E
NOS GUNS
v
'
GERMAN OBSERVERS' GUNS By HARRY WOODMAN hilst many trials had been carried out in Britain, the USA, France, Germany, Russia and Italy before the war, when the conflict began the singleseat 'scouts' and the majority of two-seat aeroplanes were largely unarmed. Nonetheless, many airmen carried some kind of personal weapon such as a hand gun, not necessarily for use against enemy aircraft but for personal defence should they be forced to descend into enemy-held territory. For this reason, rifles or more usually carbines of the type issued to cavalry, were also carried. The German pilot or his companion might carry the standard German Army pistol, the Parabellum 9mm Modell 1908 (Luger pattern) whilst a popular weapon was the Mauser Selbstladeopistole Modell 1896 available in 7.63mm or 8mm calibre. This gun was not standard issue but was used in large numbers, both pistols could be fitted with a wooden stock permitting the shooter to aim more preCisely. The observer (or perhaps to be more correct, the passenger, for in the early biplanes and Taube monoplanes they could observe very little from their usual front seat position) had a limited field of fire. One advantage of the pusher, where the passenger usually sat in front, was the unrestricted visibility except to the rear which, during the early stages of the war, did not matter much . Other than pistols , German airmen could avail themselves of the standard infantry rifle, the Infanteriegewehr Modell 1898 chambered for
W
UK PRICE £6.65 (NEl)
the standard 7.92mm round, but its length (I.25m) made it rather awkward to use in a restricted cockpit. A handier gun was a cavalry carbine such as the Karabiner Model 1898/ 1908 whilst another alternative was the Mauser Selbstladegewehr C06/ 08, a short recoil automatic rifle manufactured in three different versions, a number being issued to the Fliegertruppen as the Flieger Selbstladegewehr. However, s omething rather better became available, the weapon named after its designer the Mexican Manuel Mondragon. At the beginning of the war Germany purchased a number of these rifles from the Swiss firm Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) . Mondragon patented the gun in the USA and then travelled to Europe to have the gun manufactured by the Swiss firm chambered for the 7mm Mauser cartridge. The original Swiss magazine held only 20 rounds, and the Germans developed a larger version known as a 'snail' magazine which held 30 rounds . Under the designation Mondragon Flieger Selbstladegewehr Modell 15 it was issued in numbers to the Fliegertruppen. The gun was capable of single shot or automatic fire and is occasionally incorrectly identified as a machine gun. Above, a posed photo, demonstrating how a 9mm Parabellum (Luger) pistol was used when fitted with a shoulder piece . Several pre-war pistols employed this device to aid accuracy in target or game shooting. Another common firearm was the Mauser.
The appearance of the Fokker and Pfalz 'E' class monoplanes with their forwardfiring synchronised machine guns marked a dramatic change in the conduct of the air war in the summer of 1915. What is seldom recognised is another German innovation which also affected the nature of aerial conflict. As it concerned two-seaters and their crews , who never received the attention bestowed on single-seat pilots, the introduction of the gun ring is usually ignored. On all sides reconnaissance and artillery observation were vitally important tasks and it often seems to be overlooked that the sole purpose of the single-seat scout was to protect their own two-seaters and prevent enemy reconnaissance aircraft from carrying out their work. However, the reconnaissance machines usually had to defend themselves as best they could in the face of the new, armed scouts. Unfortunately for far too long the British and French employed aircraft on these vital army tasks which could hardly defend themselves. The BE2 series, still in service in 1917, incorporated a pre-war system accommodating the gunner in a front seat hemmed in by struts and wires which inhibited his attempts to defend his machine in the air, unless an enemy machine obligingly placed himself in one of the very few positions where the gunner could actually aim at him. The French employed large numbers of pusher aircraft where all that an enemy scout had to do was attack from the low rear position where the observer could not fire at him.
temporary exceptions. The observer commanded the aircraft, his pilot being able to concentrate on flying the aeroplane (he was subsequently given his own fixed gun). This permitted the observer to carry out all the necessary tasks of observing, artillery spotting and radio work, bombing and, importantly, defending the rear with his free gun. The system also depended on the observer and pilot being placed close together to enable some form of communication such as striking the pilot on head or shoulders, finger gestures or during more leisurely moments the passing of notes. This system was so effective that it remained the basic pattern for all twoseaters until the type gradually disappeared in the mid 1930s. It has always been a puzzle for this writer that it took so long for the system to be adopted by the British. Above, the SIG 'Mondragon' automatic rifle chambered for the 7mm Mauser cartridge and fitted with a magazine holding 30 rounds; it became the Mondragon-Flieger-Selbstladegewehr Modell 1915. It was issued in numbers to the Fliegertruppen in 1915, and was sometimes mistaken for a machine gun in contemporary literature and this misconception persists in some areas. The one seen above has been stripped of its wooden cladding and has been mounted on a Fokker M8, the 'snail' magazine can just be seen. Left, a very informative photo taken from the top gantry of a Zeppelin shed of the upper gun position of Army airship LZ47 revealing three mounts for the MGI3s. The original water-cooled gun was preferable to the air-cooled MG 14 in view of the proximity to the gas valves on the top of the envelope. Points of interest are the long collector bags for empty cases (no magazines are fitted), the two parachutes hanging from the rails, a thermos flask, two fire extinguishers (7) bottom left arid the access shaft at bottom. LZ47 was shot down at Revigny on February 22 1916 with the loss of the entire crew. Below, an instructional photograph of the MG 14 Parabellum. This shows the weapon as originally issued with an early gate sight fitted as a fore sight and an angle clip to hold the original box magazine.
