The Vickers Machine Gun - WordPress.com€¦ · Machine gun fire creates a beaten zone Rates of fire: • Rapid: 1 belt per minute (250 rpm) • Normal: 1 belt per 2 minutes (125

The Vickers Machine Gunand the development of machine gunnery in the

Great War

© Vickers MG Collection & Research Association.A not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee, registered in England. Company number: 0755802.

The Vickers Machine Gun - Introduction

© Vickers MG Collection & Research Association – www.vickersmg.org.uk

The Vickers Machine Gun - Description




Gun, Machine, Vickers .303-inch, Mk. I• Water-cooled: Approx. 7 pints. ‘Normal’

rate of fire (one belt every two minutes) boils after 600 rounds then loses 1½ pints for every 1,000 rounds fired.

• Recoil-operated: Cyclic rate of fire of 450 to 550 rounds per minute. Toggle mechanism.

• Feed: 250-round ammunition belt. .303-inch Mk. VII (later Mk. VIIz) ammunition. Effective up to 2,900 yards.

• Weighs up to 40lb (with water). Length 3ft 7½ ins.

Mounting, Tripod, .303-inch M.G., Mk. IV• Originally introduced for the Maxim in 1906.• Weighs 48lb.







The Vickers Machine Gun –Development


Vickers manufacturing:• Erith factory

• 1912 onwards• ‘L’ (light) series guns initially

• Crayford factory• 1916 onwards

Minor changes following trials, but otherwise as the ‘1908’ Light Pattern Vickers Machine Gun

Same design of gun throughout the war, with minor exceptions, mostly for speed of manufacture.

The Vickers Machine Gun –Development


1915 gun:• ‘five-arch’ top cover• Fluted jacket• Milled side plates• Milled small

components• Complex tangent

sight slide

1918 gun:• Single-arch top cover• Smooth jacket• Smooth ‘slab’ side

plates• Mass-produced

components

The Vickers Machine Gun – British Service




Increased to four guns per Section in February, 1915.









The Vickers Machine Gun – Machine Gunners


No. 1:• Armed with:

• Revolver• Main duties:

• The firer• Carries the tripod into

action.• Ensure the mechanism is

working correctly.• Place tripod in secure

position.• Repeats all orders.• Observes his own fire.• Makes necessary alterations

of elevation and direction.• Most proficient at laying and

holding MG fire.2

13



No. 2:• Armed with:

• Revolver• Main duties:

• Carries the gun into action.• Assists No. 1 at the gun.• Mounts the gun on the tripod.• Attend to feeding the gun.• Watch for signals from section or

Brigade MG Officer.• Generally assist No. 1.

• Second most proficient at laying and holding MG fire.


Nos. 3 and 4:• Armed with:

• Rifles• Main duties:

• Ammunition carriers.• No. 3 takes first supply to the gun.• No. 4 takes ammunition from

limber (or dugout) to gun.• Arrange for spare parts to be

brought up from Box.• No. 3 responsible for ensuring

condenser is at gun before water boils.

• No. 4 administrates spare equipment.

• No. 3 is third most proficient at laying and holding MG fire.

• No. 4 is most proficient at belt-filling.



Nos. 5:• Armed with:


• Scout• Duties as ordered by Section

Officer

Nos. 6:• Armed with:


• One No. 6 is a Range-Taker• The other is a spare man

Note: Later, the Range-Taker was a specific post in the Section so both Nos. 6 were spare men.



Direct Fire• Target can be seen• Minimum of two guns (Sub-

section)

Indirect Fire• Target obscured (e.g. fog,

landscape, smoke)• Minimum of four guns

(Section)

Machine gun fire creates a ‘beaten zone’

Rates of fire:• Rapid: 1 belt per minute (250 rpm)• Normal: 1 belt per 2 minutes (125 rpm)• Slow: 1 belt per 4 minutes (c60 rpm)


The Vickers Machine Gun – Machine Gunnery


Direct Fire - Defensive

Traditional view of machine gun use:

‘Swinging traverse’‘Traversing fire’


The Vickers Machine Gun – Machine Gunners Direct Fire - Offensive

The Vickers Machine Gun – Machine Gunnery


Indirect Fire


Neutralising fire Harassing fire Barrage fire (creeping, standing and to cover raids)

The Vickers Machine Gun – Machine Gunnery Indirect Fire

The Vickers Machine Gunand the development of machine gunnery in the

Great War

Thank you

© Vickers MG Collection & Research Association.A not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee, registered in England. Company number: 0755802.

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The Vickers Machine Gun - WordPress.com€¦ · Machine gun fire creates a beaten zone Rates of fire: • Rapid: 1 belt per minute (250 rpm) • Normal: 1 belt per 2 minutes (125