Dan Morton
A Fixture
As the title suggests, here's a couple of interesting web sites from the Great War Forum.
1. The Historic Military Vehicles forum. I think this is mostly a UK site and it is for those devoted to restoring and keeping up military vehicles. A fascinating hobby and one I know I'd enjoy if I could afford it! :0
http://historicmilitaryvehicles.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
2. Two Youtube short videos. One on the Maxim MG and another on the Mad Minute. Both pretty nifty!
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hiram+maxim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m1yN-3n0FU
+++
After posting this earlier, it occurred to me that some of you may not understand the "Mad Minute" title. It refers to the fact that most trained British pre-WWI riflemen (mostly professional soldiers) could aim and fire 15-20 rounds in a minute with the Lee-Enfield rifle. The Youtube video just demonstrates how it was done. Actually if I counted correctly, the marksman gets off 25 rounds in his minute. Now that may not sound like so much, but remember there were few machine guns on the battlefield in 1914 and that the soldiers of other European armies were not taught this skill with a rifle. The French preferred closing with the enemy and using the bayonet. The Germans were taught mass assault and use of the rifle was, although not ignored, second place to close order attack. "Mad Minute" rifle fire and good small unit defense discipline saved the small British army from extinction in 1914, although just barely!
All the best,
Dan
1. The Historic Military Vehicles forum. I think this is mostly a UK site and it is for those devoted to restoring and keeping up military vehicles. A fascinating hobby and one I know I'd enjoy if I could afford it! :0
http://historicmilitaryvehicles.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
2. Two Youtube short videos. One on the Maxim MG and another on the Mad Minute. Both pretty nifty!
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hiram+maxim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m1yN-3n0FU
+++
After posting this earlier, it occurred to me that some of you may not understand the "Mad Minute" title. It refers to the fact that most trained British pre-WWI riflemen (mostly professional soldiers) could aim and fire 15-20 rounds in a minute with the Lee-Enfield rifle. The Youtube video just demonstrates how it was done. Actually if I counted correctly, the marksman gets off 25 rounds in his minute. Now that may not sound like so much, but remember there were few machine guns on the battlefield in 1914 and that the soldiers of other European armies were not taught this skill with a rifle. The French preferred closing with the enemy and using the bayonet. The Germans were taught mass assault and use of the rifle was, although not ignored, second place to close order attack. "Mad Minute" rifle fire and good small unit defense discipline saved the small British army from extinction in 1914, although just barely!
All the best,
Dan
