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Description: | 1. M.G. 08/15.
2. J.P. SAUER & SOHN SUHL. 1918.
3. 9459B
4. Walther trademark
The MG 08/15 was the standard light machine-gun of the German Army during the First World War. Its origins lay in a wish to respond to the British deployment of the Lewis Gun (see FIR 8047) on the Western Front.
Effective light machine-gun designs were already available to the Germans; notably the Danish Madsen (see FIR 8045) and the promising Bergmann LMG 15 n.A. (see FIR 9219), but it was decided for manufacturing reasons to adapt the standard issue medium machine-gun, the MG 08 (see FIR 9295). Consequently the new weapon retained working parts which were identical to those of the MG 08, while the body and water-jacket were lightened. The MG 08/15 was fired from a rigid bipod and was fed from a 100 round belt carried in a drum.
The decision to base the new weapon on an existing gun certainly aided production, which commenced in late 1916. By the end of the war 130,000 MG 08/15s had been produced - compared with 72,000 MG 08s. However, as a weapon the 08/15 proved to be an unhappy compromise. It was light in name only (22Kg with ammunition belt and water) and the central position of the bipod made it difficult to shoot accurately.
This particular weapon was captured by the 33rd London Regiment on 4 November 1918. The Official History records that, in concert with 61st Field Company Royal Engineers, a company of the 33rd mounted a successful operation to establish a bridgehead over the River Scheldt (Schelde) on the night of 4-5 November 1918. This was intended as a preliminary to an advance planned by British 2nd Army, which was forestalled by the Armistice on 11 November.
11,000 made by Sauer, Walther lock is a rarity.
Brought back from the war by donor's father who, from Army Lists and Who's Who, would appear to have been Capt JEG Gray DSO, Rifle Bde. The personnel of 7th Battalion Rifle Bde were absorbed into 33rd London Regiment on 18 June 1918.
feed mechanism has feed pawl finger, all major parts have matching numbers | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | J P Sauer & Sohn, Suhl, Germany | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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