The Germans wisely never employed single-engined pushers in any numbers and their tractor two-seaters, at least, had the advantage of superior engines. In September 1914, Franz Schneider, a Swiss design'e r with the LVG company, patented his drehring which, technically speaking was a barbette. It was a revolving ring on which was mounted a machine gun on a form of crutch permitting elevation and depression with limited pivotal movement. There were several advantages arising from this invention which were exploited and it was more or less generally adopted for German two-seaters with a few
/
Even when the idea finally caught on by 1916 only half of it was adopted, the Sopwith II/, Strutter and the DH4 had a built-in gap of several feet between the two crew members! Although Armstrong Whitworth's FK.3 had featured the German system in 1916 it was relegated to the sidelines or training. However, the British, and eventually her allies, did have one advantage, the Lewis gun (see MINI DATAFILE No.3) although its drawbacks usually receive less emphasis. It was light, especially when the radiator and its original heavy cover were removed; it wa's fed by a centrally-mounted magazine which meant balance and obviated the inconvenience of an empty belt flapping about. The later magazine which held 97 rounds increased the weight and twin mounts cancelled out some of the handiness of the single gun. Although it is always classed as a machine gun it should be noted that it was originally conceived as an infantry 'Air-Cooled Automatic Firearm' a sort of super automatic rifle, nonetheless it was a significant air weapon greatly appreciated by both Allied and German airman. German observers were provided with guns which like all the rest were infantry weapons modified for air use. The main one, the Parabellum, was a development of the Maxim whilst the other, the Bergmann, employed a recoil system with a sliding
2
block. As will be recounted, there were a few others. The Parabellum The name was actually the telegraphic address of the factory which produced the gun, the Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWMJ of Berlin and Karlsruhe. It was a well-established armaments firm manufacturing carbines and the Luger range of pistols. The standard machine gun of the German army was the MG08, a weapon employing the Maxim system, and by 1909 large orders had been placed for this weapon (see MINI DATAFILE No. 10). However, despite the efficiency of the MG08 it was a heavy weapon with an equally heavy mount and required a crew of two (shooter and feeder). A need for a lighter and handier gun suitable for cavalry and mobile groups was apparent and the new Zeppelins, although armed with MG08s, needed something lighter with a higher rate of fire (the MG08 rate was 400-500 rpm). In 1911 the DWM allocated the task of designing a suitable weapon to the newlyappointed Karl Heinemann. His creation was what many gun historians have come to regard as probably the finest 'Maxim' ever built, the MGI3. For the reader not entirely familiar with the nomenclature, the term 'Maxim' refers to guns employing the mechanism patented by Hiram Maxim. By
Above left, the idea of fitting a circular gun-rail on the upper centre-section was attempted by the British, French and Germans as seen here in this posed photograph of a Gotha WD.2. The gunner/observer is provided with a curved shield to protect him from the slipstream but the arrangement was probably not popular with pilots. Top, a rather poor print but photos of Oertz flying boats are comparatively rare and this model, an FB.3 with a Parabellum on a simple pillar mount, is even rarer. Below, members of No. 1 Marine-FeldFlieger Abteilung pose in front of their LVG c.n LF 143B (ex-C.293/15). The serial was an interim system adopted from October 1915 until mid 1916 and indicated Landflugzeuge, the 'B' that it was equipped for bombing. The crew are Ltn. Theo Osterkamp at right with binoculars and camera and his pilot Wilhelm Mattheus. Note the MG14 with early magazine and original back rest to the Schneider ring, later abandoned. Page 3, top left, a demonstration of how the Parabellum could be lifted from the crutch on the Schneider ring and inserted into the socket of an overwing bracket hinged to permit this action. The aircraft ~
is an LVG C.I of Feldflieger Abteilimg 23 at Roupy. Note the Mauser carbine clipped to the fuselage side, the carrying of carbines (including captured Winchester and Brownings) was still common in mid 1915. Above right, the Parabellum seen here has an alternative magazine fitted which would hold no more than 100 rounds. Of note is the articulated bracket of the Schneider ring and the plain varnished wood of the ring itself. Below, another view of the LVG C.I of Fl. Abt. 23 seen above showing the over wing gun bracket in its vertical position. Items to note here are the double-barrelled flare pistol, signal cartridges and the heavy clip to hold the Parabellum when mounted on the ring and at rest. Unusually, the gun has a ring foresight fitted. Below right, the Germans employed few single-engined pushers, the firms of Otto and Ago built limited numbers which were used until the beginning of 1916. The observer of an Otto C.I checks his Parabellum while mechanics top up the gravity tank. Note the collector bag mandatory for pushers with a front gun. (Colin Owers)
the early years of the 20th Century the Maxim gun had been developed to a high degree of efficiency being adopted by the British army (Vickers) and the German and Russian armies in large numbers . The British Vickers model of 1908 (Gun, Machine, 0.303in. Mk.1) was often known as the light Vickers, especially the few that reached Russia. The modification that permitted the lightening of the gun was due to the original Maxim design being altered, especially the reversing of the direction of the knee-joint of the recoiling group from a downward movement to an upward one. This permitted a much lighter and shallower breech casing (see MINI DATAFILE No. 6). Heinemann also adopted this modification and incorporated lighter components, the result being a lighter gun with a greatly increased rate of fire to 700 rpm. As such it was suitable for airship armament but less so for the infantry, it was still a water-cooled gun. The Zeppelin crews preferred this form as a safety factor, especially when the guns were mounted on top of the envelope were hydrogen was regularly released through valves. The Parabellum never fulfilled the main role for which it had been created, the static trench lines which characterised the Western Front for so long rendered cavalry virtually redundant. Late in the war a number of MG13s were captured by Allied
