Muerrisch Posted 29 November , 2004 Share Posted 29 November , 2004 Gazing at the display in National War Memorial, Canberra, I readily identified a wire cutter stuck on a SMLE. And then I thought "how did it work?". In detail, if anyone knows, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Sweeney Posted 29 November , 2004 Share Posted 29 November , 2004 David, Go to: http://1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showt...t=0entry16016 Joe S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 29 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 29 November , 2004 Joe, thank you ............. I knew you would know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anzac16 Posted 29 November , 2004 Share Posted 29 November , 2004 Here some picture's from my wire-cutter maybe it will explain how it works Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Sweeney Posted 30 November , 2004 Share Posted 30 November , 2004 Anzac16, "A pictures worth a thousand words". Great way of illustrating how the cutters worked. Joe S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anzac16 Posted 30 November , 2004 Share Posted 30 November , 2004 thankx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 30 November , 2004 Share Posted 30 November , 2004 On a side note, I've been told that these items were obsolete before they ever reached the frontline, as they had been tested successfully against British wire, but no-one realised that German wire was thicker, too thick for the jaws to cut through! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
182 CEF Posted 30 November , 2004 Share Posted 30 November , 2004 Thank you, I always wondered how they worked. Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 30 November , 2004 Share Posted 30 November , 2004 Ok, I just have to ask, and pardon my ignorance, but what does SMLE stand for? Thanks, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anzac16 Posted 30 November , 2004 Share Posted 30 November , 2004 Short Magazine Lee Enfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anzac16 Posted 30 November , 2004 Share Posted 30 November , 2004 On a side note, I've been told that these items were obsolete before they ever reached the frontline, as they had been tested successfully against British wire, but no-one realised that German wire was thicker, too thick for the jaws to cut through! Next week if i have some time i will test it out but it would be nice if i have some original British and German wire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 30 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2004 now I have started something! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anzac16 Posted 30 November , 2004 Share Posted 30 November , 2004 now I have started something! yeah you did but i wanted to do it allready Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 30 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2004 just don't get anything trapped in the mechanism. Anything at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anzac16 Posted 30 November , 2004 Share Posted 30 November , 2004 No no i will be carefull but the wire-cutter is in very good state Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 30 November , 2004 Share Posted 30 November , 2004 Did the wire have to be taut? I can imagine that, if the wire was slack, you`d have nothing to push against? Or pull in the other type. Did the Germans (or British) hang things on the wire to give warning of tampering? Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anzac16 Posted 30 November , 2004 Share Posted 30 November , 2004 Did the wire have to be taut? I can imagine that, if the wire was slack, you`d have nothing to push against? Or pull in the other type. Did the Germans (or British) hang things on the wire to give warning of tampering? Phil B Yeah that is tru but i will try it all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anzac16 Posted 6 December , 2004 Share Posted 6 December , 2004 Thats wierd never saw this that they use it the other way around and i never saw on picture's where they have them on the lee enfield this way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 7 December , 2004 Share Posted 7 December , 2004 Did the Germans (or British) hang things on the wire to give warning of tampering? Phil They certainly did. In the midst of a full-blown attack, these measures would have been useless. But for a small raid, in the absence of a covering barrage, attempting to cut wire would likely have triggered the warning systems. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Sweeney Posted 12 December , 2004 Share Posted 12 December , 2004 "The first one entitled Canadian Training School Bexhill 1 show infantry stringing and then cutting wire with rifle attached cutters, the man nearest the camera seems to be using his upside down" "and i never saw on picture's where they have them on the lee enfield this way" They are the standard No1 MK I Wire cutters fitted properly. Joe Sweeney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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