OUR DEADLIEST WEAPON

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 223, 8 June 1918, Page 7

OUR DEADLIEST WEAPON

THE "MAN : STOPPER" GUNS. /

Of all lethal ■weapons the machine-gun is unquestionably fiio most efficient "man-stopper.'''' Probably the greater proportion of the enormous losses lccently suffered by the German's wora caused by this weapon. Any type of machineKlin in the hands of a skilful operator has the same destructive effect upon men moving in massed formation as a keen-edged scythe has in a field of ripened corn. It cnls broad swatlies; nothing j can staad against it. The function or heavy artillery is to put np long-dis-tance barrages and hammer back areas. Mostiy tho targets upon which this sort of ordnance is laid are .out of the sight of all except aerial observers. But when the attack rolls on to close quarters tho "heavies" fall back and tho 18-pounders and the machine-guns get their chance. Of the latter thero are various types, such as. the Lewis, tho Jlaxim, the Vickcrs, and tho Ilotchkiss. All are very mobile. '.'They. caii\ ho "moved from ono place to another eftjediliously, advantage being taken of any cover that offers. Each clrs.; of machine-gun; has with it n squad ol' about 10 men." "Should theso find' themselves pressed 100 closely they pick up their weapon, fall back with it, and reopen firo upon tho enemy from the .next favourable -position. - One often hears it said in the field, that one well-handled machtnc-guin is worth a whole battalion of men armed with rifles. And there, is somo truth in the assertion. \-Vot while comparatively few soldiers caivkcep up their 15 rounds per minute" rapid fire with a rifle, a machiuc-^uii- call . dischargo 600 rounds iu this brief period, and tho Vickci« can get olf'lGOO without stopping. Bullets pour from the muzzles of theso guns in a rapid, devastating stream, and as they use the- same kind of amniumition ad rillcs there exists no difficulty in keeping them fed. The Lewis gun is the most mobile of ail. Ono man fires it, loosing 17 rounds in succession. Besido him is another man, who puts on fresh trays of ammunition a. 1 ? required, the change being made in a couple of seconds. Meanwhile other men are hard at work filling, traps and passing them on for use. This gun has an effective range of viliout 3200 vards, and can ho fired either from a stand or a parapet, the gu.nnor pitting thepieeo to his shoulder a* he pulls tho trigger. Jlaxims and Vickers are fired from a tripod, the gunncv squatting, with legs straddled, on the ground behind them and pressing a key. So long as lie does this the gun continues streaming out death- with a "r-r-r-ripping sound, as the belts, each of which holds 2M cartridges, flv through it. C-ripping the handles with both hands, the gunner moves his weapon .backwards and towards,- plaving on the advancing trooife much ns a fireman plays a hose upon a burning building, and tho men thus attacked go down in heaps. A well-served machine-gun is uo most formidable tlftng attacking battalions have to face, for it is not the front lanks alone that suffer.. At anything ing close ranges the bullets will go through tho ■ front-rank men, often ihroiitfli Ihcsccoml runic 100, ijnj, or wound those immediately behind them.. (tuns of this kind can'bo used for puttin"- up barrages, and it is possible to pt tack with tlicni targets ono cannot see-. Tho Hotchßiss differs from some otTttr niai'hinc-guns in that it hres single shots at the. rate of 10J per. keep this up almost lmlemntelj, }}hilo tin? movement of a lever eunvcrts it in* stantly for repetition fire. As is "cinrally known, machine-guns are largelv used' in aeroplanes, particularly the Lewis and the Vickers type. Tho number of them employed l\v cavalry and infantry grows rapu.l.V. When the war began ine-guns to each infantry l.alta on. No* we nave many more. Tn a ditioM special Maehine-liuii Corps las been formed, and will hence ortli taU- p - hv n 11 hcatrcs of war, inoro parUcularlv on tho Western -tront, is one l nf I'f.iifiminllv increasing nnpoitnnco. 4 ninvv in Tb'C tliei'C. As ft lillcr 01 B™. vards and hospitals it. hoi* nj^nout position on both Rides of .tho lit*. "G.lj" in U ,c W®*