troops which may have been issued from old Zeppelin stores to storm troop units, presumably to supplement their new light Maschinenpistole 18 - MP18 1. However the IMG14 occupies an important niche in the history of aircraft armament, not just as an observers' gun but as the first gun to be successfully synchronised to fire through the arc of a propeller. There is some diversion of opinion as to the meaning of the prefix '1'. In some reference material it is said to indicate 'leicht' (light/lightened), other sources indicate 'luftgekuhlt' (air-cooled) . This author tends to prefer the latter for whilst the gun was lightened to some extent due to the draining of the water jacket, it differed from the original weapon by being an aircooled weapon rather than a water-cooled gun, a major difference in gun circles. Whatever the facts, the original watercooled MG13 was converted into an aircraft gun by draining the jacket and slotting it to permit the slipstream to cool the barrel qnd so became the IMG14. The high rate of fire removed the need for muzzle booster as seen on the MG08/15 but a system had to be evolved to carry the belt which tended to affect the balance of the gun. By early 1915 the IMG14 became available in some numbers and about this time some airmen were becoming more aggressive by fitting a fixed machine gun which led eventually to
3
Left, the Parabellum fitted to the Fokker M5KJMG at Stenay in May 1915. It was
considered that a headrest was essential in order for the pilot to line up the sights but this was eventually abandoned. The gun has a wide gate sight but only the standard back sight and retains the superfluous shoulder stock, only the first group of Fokker E.ls were armed with the Parabellum. Even with this first synchronised gear to be fitted with an operational aircraft, the necessity of ensuring that the loaded belt cleanly entered the right side of the gun by being shielded from the slipstream with trunking was realised. J
Centre, one of a specially-posed series of photographs to illustrate the work of an observer, this AEG C.lV reveals several points of interest such as the circular magazine which became the standard pattern with bracket for all MG14s and MG14J17s until the war's end. The gun mount travelled on a rail instead of being mounted on a ring, a feature seen on other AEG machines. The observer is supposedly watching to see the effect of the bombs which he had just despatched. Note the compass and the ample supply of signal cartridges. Below left, the crew of this Halberstadt CUI of Schlachstaffel 15 look as though they have just returned from a sortie. An empty belt trails from the magazine and all the signal cartridges appear to have been used. The pilot is Vizefeldwebel Huffzky and his observer is Vizefeldwebel Ehmann whose final score was 14 enemy aircraft, making him the highest scoring gunner in the service. (Alex Imrie) Below, another demonstration photo showing the lower rear gun mount on a Friedrichshafen G.III. These twins also had a 'gun tunnel' although of different design to that of the Gotha G.lVIV series. The Parabellum with gate sight is loaded with a larger than standard magazine probably holding 250 rounds.
Far right, top of page 5, this Halberstadt CUV illustrates the items needed on patrol by the Schlasta crews. The gun is the Parabellum IMG14J17 fitted with a telescopic sight and a late variation of the magazine and bracket. Note the Wurfgranaten 15 supply, the signal pistol and the spare magazines stacked high in the cockpit.
4
the development of various types of gun synchronisation gears (NB: synchronisation not interruption, every gear devised from 1914 to WW2 employed a system which fired the gun, not stopping the gun from firing at certain times, authors and hacks please note) . The development of gun synchronisation is far more complex than many seem to think and like all such developments was a gradual progression *, it did not suddenly arise overnight in the fertile brain of Anthony Fokker as he and his advocates would have us believe. It is generally accepted now that a team working for Fokker led by HFA Lubbe, an armament expert, created what became known as the Fokker Stangensteuerung (push rod system) most probably based on Raymond Saulnier's 1914 system which did not work because he did not have a Maxim gun. At the beginning of 1915 the new Parabellum was being regarded as an aircraft weapon and indeed the first IMG14 was delivered to the Aviatik Works at their temporary base at Freiburg on January 4 1915 by Hauptmann Hugo Geyer for installation on an Aviatik P15b. By the spring of 1915 the gun was being issued in numbers and it was at this time that a Parabellum complete with its shoulder stock arrived at the Fokker works at Schwerin. This was mounted on a Fokker . M5K subsequently known as the M5K/MG and eventually the E.J. The first group of E.ls were fitted with the Parabellum but it soon gave way to the newly-developed IMG08 'Spandau' which became the standard fixed gun on German aircraft until its replacement by the LMG08/15. By early 1918 the IMG14/17 was replacing the IMGI4, it was lighter than the earlier weapon due to a reduced width jacket and was often fitted with a telescopic sight and sometimes a much enlarged belt spool (see sights and ammunition section). The Bergmann Whilst the Parabellum became the standard free gun fitted to German aircraft, there were others, the main one being the Bergmann which appeared in some numbers during 1916 or to give it its full title the LMG15 n.A. (Leicht Maschinengewehr Modell 1915 neue Art). The 'L' in this case did signify light as it was
* For a full account of the development of synchronisation systems see the author's book Early Aircraft Armament published by Arms and Armour Press of London and the Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC in 1989.
