ForgottenWeapons
patreon
MG08: The Devil's Paintbrush
🕑 Added 2024-05-06 12:00:02 +0000 UTCThe MG08 was the German Army standard Maxim gun in World War One. The Germany Navy adopted the Maxim first in 1894, followed by the Army in 1899, then a new pattern in 1901, and finally the MG08 in 1908. This was actually a somewhat old-fashioned pattenr of Maxim when it was adopted, as the Germans chose to use the 1889-style lock, which was neither headspace adjustable not field-strippable. Their decision was based on the idea that they could produce locked to perfect interchangeable headspace, and field stripping was not really necessary - and they were not wrong in these assumptions. MG08 guns were issued with two spare locks in each sled mount, and that handled any broken parts that might occasionally happen. During the war, about 106,000 MG08s were built by two main factories, the Spandau Arsenal and the DWM company. This remained the standard German Army heavy machine gun until the adoption of the MG34.
Comments
Thomas Batha
In the early 1920's, the Secretary of War offered 20,000 German machine guns and 5,000 artillery pieces to Legion Posts and other fraternal organizations for memorial display. That explains why there are so many scattered around the country today.
Dana Arbeit
A great old gun and marvelous mount that is missunderstood in its use. Most movies and TV shows depicting WWI show German machine gunners traversing their fire accross a line of infantry, knocking them down one by one. In reality, the mount would not have allowed that type of use and for good reason. MGs were set up to fire accross the front at a shallow angle in relation to the line they were defending. Once set in angle and elevation, the gun didn't move. Once a line of infantry entered the gunner's sight picture, he just held down the trigger in very long bursts. Since tracers were not in use at that time, the infantry just walked into a stream of bullets which they could not see and were mowed down in rows. Accounts are common of follow-on troops finding perfectly formed lines of dead troops. It was a "bullet hose" extrodinaire. The gunner didn't fire to the front but accross his front. It was truly human butchery at the highest level.
Guido Schriewer
isn't a L(ight)mg for sure. takes a moment to set that beast up, huh. but that in 1899... wow. man they did lost MANY of those! and made many. 90000machine guns...
