Posted on 10/13/2008 4:49:43 PM PDT by sig226
The repeating magazine rifle firing the new cartridges at velocities in excess of 2,000 fps proved it’s worth in countless engagements ranging from Spion Kop in Natal, to San Juan Hill in Cuba, to Mukden in Manchuria. The repeating magazine rifle became king of the battlefield. The trained British regulars of the “Old Contemptibles” could fire an estimated 12 to 15 rounds per minute of accurate rifle fire. Their sustained rate of fire during the Battle of Mons and during the constant rear guard actions during the retreat towards Le Cateau was so daunting it lead the German high command to reach the conclusion each British Battalion was equipped with 20 to 30 machineguns, when in fact they were only issued four.
The wide open tactics employed in Germany’s Schliefen plan and Frances counterstroke, Plan 17, called for maneuver and combined arms attacks, with both light cavalry performing in the traditional scouting roll and heavy cavalry, some still wearing archaic steel breastplates and helmets, sporting lances and heavy sabers in addition to their carbines, poised to ride in and exploit the “breakthrough.”
Infantry and field artillery were to operate in support of one another depending on the circumstances, while the cavalry waited in the wings. The “galloping batteries” of light field artillery were still riding hell bent for leather in order to unlimber their guns in open fields in direct sight of the enemy. Firing over open sights, the gunners braved accurate rifle fire unheard of when their tactics were first developed. While the war of maneuver lasted, the rifle was indeed king of the battlefield, with the small number of machineguns employed in the opening months of the war providing the occasional demonstration of horrors to come.
The battle sight setting of the rifles carried by the major combatant nations in 1914 provides some insight into the type of combat the militaries expected to encounter during the next war. The “battle setting” represents the closest possible range at which the rifles sights were set to aim directly at the target. At any range closer than this, the soldier had to hold low. This was the reason sergeants in most armies of the day stood on the firing line repeatedly screaming, “Aim at their knees!”
The prevailing military wisdom at the beginning of the 20th Century was war would be fought in open order at the substantial distance favoring newly introduced high-velocity smokeless powder cartridges. Maneuver, as had been the basic tenet of both strategy and tactics from time immemorial would remain wide open, which explains the continued preeminence of cavalry in every army of the day, in spite of the lessons learned to the contrary in numerous small wars fought towards the close of the 19th Century.
In a war of maneuver, the machinegun was considered of limited advantage being too cumbersome it was believed, to keep up with the rapid advance of the infantry. In many armies of the era, machine guns were still relegated to the artillery rather than the infantry. In addition, the ordnance boards fought the adoption of the machinegun tooth and nail as they had with the introduction of the repeating rifle two decades earlier! How could the already over burdened supply columns ever successfully feed such a wasteful weapon as the machinegun with enough ammunition once the fighting commenced? These same logistics officers believed the average infantryman would empty all of his cartridge pouches within 20 minutes of battle being joined! Small arms fire was to be tightly controlled by the NCOs in every army, another reason why archaic magazine cut-offs survived into the early 20th Century.
The old adage, “The military is always prepared to fight the last war over again” was very much the case in 1914, despite recent evidence the nature of weapons technology had forever changed the face of war. Since the advent of the rifled musket, proponents of defensive warfare from prepared positions, such as Confederate General George Longstreet, had argued well-trained riflemen behind earthworks could not be taken in direct assault by the devil himself!
This was repeatedly proven during the American Civil War prior to the widespread use of single-shot cartridge rifles, let alone repeating rifles. Throw in high-velocity repeating rifles with an effective range of over 1,000 yards when fired at massed targets, and it should have been back to the drawing board for the high command in order to develop new tactics better suited to the effectiveness of the new weaponry.
But the real precursors to WWI were to be found in the siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War and on a much larger scale during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. In both instances, rapid long-range accurate defensive fire forced the attackers to go to ground. The spade became the soldier’s best friend rather than the rifle. Modern rapid firing field artillery, epitomized by the famous and revolutionary French 75, throwing air-bursting shrapnel or HE shells at the rate of 15 rounds per minute only heightened the need to dig even faster! The transition from the open warfare envisioned by the high command to the importance of digging in the moment a unit halted under fire is most graphically and brilliantly described in Erwin Rommel’s great work, Infantry Attacks. This is a must read for anyone interested in military history, small unit command, leadership, inspired tactics or WWI in general. This excellent treatise on small unit tactics is based on Rommel’s experiences during the Great War as a junior officer in the Elite Wurttemberg Mountain Battalion. It was written after the war and published in 1937. The book chronicles Leutnant (and later Captain) Rommel’s experiences throughout the war, including his participation in the Battle of the Frontiers that preceded the Race to the Sea, which in turn culminated in the ultimate stalemate in the trenches once there were no more flanks to be turned!