another attempt to provide the German army with a light machine gun for mobile units and it all began with the War Ministry's 1915 imperative, the Einheitsmaschinengewehr (Universal machine gun programme) . Basically this was an effort to provide the army with a lighter machine gun than the heavy MG08. Experience had shown that the Allies had an advantage in their lighter portable weapons, such as the British Lewis (which the Germans had first encountered in Belgium) and the French small Hotchkiss. Since the beginning of the 20th Century the firm of Theodor Bergmann Abt. Waffenbau of Suhl had been developing a machine gun designed by Louis Schmeisser (the father of Hugo, creator of several notable German sub-machine guns) which had little success in foreign sales. As a result of the Einheitsmaschinengewehr Schmeisser modified the existing Bergmann 1910 model producing the MGI5. To meet army requirements the original twin handgrips were replaced by a short shoulder stock and a finger trigger and guard and pistol grip were fitted. However, the main change was the conversion to air cooling by the removal of the water jacket and its replacement by a slim slotted jacket. To minimise overheating (always a hazard with these converted guns) the gun retained its system of firing from an open bolt but the final version fired from a closed bolt. This modification was the reason for the addition of n.A. (new model) to the designation. The final weapon had a very modern appearance and was issued to certain light machine gun sections formed in 1916. The Bergmann was, of course, in competition with the MG08/15 (modified MG08) which became the dominant gun and although far from perfect became the supreme infantry gun mainly because of logistics. In simple terms, to change the extensive and complex manufacturing process to produce a new gun was not an overnight process and constant pressure from the army for weapons prohibited such a move. A British report on the Bergmann LMGI5. n.A stated that the barrel and the range were the same as that of the MG08/15, but it was only sighted up to 400 metres indicating its intended use at close ranges. The barrel overheated after firing 300 rounds' rapid fire. The reason for the Bergmann being issued for aircraft use was undoubtedly as a stop gap measure until sufficient Parabellums became available. In the winter of 1915 Major Thomsen, the Feldflugchef, decided to increase the Fliegertruppen to 180 'C' class machines and this directly led to the provision of the
Below, various attempts to mount twin IMG14s were tried out, this one is seen on an AEG G.IV N bomber which at least had the advantage of symmetry. At foot, another solution was to stagger the guns with both magazines on one side. This variation was on a captured Rumpler C.VII and was described by the British as unwieldy. The left gun has no shoulder stock and the triggers have been unified . Below left, another view of a similar arrangement with IMG14/17s.
5
r
V
;.
f.
Bergmann guns to fill in the gaps. An RFC intelligence report dated August 29 1916 lists the Bergmann with the Parabellum as a standard rear seat gun. Numerous photographs clearly indicate that the Bergmann was used widely during 1916 and into 1917 but with its lower firing rate (500 rpm +) and its smaller magazine (100 rounds) the Parabellum was probably preferred by observers. Late hopes - the T.u.F and the Gast New weaponry led to counter-measures and new defences. The introduction of tanks by the British in 1917 led to a German development of an anti-tank gun for ground use in the form of the model 1918 Mauser anti-tank rifle which fired a new 12.7mm boat-tailed bullet with a muzzle v~locity of 2,650 feet per second (807 m/sec). When a tungsten steel core was added it;was capable of penetrating the sides of British and French tanks with ease at ranges of 100 yards (91 metres). The increasing number of aircraft employed on ground attack roles, as well as those specially designed for this purpose, with armour fitted led to the development of a weapon which could be carried on aircraft or used on the ground, the so called Tank und Flieger gun which can best be described as a cross between a standard MG08 machine gun and a 37mm Porn-Porn. Mounted on aircraft it could be used against tanks or armoured positions and in the air against aircraft which were starting to carry armour. Production of the T.u.F. gun began in strict secrecy but this
6
was not easy as some 50 sub-contractors were involved to create the 250 parts, all of which were assembled at the Maschinenfabrik Augsburg - Niirnberg (MAN). The Allies subsequently discovered that by 1918 parts for about 4000 guns had been produced but in order to prevent them falling into the hands of the Allies most of the components were destroyed or just vanished. One gun was allegedly fitted to a Fokker D.VII but real confirmation in the form of documentation or photographs has yet to be found. One example did find its way to the US Army's Springfield armoury in 1921 with only 82 rounds. A photo shows a large weapon closely resembling an enlarged MG08-15 and it is difficult to envisage such a gun being fitted to a singleseat fighter aircraft, for it weighed 84 pounds (38 kg) with feed. Although it could have been mounted on a reinforced ring on a two seater, several of which had been armed with cannon such as the armoured AEG and Albatros lIs, as well as larger aircraft such as the AEG G.IV and Friedrichshafen twins . Whilst the T.u.F. promised a formidable airborne weapon, especially against tanks and armoured aircraft, by 1917 the search was well underway for an observer's machine gun more powerful than the single or twin Parabellum combination. The Allies had been mounting twin Lewis guns since 1916 and although considerable physical effort was needed to manoeuvre the arrangement, it did provide increased firepower. Similar attempts to create twin
Top left, both the Allies and the Germans experimented with airborne searchlights to aid night work but without much success. Apart from revealing the whereabouts of the hunter, even being behind the light affected night vision. Someone probably though that it was a good idea at the time ... Above, a Bergmann LMG ISn.A. laid out for photographing. The purpose of the box-like item may have had something to do with test-firing from a ground mount. The standard German cloth belt holding 100 rounds is seen here. Below left, the AEG G.II was quite well armed for the time (early 1916). The rear gunner has a Bergmann with box magazine and spent cartridge collector with bag while the two front guns are IMGI4s. Below, unfortunately this photo is washed out at the top but it is of some interest. A Bergmann fitted as an overwing gun is being demonstrated and a 'Spandau' (IMG 08) is mounted on the ring of this LVG c.1. Additionally a Mauser carbine is clamped to the fuselage flank.
