Do you guys think that was machine gun fire from the flank or did the damage come from a German squad using a flanking maneuver? It seems weird that another machine gun crew with their compliment of men and gear flanked that gun unless the French crew had already held up their hands and high tailed it for Paris or they had left the gun sitting sideways at the top of the pit as some kind of peace offering to the German gods of war. To me that looks like about 10 guys were shooting from the flank at that thing with rifles. At any rate, that's proof of a real bloodbath.
The Germans were fielding "light" (well, lighter) machine guns by 1917, the MG-08/15. It "only" weighed about 40 lbs with it's bipod (it was still watercooled), but with an assistant gunner or two carrying ammunition, it was a lot more mobile and actually became the most common machinegun in German service. It's quite likely they outflanked a French machinegun position in the German offensives of 1918.
A couple years ago, a friend brought over an MG42 dewat that had been ‘renewed’, legally. It had a few ~.30 cal holes in the bipod, one in the forend, & I’m guessing the next one is what provided the trophy. May WE continue to be so bold...
Do you guys think that was machine gun fire from the flank or did the damage come from a German squad using a flanking maneuver? It seems weird that another machine gun crew with their compliment of men and gear flanked that gun unless the French crew had already held up their hands and high tailed it for Paris or they had left the gun sitting sideways at the top of the pit as some kind of peace offering to the German gods of war. To me that looks like about 10 guys were shooting from the flank at that thing with rifles. At any rate, that's proof of a real bloodbath.
ReplyDeleteThe Germans were fielding "light" (well, lighter) machine guns by 1917, the MG-08/15. It "only" weighed about 40 lbs with it's bipod (it was still watercooled), but with an assistant gunner or two carrying ammunition, it was a lot more mobile and actually became the most common machinegun in German service. It's quite likely they outflanked a French machinegun position in the German offensives of 1918.
DeleteA couple years ago, a friend brought over an MG42 dewat that had been ‘renewed’, legally. It had a few ~.30 cal holes in the bipod, one in the forend, & I’m guessing the next one is what provided the trophy.
ReplyDeleteMay WE continue to be so bold...