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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Tanks -> Machine Guns on Mks VI & V
Post Info TOPIC: Machine Guns on Mks VI & V
Tonys


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Machine Guns on Mks VI & V
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Can anyone please give clarity on the machine guns and their mounts fitted to Mk IV and Mk V tanks?
I'm busy doing the Interus Mk V Hermaphrodite and have grave suspicions about the machine guns and their fittings; referring to lots of photos doesn't seem to answer the question!
In summary, it would appear that the Mk IV had Lewis mgs fitted with the "stovepipe" looking cowling to the barrel. This would appear to have a prominent ball-type socket visible in the main mg positions in the sponsons. However, the Mk V would appear to have a "normal looking" mg - a Hotchkiss - with a different type of mount or at least aperture.
I have referred to the artwork and parts of the Emhar Mk IV, but doubt the accuracy of the kit.
Has anyone got details of the mgs and fittings or clarification on this issue?
Regards,
Tony

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Centurion


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RE: Machine Guns on Mks VI & V
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By and large early Mk IVs had the Lewis and later Mk IVs the Hotchkiss. Mk V and V*s the Hotchkiss. The Lewis had to be operated with the cooling jacket (your stove pipe) because the recupurator (the tube under the barrel) was very very prone to damage from the slightest knock which put the gun out of action. It was used on aircraft without the jacket as the airflow gave adequate cooling and there was nothing to knock the recupurator (post war "Lewis guns" seen on ground vehicles without a cooling jacket are in fact Vickers K guns based on the Lewis but with a diferent recupurator). The cooling jacket was very unpopular with tank crews as it sucked in fumes and dust into the gunners eyes and some Mk IV crews may have done some unofficial re equipping before the Hotcjkiss was officially restored as the tank gun. The version used in the Mk IVs and Vs etc was modified to take a belt rather than a strip feed. The Ehmar gun is an abomination.

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Peter Kempf


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RE: Machine Guns on Mks VI & V
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Centurion has told you exactly as it is it! One thing one must remember is that the Hotchkiss used in British tanks was not the long-barreled Infantry version, but a smaller, lighter type. Check it out here! http://www.landships.freeservers.com/hotchkiss_portable_mg_info.htm

Sometimes there is confusion over this. And yes, I agree: the EMHAR MG's are really terrible.

-- Edited by Peter Kempf at 23:10, 2007-01-03

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Tonys


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RE: Machine Guns on Mks VI & V
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Peter,
If you think the Emhar ones are grim, don't try the Interus kit - every gun was either misformed and/or broke up on removal from the sprue. The 6pdr is also a complete joke. Although the Emhar one looks a lot better, it is also incorrectly dimensioned.
Tony

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Centurion


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There was a thread on the forum somewhere with some info on building very good Hotchkiss mgs using the needles from hypodermics. I haven't tried it although I have some old needles (no I'm not an addict or diabetic but they do make brilliant devices for applying small  drops of oil to delicate mechanisms). I'm sure the technique could be applied to using other micro tubes (some of which are available to aircraft modellers as they make good wing cannon). Perhaps if peter could extract it and stick it in the modelling section?

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Tonys


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Is this what they call "hooked on modelling"?
Tony

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eugene


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Tonys wrote:

Is this what they call "hooked on modelling"?
Tony



that paint and glue . . .



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Drader


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Scale Link's Hotchkiss automatics made a real improvement to my Emhar Whippet. Drilling and filing the ball mounts out to accept them was real bit of modelling 'magic'.


David



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Tonys


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David,
Is that on the 1/35th or the 1/72nd scale version?
Tony

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Tonys


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Peter,
Nice picture, but no dimensions - does anybody have even one significant dim to enable scratchbuilding?
Tony

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Tonys


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Hannants are advertising the imminent release of Calibre 35's models of the Hotchkiss M1900 and the M1914 - would one of these be the correct gun?
Tony

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Rhomboid


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Mike Chappell gives a length of 3ft. 10 1/2 in. for the Mk.1* No.1 cavalry variant seen in the first attachment. The second attachment is a detail from a July 1918 photo taken at the Tank Corps Gun School at Merlimont, showing the Mk.1* No.2 tank variant with spare barrels, spare parts bag, and pan for holding the 50 round linked belts. (Photos and drawing from his "Light Machine Guns", 1988). 

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Drader


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Tonys wrote:

David,
Is that on the 1/35th or the 1/72nd scale version?
Tony


Hi Tony


Scale Link's stuff is 1/32nd really, but doesn't look too out of scale on the Whippet


David



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Centurion


Legend

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Tonys wrote:

Peter,
Nice picture, but no dimensions - does anybody have even one significant dim to enable scratchbuilding?
Tony

The same mg was used as an aircraft weapon by some countries. Harry Woodman's Early Aircraft Armament does have a scale drawing. I'll try and dig out my copy and see if this contains a scale - I think it does

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Centurion


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Yes it does. I don't want to break copyright so I won't reproduce but I'll make some measurements and post.

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