Parabellum rigs were not so successful as evidenced by numerous photographs and intelligence reports. One such report on a captured Rumpler described the twin system installed as being 'badly balanced and difficult to manoeuvre'. The reason of course was the difficulty in arranging a feed system for both guns which meant staggering the guns in some cases. However, a solution was on the way and a particularly brilliant one which, fortunately for the Allies, arrived too late. Had the war continued into the spring of 1919 British and French fighter pilots might have been confronted by a German defensive weapon of fearsome firepower, this was a gun officially designated Cast Maschinengewehr Modell 1917. The inventor was Carl Gast who had patented the system in January 1916 and February 1917 and it was manufactured by Vorwerk und Companie of Barmen. The gun was unlike any other German weapon, it was a double-barrelled air-cooled machine gun with two independent firing systems with recoiling barrels. Each recoiling breech and firing system provided the energy to lock and fire the other barrel. There were many advantages in this system including the reduction of the shocks and stresses to which a gun mechanism was usually subjected so avoiding much wear and tear. An important feature which made it ideally suited as a rear seat weapon was the absence of a belt. The ammlinition was provided in two large circular magazines, each holding 180 rounds which were fitted to the sides of the gun ensuring good balance. The weight of the Gast with magazines was 27kg (60 pounds) and it was fitted with a wooden shoulder stock but its outstanding feature was its firing rate of 1600 rpm, subsequently increased to 1800. Gast had staged a demonstration of his gun
for ordnance experts in August 1917 who were so impressed that an initial order for 3000 guns was awarded. Deliveries commenced in the summer of 1918 on a small but increasing scale, the company being given a high priority rating for supplies. A letter to the company from the Weapons Section of the Inspektion der Fliegertruppen (Idflieg) dated September 20 1918 stated that... 'The Cast gun is being used with great success on battle 'planes for scouting as well'as anti-aircraft. I therefore urge the company to deliver these guns in large quantities and with the greatest possible speed. ' This seems to confirm that some Gast guns were issued to Schlachtstaffeln at the Front. Apart from its primary purpose, that of an aerial defensive weapon, a few were mounted on plinths and used as anti-aircraft guns in the closing stages of the war. One example was exhibited in the Zeughaus Museum in Berlin in the 1930s. German efforts to keep stocks of the Gast secret lasted until 1921 when the Allied Control Commission discovered 25 Gast guns at Konigsberg. Carl Gast applied for an American patent on September 30, 1920, subsequently published as US Patent 1,477,115 dated December 111923. In addition he applied for a British patent on March 21 1921, the complete specification being accepted as Patent No. 186,359 dated September 21 1922. Captured weapons Whilst the author has yet to see any indication that a German gun had been mounted on an operational Allied aircraft (with the exception of Russian) it can not be totally ruled out but it is unlikely other than for possible assessment purposes. However, German aviators frequently mounted Allied guns on their aircraft, usually as an
Above left, Oberleutnants Missfelder (left) and Poser and friend in their Albatros C.I of Feldflieger Abteilung 58. The Bergmann is held in the rest crutch on the gun ring and appears to have a novel box which would contain the small belt and collect empties. Photographs suggest that there were many varying forms of container in use, some manufactured in the unit workshop. Note that both pilot and observer have barographs. Above, Vizefeldwebel Liihr of Feldflieger Abteilung 37 in a nonchalant pose in front of his Bergmann-armed Albatros C.1. The bear suggests that Liihr may have been a Berliner. Below left, the remarkable Gast gun which (thankfully) arrived too late to see extensive operational service. This aircooled double-barrelled weapon with twin magazines each holding 180 rounds could fire at the rate of 1600 rpm and eventually 1800 rpm. The initial order was for 3000 guns and a smaIl number were installed on some Schlasta aircraft according to one report, it was also used as an anti- : aircraft gun. This example is in the MOD Pattern Room at Nottingham. (Dolf Goldsmith) Below, the breech case exposed, the system was based on the energy from the fired bolt of one barrel operating the other. Both barrels fired when the trigger was depressed. (Dolf Goldsmith)
auxilliary weapon. Documentation and photographs reveal that the commonest Allied gun to be so adopted was the Lewis. Other guns were less common but instances of the following have been identified, in some cases the theatre of operations was relevant. French Hotchkiss guns were aircooled and as such they were generally lighter. There were two types of Hotchkiss available, the light 1909 Portative and the much larger 1914 infantry gun. This latter was too heavy and unwieldy for aircraft although certain French units employed them chambered for an I1mm cartridge for use against balloons. A few of the original ground models were captured and at least one was mounted on a two-seater. The smaller Hotchkiss was much easier to mount and one or two were fitted as auxilliary weapons. The Danish Madsen (the Let Maskingvaer 1902) was the first light machine gun to be produced in large numbers and remained in production with few alterations for 50 years. The Russians were the first to employ it during the 1904/5 war with Japan as a cavalry weapon. Subsequently, numbers of Madsens were supplied to the Russian aviation sectors. It is most likely that any Madsen mounted on a German aircraft would be a captured Russian weapon although there was another possible source. Early in the war about 5000 Madsens chambered for the 8mm-Mauser-calibre cartridge were purchased by the German War Ministry from Denmark. These were issued to socalled Musketen-Bataillone first encountered by the British on the Western Front in September 1915, and later during the Somme battle. The weapons were used purely for defence and the special formations were either abandoned or reorganised by 1917. It is quite possible that some of the Madsens may have found their way to aviation units but solid confirmation is lacking. A gun employed