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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Individual weapons & tactics -> On Belgian Machine Guns.
Post Info TOPIC: On Belgian Machine Guns.
James H


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On Belgian Machine Guns.
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I think the first picture could well be of the mysterious Berthier machine-gun that we tried to fathom out some time ago. These are Belgian Grenadiers, and they must be pre-War since they're wering bearskins. The gun on the cart looks like the Berthier that can be seen towards the bottom of this page http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/MG/I/MG-3.html

Also, there is mention of the Short Hotchkiss (Portative) being used by Belgian Cavalry. There is a pic in the WWI Sourcebook of dismounted Belgian Chasseurs à Cheval using one. I've come across several coloured postcards of the Chasseurs, but recently stumbled across this one for the first time. He's holding what looks like a Hotchkiss, and there appears to be a special bucket for it attached to the saddle. I've no details of how widely they were issued.




-- Edited by James H on Wednesday 3rd of February 2010 08:45:15 PM

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Ironsides


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Hi James A very interesting pic it looks like it could be a Berthier, any chance of a better pic?......
Somehow the bearskins dont seem to fit in with the MG almost comic really.....

Cheerssmile

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Brennan


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The chassuer's Hotchkiss looks to be the standard light version - the Indian Cavalry came to France with these on the basis of 1 or 2 per squadron. They were suposed to have been acquired pre war. I know the Russians were issuing Masdens on 2 per Squadron - had started issuing them in the Russo-Japanese war.

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James H


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Managed to find a shot from a different angle. I think that some pre-War manoeuvres must have been photographed extensively - there are lots of postcards that are similar in style. In fact, if I could remember a date or two I could tell you exactly the year, because there are some of Carabinier Cyclists still wearing the Corsican hat, so the photos must have been taken between the issue of the bicycles and the new peaked cap.

Anyway, there are a few pics of Grenadiers with this gun, probably all taken on the same day. From memory, a Cavalry regt was attached to each Division, so I suspect this was a horse-drawn weapon, like the carriage-mounted Hotchkiss used by the French. In fact, it's possible that the Grenadiers weren't supposed to be manning it at all; it could be a bit of licence on the photographer's part.

As you say, Ivor, a strange juxtaposition. There's also a pic of Grenadiers skirmishing and lying prone, complete with greatcoats and bearskins. All so hopelessly outdated that it's rather sad.

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