MG 08/15

[MG1918]

[MG1918]

[MG1918]

[MG1918]

[MG1918]

[MG1918]

[GreyC]

Hi,

a formidable collection. I only have a few photos. This is one of them and seems special as I have been told this to be the navy variant 8mm. Manned by soldiers from the VI. Seebattailon in Ostende. What might the application be for on the left barrel?

GreyC

[Bayern]

Never seen before the device. perhaps some sort of muzzle brake ?

[GreyC]

Thank´s for the input, Bayern. But shouldn´t it be rather a Rückstoßverstärker with a MG? So the opposite?

GreyC

[MG1918]

I think we may be getting confused with vocabulary . Do you mean flash hider? or Blank Firing Attachment or just the normal Muzzle booster? There are some other period images with a very large/device' on the muzzle of an 08 which again has caused much discussion from 'fortress armour' to exotic flash hider !.

[GreyC]

Hi MG1918,

thank you for responding. Do you have any photo-examples of these that you mentioned? And what do you think about the idea of this being a naval variant of the MG08/15?

Best,

GreyC

[MG1918]

They could well be 8mm Naval MG08s but it is difficult to see from the photo. Attached a naval MG08 where you can see certain key features for zeppelin use.

However there are certainly 'extra bits' on these guns which warrant more study. Attached a well known photo of a 'front piece instrument'

 

[GreyC]

Hi,

thank you for the promptly posted additional photos!

GreyC

[Bayern]

Hello GreyC , If I had understand well you suggested that the device is a recoil strenghtener,

[GreyC]

Hi Bayern,

yes, that´s the English expression I suppose.

GreyC

[Bayern]

Hello GreyC ,Well ,then they are two possible reasons for use the device, one ,the shot with blank cartridges other the use of real ammo with lower charge of propellent perhaps that of the Gehwer 1888 .

[GreyC]

Thanks Bayern.

GreyC

[MG1918]

I am not an expert but whilst I am sure there are many bits of kit that were used in WWI, that still we do not know of, or experimentation, or field armoured modifications. I do not see this square ‘thing’ as a recoil device. The point of the booster is to re-channel some of the forces and gases in order to assist the recoil process. This simply looks like something that the barrel protrudes through but fixed to the barrel. Is it some strange armour or flash hider I do not know. Is there better photo definition. I would like to see the tangent sight too as that might give a clue. It also looks to me that the RH gun also has a canvas/cloth barrel jacket sleeve. Furthermore the LH gun has a variant of an AA sight too not seen before?

[GreyC]

Hi MG1918,

thank you for your careful observations. I am not really familiar with all of the technical terms and abbriviations, so could you tell me what an AA sight is?  Anti-Aircraft?

Thank you!

GreyC

Edited December 16, 2018 by GreyC

[MG1918]

AA not so exciting ? it means anti-aircraft.  The 08 was a terrific AA MG and there is lots of period imagery of 08 gun nests and positions in all sorts of configurations.

Now I am forced to dig out my AA images!

Mark

[GreyC]

Hi,

thank you, but nobody is forcing you....though every intersting picture will be appreciated ;-)

GreyC

[Bayern]

Hello . There is a interesting site in French about MGs of WW1 . www.mitralleuses.fr./Allemande .take a look ,the site contains many pictures

[GreyC]

Thank´s for the link. Interesting stuff.

GreyC

[Bayern]

Hello , So i think. there i discovered that previous to the MG08 existed a MG 1899 and a MG 01

[MG1918]

This is the MG08/15 thread so I will post some imagery on the MG08 thread reference Bayern’s discovery of earlier maxims ?. As for anti-aircraft use in WWI, period imagery favours the 08 as the AA weapon of choice so again those images will appear in the 08 thread.