in numbers by the French and Russian air services was the American '1914' Colt Browning which, despite its designation, was basically a slightly modified older 1894 model. An aircooled gas-operated weapon, it presented some problems, but was readily accepted as a stop-gap by the French, who purchased a number of them in 1914. The air service received most and they were mounted on operational aircraft, sometimes along with a Lewis until 1916. On the other hand, the Russians purchased 9000 and they remained in service with the air services until the end of the Russo-German war and well beyond. German airman could therefore obtain captured Colts on both fronts, but it is probable that only a very few were mounted on German aircraft. Another weapon that was known to have been captured and mounted in small numbers was the Italian Villar Perosa designed by A D Revelli and regarded as the first sub-machine gun. It was a doublebarrelled gun, but unlike the Gast it employed a form of retarded blow-back system, both barrels firing independently. The firing rate was high at 1500 rpm per barrel but the ammunition was the 8mm Parabellum pistol cartridge and the muzzle velocity was only 862 feet/second (for comparison that of the Parabellum was 2,952 feet/second). In fact it was a light, short-range weapon intended for infantry and was issued with a small shield. It was particularly useful in mountain campaigns
8
o
9
I
10
GERMAN OBSERVERS' GUNS
INS
CMS
Fig. 1: Top: The Mondragon·Flieger· Selbstladegewehr, Modell 1915 designed by a Mexican and manufactured in Switzerland by SIG of Neuhausen-amRheinfalls. Numbers were purchased by the German War Ministry for issue to airmen, its rapid fire led to reports that it was a machine gun. The snail magazine seen here held 30 rounds of the 7mm Mauser cartridge.
Fig. 1
•
Bottom: The Mauser self.loading pistol with detachable butt was a popular sporting gun before the war. Other pistols such as the Luger employed this accessory. This drawing is a reproduction from a pre1914 German gun catalogue, and is not to scale.
•
o C)
o
oll---~'6___ 10
Fig. 2
eMS
-',1 NS
Fig. 2: The IMG 08 became the standard fixed synchronised gun on single-seat aircraft in the summer of 1915 replacing the briefly-used Parabellum on the first batch of Fokker E.Is and the Pfalz E.J. However, it was also used for a short time as a free gun on some two-seat aircraft as a stop-gap until sufficient IMG14s became available. A short shoulder stock was fitted and a pistol grip and finger trigger and guard completed the conversion. Some original ground MG08s with these fittings had been mounted on early Zeppelins.
Fig. 3: The IMGI4, Parabellum, the aircooled modification of the water-cooled MGI3. Various types of ammunition boxes and spools were fitted to the gun until by 1917 the circular type as shown here became standardised. It usually held 200 rounds although late in the war larger magazines with 250-300 roup.d belts became available which were mainly used by Schlachstaffeln gunners. The lower drawing shows the slimmer jacket of the 14/17 model mounted on a common form of fork with clamp.
•
Fig. 4: The Bergmann MGI5n.A. fitted here with one version of the early box belt container and spent shell collector with bag as fitted mainly (but not exclusively) to pusher aircraft. The gate foresight (Rahmenkern) was widely used during the early period but its use declined in the last two years. With the exception of the use of telescopic sights in 1918 (even then not universally) German observers seemed to prefer the standard back sight fitted to all guns with a simple small circular foresight.
DRAWINGS © HARRY WOODMAN 2001
ALL DRAWINGS TO 1:12 SCALE EXCEPT WHERE NOTED
~
= :;;; I I
Fig. 3
o
o ____ 10 I~
I
6
9
10
INS
CMS
~I______~,INS
eMS
Fig. 4
=
carried like a pack on the back of mountain troops, it weighed only 14.25 pounds (6.5 kg) with feed but the two vertical magazines held only 25 rounds each. Some writers have repeated an old assertion that the gun was originally designed for aircraft use for which there is no foundation. On the patent it is described as simply a 'light machine gun'. Deadly at short range on the ground it lacked any real punch or range in the air, however many Italian airmen fitted one as an auxilliary weapon. After the battle of Caporetto in October 1917 large numbers of these guns fell into the hands of the Austro-Hungarians and Germans and some were passed to the air services. Any photograph of a German aircraft with a ViIlar-Perosa was probably taken in Italy. The standard Italian weapon, the Fiat-RevelIi model of 1914, was much less suitable for use as an auxilliary weapon. It may have been used by German airman but no evidence has so far emerged to suggest this. As mentioned above the most common captured weapon was the Lewis which the Germans ,had first encountered in Belgium where it gained the sobriquet 'the Belgian rattlesnake'. The advantage of such a (comparatively) light weapon was not lost on the Germans and eventually instructions were issued stating that special efforts should be made to acquire as many Lewis guns and magazines as possible. German machine gunners were trained to operate captured weapons (especially the Lewis) and eventually a manual was issued translated from a British original. Whilst many Lewis guns were captured on the ground, by late 1915 the gun had become more widely used as an aerial weapon by the British for at this time the French had only a limited number. By 1916 larger numbers of Lewis guns were being acquired by German airmen from crashed or captured aircraft. Indeed, the products of the Farnborough establishment alone provided large numbers of Lewis guns, a : BE2c/d/e might provide two or more Lewis guns along with a supply of magazines whilst the FE2b/d was also a fruitful source. Eventually the stock of captured Lewis guns became so substantial that the armament inventory for the giant Staaken 'R' 'planes included Lewis guns as standard items of equipment... Notes on ammunition The main types of ammunition loaded on to German observers' guns varied in accordance with the operational tasks to be carried out. During the early stages of the air war the basic, and usually only, type of bullet was the solid round commonly called 'ball' made of lead with other components forming a harder outer envelope such as cupro-nickel. By mid-1916 the tracer bullet had arrived, the German version being the LS (Leuchtspur or luminous tracing ammunition) and by the following year an armour-piercing version known as the PL (panzer Leuchtspur) was replacing it. This efficient bullet had a coppered steel envelope with a steel point and a lead sheath containing tracer composition. As a tracer in daylight it was not very effective, as the trace was almost invisible, at night it gave off a faint orange glow just discernible over 600 yards (550 m). Armour-piercing (AP) ammunition was not new in 1914, the concept dated back to the 1880s. By mid
