Guns

Terraplane49 · 12 April 2011, 10:17 AM

Here I come again.I'm trying[very?] to remember the type of mg on the top wing position of my Sikorsky Ilya Mouromets.I feel they might be Colts[they have a bren-like magazine]but can't be sure.Could this be old age finally creeping up?Somebody put me out of my misery please as I got asked this by a friend and,to my embarrassment, couldnt answer.I just checked on the forum and could find no mention of them.

Ransom E. Olds · 12 April 2011, 10:38 AM

An MG with a "Bren-like magazine" sounds like a Danish Madsen, some of which were used in Russia during the war. It was an aircooled LMG with a fixed wooden butt attached to the rear of the receiver, and with a curved box magazine mounted on top. When used by infantry the muzzle was supported by a bipod. Does this seem what you had in mind? Ransom

Doc · 12 April 2011, 10:55 AM

"Flying Guns World War I", by Williams and Gustin, has an interesting photo on page 71 which would support Ransom's suggestion. This is the gunner's cockpit on top of the Ilya Murometz Type VEH, with a Madsen and a Lewis Gun mounted. This book notes that the armaments on the Ilyas were widely variable, depending on what was available--- Maxims, Lewises, Madsens, and Colt-Brownings. I could be wrong, but I don't remember any Colt-Brownings with a "Bren-like" magazine-- Most were belt-fed. Doc

Lodzermensch · 13 April 2011, 12:47 PM

Hello,

If your MG looks like the one depicted below - this is Madsen for sure.

Source: Ilya Muromyetz. The proud of the Russian aviation by Marat Khayrulin.

Regards

Marek

lupodimontenero · 14 April 2011, 12:54 AM

the weapon in the photo is a Mod1902 madsen

Epee · 14 April 2011, 04:27 AM

Didn't the Germans also use the Madsen, as a ground LMG, in small numbers?

Terraplane49 · 15 April 2011, 06:56 AM

As soon as I read the replies I remembered that that was what I had on the tip of my frontal lobes.Dont know about the German infantry using them though given that Denmark is next-door it would make perfect sense to do so.Thanks everyone.All I need is a brain transplant!!

Romani · 15 April 2011, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epee

Didn't the Germans also use the Madsen, as a ground LMG, in small numbers?

Since nobody answered this, I will repeat it, yes, they used captured weapons from the Russians to form light machine gun battalions called Musketen-Bataillone with each battalion having 30 MGs, beginning in August 1915 and first used in Champagne in September. By the end of the Somme battle where they suffered heavy casualties in their role to plug breaches of the first line, they had lost all their Madsen guns and reequipped with captured British Lewis guns.

Source: German Stormtrooper 1914-18, Osprey Warrior series 12, pp 14-15