicles

The machine gun was also a major weapon during World War II. The advent of the tank returned mobility to the battlefield as tanks and armored cars provided protection from withering machine gun fire. Tanks were equipped with machine guns as well as a heavy artillery gun. As the war progressed, tanks with heavier armor and larger guns were introduced. Machine guns continued to be pr of tank armorment, in large measure because tanks needed protection from increasingly well-armed infantry.

Technology

World War II machine guns for the most part used the same basic technology as World War I guns, but with many refinements. They were vmuch more reliable. World War II machine guns included lighter more portable versions as well as versions with much higher fireing rates.

Types

There were two types of machine guns, heavy and light weapons. Heavy machine guns could be moved, but not by an individual. Thus they were usually employed in fixed, defensive positions. The heavy machine guns had a much greater rate of fire than the more mobile light machine guns. Light machine guns were designed to be mobile so they could be used by infantry on the move. The light machine guns tended to be magazine fed weapons. Heavy machine guns tended to be belt-fed weapons. The heavy machine guns had more accurate aiming sites and could sustain very accurate and sustained fire. The difference between light and heavy machine guns was not the physical weight of the gun, but the size of the round. The 0.30 caliber or 07.97 mm round were light and the 0.50 caliber. or the 12.5 mm round were were heavy. Of course the machine guns with the bigger round did weigh more, but that was not the reason for the name. A related weapon is the what the Americans called a submachine gun and the Germans a machine pistol. It was the precursor to a assault weapons and the automatic infantry rifles adopted after the War in the Cold War Era. It was light enough to be carried by a single soldier in place of a rifel. .

Crews

The heavy infantry machine gun usually required a two-man crew to move it around the battle field; one would carrythe weapon and the other the tripod mount and extra ammo. Also the second mam helped to feed the amunition belt into the gun. This was the case in all armies. We are not to sure about Japanese asthey did not have much in portable heavy machine guns because during the Pacific War they were usually placed into defensive bunkers and used until they were killed or bunker destroyed. This was from 1943-45. Of course the Japanese were involved in offensive operations in India/Burma abd China.

Usage

Machine guns were primarily infantry weapons, but usage was not limited to the infantry. Machine guns used in tanks and armored cars as well as aircraft. They were also used on small boats like the American PT-boats and the larger German E-boats. The infantry needed smaller caliber, light-weight weapons. When used in vehichles, planes, and ships larger caiber guns could be used.

Countries

Each of the major World War II combatant countries developed machine guns. The Germans had some of the better guns in terms of rate of fire. They tended, however, to be be very complicated weapons, difficult to manufacture and maintain in the field. The principal German machine gun was the 7.92mm MG-34. It replaced the Maxim guns used in Workd War I. The MG-34 was a compromise gun with featurs of both light and heavy weapns. It could be mounted on both a stable tripod or on a lighter more mobile bipod. The firing rate was an incredible 800-900 rounds per minute (rpm). This was the highest firing rate of any of the major World War II machine guns. Unlike the countries the Germans were fighting, however, the Germans did not have the logistics capability to fully supply the gunners. And improved version, the MG-42 appeared in the second half of the War. The British heavy machine gun was the highly reliable 0.303 inch (7.70 mm) Vickers. The Vickers was a World War I weapon, but it was such a well-engineered and reliable weapon that the British continued using it during World War II. Machine guns are commonly ranked in terms of firing rate, but reliability is a critical factor. A jam could proive farl in a combat situation. In a noted test, the Vickers fired non stop for an incredible 7 days--except for reloadfing. It was a water cooled weapon. Thr rate of fire was 450 to 550 rpm. The Russians began the War with the 12.7mm heavy machine gun and it continued to be their standard machine gun throughout the War. This was a large caliber bullet for an infantry machine gun. It was a gas-operated, air cooled weapon. It was aweaon and moved on two-wheeled mount. The firing rate was 540-600 rpm. The principal United States machine gun used in World War II was the Browning 0.50-inch (12.7 mm). This was another large caliber weapon. It was one of several weapons invented by John Browning, considered by some to be the most important gun inventir in history. ome of his guns were available for World War I, but the AEF primarily used British and French weaopns. His weapons were widely used in World War II. The Browning was not only used as an infantry weapon, but at the beginning of the War was used as an anti-aircraft weapon. The firing rate was 450 rpm. The standard Japanese heavy machine gun was the 7.7 mm Type 99-1. It was based on the French Hotchkiss machine gun. The firing rate was 550 rpm. Like many Japanese weapons, it was not as reliable as comoparable American and European weapons.

Tactics

Also the German logistical situation meant that gunners had to be limited in how they used their weapons. Infantry tactics both defensive and offensive had to be developed to adjust to advanmces in machine guns. The Japanese failure to make neded adjustments resulted in the loss of Guadalcanal after the disaterous battle at the Tenaru River/AligatorCreek (August 1942). The Japanese were used to making frontal charges against poorly armed Chinese troops. Throughout the extended Gudalcanal campaign, units were obliterated where they charged into prepared marine defenses defended with machine guns and artillery.

Created: 10:16 AM 2/11/2012
Last updated: 5:07 PM 3/1/2023