9
1916 new AP bullets began to make their appearance, the German version was described in British intelligence reports in August 1916. This was the SmK (Spitz munition Kern), indicating a sharp-nosed bullet with a hardened steel core). Apart from the damage it could do to airframes , and especially fuel tanks which it easily perforated, it became the first ammunition to be used against tanks. German incendiary ammunition (Brand Munition) made its appearance in early 1917, it was known as Phospher F, a copy of the British Buckingham. An improved round became available later in the year with increased range (up to about 450 yards (400m). British testing of captured examples revealed that its quite high velocity led to the bullet exploding if it met sufficient resistance (eg, striking steel). This and the existence of another German bullet may well have contributed to the oft-held belief that explosive bullets were used extensively during the war. This author dealt in some detail with this subject in his book (mentioned above) the main point being that many, if not most, wounds described as being inflicted by 'explosive' bullets in books and memoirs were in fact caused by AP and tracer rounds arriving at their human target in rapid sequence. The final bullet, which was to some extent an explosive round, was the LE (LuftEinscheiss munition or Air-Ranging bullet). This was basically for ground use and was specifically created to establish r$1nges . The steel envelope had a rounded nose with a small hole in the end and contained a time fuse which caused it to explode at a range of 380-440 yds (350-400m). The 'explosion' was a puff of white smoke but the trajectory was erratic as the bullet, although ingenious, was badly balanced. It was withdrawn at the end of 1917. Of all the bullets loaded in a typical Parabellum belt the commonest were the AP and AP /tracer, latterly the AP tracer, the original ball ammunition had been replaced by the far more effective AP. For certain missions the selection would be altered so that observers about to embark on ground attack sorties would include more AP than normal indeed, some belts were totally loaded with AP ammunition. A German twoseater brought down on the Ypres Front in October 1917 revealed that the Parabellum belt was loaded in the sequence ... tracer -
10
AP - tracer - tracer - AP /tracer - explosive (air-ranging round) : probably a typical consecution. Notes on sights The sights fitted to the Parabellum and the Bergmann were those for ground use, that is, a small ring foresight and a backsight that folded flat. With some exceptions this basic sighting system never changed. For a while from late 1915 to perhaps early 1917 many guns were fitted with a foresight
generally known as a 'gate sight' , the Germans called it the rahmenkern (frame sight). It was a rectangular frame with two vertical members which could be adjusted laterally. The simplest explanation is that the two vertical members were adjusted so that the distance between them roughly equalled the wing span of a typical single or two-seat enemy aircraft at 200 yards (183m); it was used in conjunction with the backsight. The British and French devised more elaborate sights (some over~~
Opposite page: Top, photos suggest that two-seaters armed with two guns were not uncommon. This Albatros C.I carries an IMG14 on an overwing mount with a Bergmann on the gun ring. Centre, General der Infanterie von Emmich, Commander of the X Corps, inspects the installation of a captured French heavy Hotchkiss (1914 model) on an Albatros B.II (Roland built) of Feldflieger Abteilung 21 in the spring of 1915. Below left, the Danish Madsen hardly changed in appearance over a period of 50 years, it preceded the Lewis gun and outlived it in service. Used extensively by the Russians, those captured by the Germans originated in the East. This is a 1930s model in Danish service without its familiar vertical curved magazine and with an anti-aircraft sight fitted. Below right, the Albatros B.II has been fitted with a captured 1914 Colt complete with ammunition box and collector on the right side. Although the Russians employed more Colts than anyone else, the French also adopted them as aircraft guns during the first 18 months of the war until Lewis guns became available. The style of ammunition box/collector on this gun is of French design. The action of the Colt required that it be mounted high, the ingenuity of the mounting is admirable although complex. Top right, a number of Italian Villar Perosa guns were captured after the battle of Caporetto in 1917 and some were handed over to the Luftstreitkriift for assessment, some crews mounting them on aircraft but probably very few in view of the weapon's short range. The firing rate of 1500 rpm per barrel meant that the total capacity of both magazines (50) was expended in a two second burst! This photo of a Villar Perosa mounted on an AIbatros D.V/Va (with normal armament removed) was probably a test rig. Next, a somewhat intriguing Halberstadt CUI. Apart from the four-bladed propeller, the standard gun ring is absent as are the racks for grenades and signal cartridges. However, it mounts a Villar Perosa on the top wing and another on a pintle in the rear. In addition there is some kind of contraption fixed to the aileron bell-crank levers. In view of the stated duties of Schlachtstaffel... 'low flying, especially in front of infantry which it supports with its machine guns, bombs and hand grenades ... ' it may have been considered that the short range rapid fire Villar Perosa might be employed; one can only conjecture. Next, the Lewis was the most favoured and used captured gun and enough stocks were acquired to provide many for aircrews. This stripped Mk.I gun is mounted on a simple angled swivel mount for use by the front seat observer in this LVG B type in 1915 .. Note the wire baffle frame fitted to safeguard the propeller from an over-excited gunner. Right, this LVG C.I is armed with the standard IMG14 with a supplementary Lewis mounted on a vee frame which could be swung back by the observer.