After only 17 days in the field, Lt. Rommel made the following observation. “In contrast to this, (the 3rd Battalion which had suffered heavy casualties) the 2nd Battalions pick-and-shovel work on the barren hill paid large dividends. In spite of an artillery bombardment lasting for hours, our casualties were very small.” The handwriting was already on the wall and what was to come should have been apparent to someone other than this lone 23-year-old junior officer!
ping
Obama Media....obviously interrupting your ability to post freely................
That was the Maxim....Browning (and Westinghouse) took care of that with the M-1917 .30 cal machine gun (actually first patented in 1901, but ignored by military due to lack of interest!). Westinghouse mfr'd 30,150, Remington-12,000, and Colt-600. Weight 37 lb with water cooled jacket.
BLOAT.
I also note that the American grenadier was armed with some automatic pistol designed by a feller named Browning with the model year of 1911. Wonder whatever happened to that one?
I hear tell it turned out to be a pretty good pistol, and that Browning fellow it seems did fairly well with one or two other designs as well.
L
I have a question for the gun club: I’m looking for a good semi-auto rifle of the 7.62/.308 variety. Something I could use to reach out and touch something out to 800m or so. Any recommendations? I was looking at the mini-30, but I’ve read some reviews which suggest it is not the most accurate.
I never had a .45 but I had a colt commander 9mm and it had a good feel to it.
Good stuff.
We have an original 1911 that a friend of the family carried in France during the first World War.He gave it to me for safe keeping,he knew I would take good care of it.
That is the consensus. Besides, the mini chambers the AH\SKS round, no 800 yard round. Semi .308 rifles cost money and are relatively heavy. You can buy junk that skirts one of those two, but don't. M1A or high end AR-10 rifles come to mind for good equipment.
Me, I have a .308 tactical bolt rifle. And two ARs to defend the bolt rifles position. Either you need one well placed shot, or you need a squad...
There’s a kid up the road from me who kills coffee cans with his M-1 and handloads at that distance. Of course, he can read wind changes before they happen.
Until the tank came along and it was back to open ground warfare.
This thread opens up the issue of the Mauser k98; it’s a great rifle and a great design, but there are so many variations that it’s difficult to sift through them all with an eye to acquisition of an example. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has one, and what you think of it? Also, which variation is it and where did you get it?
The whole question came up as the result of the advertisement perpetually in National Rifleman touting the virtues of an outfit calling itself “Mitchell’s Mausers.” It seems that some feel they’re not on the up-and-up, and that their rifles have been refurbished, reblued, and even restamped to make them appear something they’re not. I recently saw one of their rifles in a shop, however, where someone had placed it for resale, and it was absoutely gorgeous. Another company offering the rifle is called Samco, and they seem to be a little more straightforward.
Anyone like to weight in on this topic?
I agree about the "cost money" part, but the Springfield M1A SOCOM-16 is fairly light, and very handy and quite pleasant to shoot (with ear protection). With a 1x electronic sight, it's a plinker on steroids. I have complete confidence in mine up to 300 yards. After that, my eyes need help before my M1A does. The rifle is willing, but the eyes are weak.
Effective fire on a point target at 800 yards, as opposed to mass volley fire, requires a serious rifle with a serious scope, and some serious practice. You can probably save $400 by going with a quality bolt action, rather than semiauto, but you still need the same scope, and the same amount of practice.
Shots at 800 yards, outside of mountains and open plains, are few and far between. It's the "big leagues" of rifle shooting, and you have to gear up for it appropriately.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2104697/posts
Your post is a little confusing. Do you want a rifle that fires 7.62 X 39 or 7.62 X 51[.308]?
You all will appreciate this. Trust me.
Denny Crane - Boston legal (Preview)
Dances with Wolves
http://www.tv.com/video/15055/dances-with-wolves?o=tv&tag=show_summary;video;thumb
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