Mark Finneran Posted 24 December , 2010 Share Posted 24 December , 2010 Providing the moderators are content, under 'Arms' may I offer a thread on MG Images? Could be any nationality from WWI but is always interesting to see what photographic images are around? Also great for a collector to identify correct accessories!! Mark "]My link[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Brock Posted 24 December , 2010 Share Posted 24 December , 2010 Pre-war, 1911, Texas - but a Maxim. USMC Lewis gun tests. "U.S.S. Vixen, Maxim machine gun and gunner Smith" 1909 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Brock Posted 24 December , 2010 Share Posted 24 December , 2010 More: 8th Machine Gun Cavalry in Mexico, 1916. All photos from the website of the Library of Congress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Brock Posted 24 December , 2010 Share Posted 24 December , 2010 Off topic but: USS Vixen. 860 tons, a privately built yacht acquired by the USN in 1898. You can just make out the Maxim gun from the post before last on the far left (pointy-end of the boat). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Finneran Posted 25 December , 2010 Author Share Posted 25 December , 2010 German Armourer's Courses are always good viewing! "]My link[/url] Captured colt and sleds visible. "]My link[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Finneran Posted 25 December , 2010 Author Share Posted 25 December , 2010 "]My link[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Finneran Posted 25 December , 2010 Author Share Posted 25 December , 2010 http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=70&u=15862032][/url]"] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Finneran Posted 29 December , 2010 Author Share Posted 29 December , 2010 As indicated a 'staged' photo but nonetheless very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 31 December , 2010 Share Posted 31 December , 2010 http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/268/mg1918.jpg[/img][/url][/img] Marinekorps 1918 Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 31 December , 2010 Share Posted 31 December , 2010 Superb images, wish I had some to share. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
133.R Posted 4 January , 2011 Share Posted 4 January , 2011 Soldiers from the saxonian regiment 104. Regards Sven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 4 January , 2011 Share Posted 4 January , 2011 I thought Spike Milligan was on our side? Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 4 January , 2011 Share Posted 4 January , 2011 Are those chains for strapping a man to the gun? Excellent set of pictures, by the way. Which way would the spent shell cases fly with this setup? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 4 January , 2011 Share Posted 4 January , 2011 Indeed they are, in fact they are specially hardened chains to prevent use of the issue wire cutters from freeing the gunners! THe empties ejected under the Maxim, so the chap on the right (left of the gun) is quite safe. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 4 January , 2011 Share Posted 4 January , 2011 I know zilch about machine guns, only having fired the Bren and the GPMG once or twice on ranges over the years. I was wondering if they cleared on to the man to the left but his position seemed to rule that out or he'd have a pile of very hot cases on top of his backside after a while. I wonder (just thinking out loud really) how long before the need to rake away the increasing pile of empty cases from underneath the gun. Just wondering about the logistics of using the gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmg17a1 Posted 5 January , 2011 Share Posted 5 January , 2011 As noted by TonyE, the Maxim ejects the spent cases directly under and in front of the MG. There is an ejection tube that goes through the bottom front end of the receiver through which the empties are pushed by the lock (bolt) as it goes into battery. When the lock moves backward during recoil, the extractor face on the lock simultaneously pulls a fresh round from the belt in the feedblock and extracts the spent case from the chamber. Both the fresh round and the fired case are held in the extractor face of the lock. After full recoil the lock moves forward and the extractor with the fresh round and the fired case has been forced down aligning the fresh round with the chamber and the spent case with the ejection tube, which is at the lowest point in the receiver. As the lock goes into battery, the extractor rises shedding the spent case, which is held in the ejection tube and the fresh round has been inserted into the chamber, which fires when the lock reaches full battery. As the gun fires the spent cases pile up on the ground in front of the receiver. Many hundreds of cases can accumulate if the MG is elevated on the mount. If the MG is mounted close to the ground, then one of the squad must push away the empties to clear the ejection port. The cases are quite forcefully ejected, but if the port is obstructed it certainly could stop the action. Hope this helps.... Bob Naess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 6 January , 2011 Share Posted 6 January , 2011 Great answer. Cheers Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Finneran Posted 7 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2011 If you look at the 'staged' photo Andy with the British infantry at the foot of the trench, bayonets fixed, you can see some spent cases underneath the sled. Some time ago a Dutch collector showed me a WWI German Engineers manual that showed dimensions/building fixed MG emplacements/bunkers. In there he showed specific concrete recesses that 'collected' the cases underneath so that they could accumulate but not interefere with handling. Efficient German designers as expected think of everything As an aside it also showed a recess to throw used ammo belts in order for re-filling later 'after action'. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 7 January , 2011 Share Posted 7 January , 2011 ad post# 3, 2nd picture: this picture is definitely Fort Bliss, Texas. I recognize the Franklin Mountains. At about the same spot I trained my soldiers on the Patriot weapon system when I was stationed there. If you go to Google Earth you can in fact almost 100% replicate the angle of view. Nice! So its not Mexico, but Fort Bliss, located in the 3 border "corner" Texas, New Mexico and Mexico Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Brock Posted 7 January , 2011 Share Posted 7 January , 2011 ad post# 3, 2nd picture: this picture is definitely Fort Bliss, Texas. I recognize the Franklin Mountains. At about the same spot I trained my soldiers on the Patriot weapon system when I was stationed there. If you go to Google Earth you can in fact almost 100% replicate the angle of view. Nice! So its not Mexico, but Fort Bliss, located in the 3 border "corner" Texas, New Mexico and Mexico That goes a long toward explaining all those buildings in the rear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Finneran Posted 8 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 8 January , 2011 Great MG08 view showing key accessories Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 8 January , 2011 Share Posted 8 January , 2011 Indeed great image. Nice clear image of Bluse. The one man still has his 1910 tunic too. The MG 08 has a patch on its water jacket and no muzzle booster. Thanks for posting these images, I for one really appreciate seeing them. Mark will post the close up of the AA mount on my 08/15 in due course. Regards TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlenBanna Posted 8 January , 2011 Share Posted 8 January , 2011 Why do some of them have boots, while the others do not? Glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 8 January , 2011 Share Posted 8 January , 2011 RIR 213 Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 8 January , 2011 Share Posted 8 January , 2011 Why do some of them have boots, while the others do not? Glen The British blockade created shortages of certain items in Germany during the war, leather being one. So during the war Germany adopted short boots (and puttees to match) as they required less leather to make (and also allowed them to make use of captured supplies from other countries). Seeing a mix of the two as the war progressed (and short boots becoming more predominant towards the end) is not unusual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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