The Machine Gun
When the machine gun entered the war in 1914, it was a fairly basic design but proved to dominate the battlefield. Early models of the machine gun would require a crew of four to six operators and in theory could fire 400-600 small caliper rounds per minute. By the end of the war that number was more than doubled due to improvements such as rounds being fed through belt drive. The early machine guns would over heat and be unusable without the aid of cooling systems such as water cooling or air cooling. Whether air or water cooled, machine guns still jammed frequently when used by inexperienced operators or in hot weather.
By 1918, machine guns became usable by one man although still weighing in at around 25 pounds. Although lighter they were still considered too heavy and bulky for rapidly advancing infantry. Many attempts to transport the guns by wheeled carriages or animals became ineffective. As the war developed, machine guns were used on tanks, ships, and aircraft while improvements on design were constantly being made. It is without a doubt that the machine gun changed the way World War I and every other war to this day is fought.
By 1918, machine guns became usable by one man although still weighing in at around 25 pounds. Although lighter they were still considered too heavy and bulky for rapidly advancing infantry. Many attempts to transport the guns by wheeled carriages or animals became ineffective. As the war developed, machine guns were used on tanks, ships, and aircraft while improvements on design were constantly being made. It is without a doubt that the machine gun changed the way World War I and every other war to this day is fought.