elaborate) such as the vane sight which was supposed to correct aim when firing at an enemy aircraft by allowing for the gunner's own speed and direction. The Germans never adopted it during the war although some late larger ring and bead sights may have allowed for a degree of deflection. However, most seem to have relied on the observer's experience and 'eye'. One occasionally finds authors apparently repeating suggestions that someone who was a great shot on the ground (target or game shooting) somehow made a good shot in the air. This implies an ignorance of the great difference between a shooter in a static position, possibly with a telescopic sight firing at a static target, or one moving at short range and not too fast, such as a grouse; The telescopic sight had been around for a very long time before 1914 and its use by some observers needs to be clarified. Some people appear to be unclear of what the term means, the simple telescope involves two lenses held in two tubes, one of which fits inside the other permitting movement. To focus a magnified object the viewer needs to move the tubes so that the lenses adopt a position which produces a sharp image. It is not to be confused with the collimating sight such as the Aldis which did not magnify and was used as a fixed sight for use with fixed guns. One must imagine an observer in a two-seater which vibrated and, when being attacked, was liable to engage in violent manou,~vring. He had to hang on as best he could,:swing his gun ring around with possibly a twin Parabellum set, tolerate a flapping empty belt and view it all through goggles. Taking aim at attacking enemy scouts, when the range and direction changed constantly and quickly, did not permit careful and measured range-taking or careful mental computing for deflection angles. In fact the enemy was subjected to something closer to buckshot spread than competition rifle precision. When one considers the reality it is not surprising that German observers used weapons with basic sights, but late in the war many Parabellum IMG14 and IMG14/17 guns did have telescopic sights fitted. According to one well-known airman, German observers were reluctant to use the eyepiece of a Goerz bombsight as this meant that a lookout was not being kept for attacks from the rear. In consequence, in certairi conditions the observer merely sighted by eye and dropped his bombs without any scientific assistance. The same aversion probably applied to telescopic sights which, in view of the need to adjust to secure sharp focus, would not appear to be ideal. Their use was limited and they are usually seen in late war photographs and on aircraft which engaged in and were specially designed for attack and infantry support, in other words the CI and armoured types. The targets for these observers were on the ground such as artillery positions, troop concentrations and, of course, tanks. The fixed or slow-moving targets permitted the observer with a telescopic sight adjusted to a fixed range to aim more accurately provided that he was undisturbed. Not all observers preferred telescopic sights and on some instances observers fitted ground prismatic sights to their guns.
The Schulterstiick When the Lewis was adopted for air use the original shoulder stock was removed and
12
Opposite page: Top, Lewis guns became available in such quantities that they were listed as standard items in the armament inventories for some Riesenflugzeug Abteilungen. This is a Lewis Mk.II mounted on the upper wing position of a Zeppelin Staaken R.IV (serial R.12/ 15) in the summer of 1918. Next, the Lewis sometimes turned up in conjunction with the Parabellum. This arrangement designed by a Leutnant Seitz was mounted on a Rumpler C.IV, serial 8186/ 18. The Lewis is a Mk.II with the 97 round type 5 magazine.
replaced by the single hand grip. When the shooter fi red the gun he held on to the handgrip with one hand and fired the gun with the other. The question which aris es is when he was in the exposed swaying nacelle of an FE2b or crouching uncomfortably in the front cockpit of a BE2c, how did he mange to hold on? In s ome cases a safety lease was fitted between the man and machine, but basically, he held on as best h e could. When t he Bergmann LMG15 appeared the original twin hand grips had been replaced with a short but subst antial shoulder stock.
Similarly, t he few Spandau IMG08s issued as obs ervers ' guns were fitted with a stock whilst the Par abellum was produced with a stock in all its models . The reason of course was that, unlike the Lewis, the German guns could be fi red and manouevred by an obs erver who could tuck the stock tightly into his shoulder and hold it there, fire the gun with one hand and hang on or swing a gun ring with his other hand . It all seems so s imple and explains why in some photographs Allied observers had Lewis guns with the original stock fitted for the s ame reason.
Next, one of a series intended to illustrate the domestic activities of Flieger Abteilung 253 at Stenay in 1917. The Lewis is receiving attention whilst the armourer at left is loading a belt with the aid of a gurtfiiller (made by Schulze of Berlin) . The Infanteriegewehr 1898 rifles and a carbine for the armoury also maintained the weapons of the various ground personnel of the unit. At foot, it is puzzling why, after the ideal crew arrangement and gun ring system had been introduced, the Aviatik firm still continued to produce aircraft with the early system in their 'C' class machines. This Aviatik C.I is equipped with two IMG 14s but the field of fire is restricted by struts, wires and not least the pilot in the rear cockpit. The front gun is mounted on a cross-bar fitted on the earlier Aviatiks. Right, the most ideal arrangement was that of the Halberstadt CUI. Right, another arrangement was the crossrail placed behind the cockpit, in this case a Rumpler C.IV taking on board what appear to be food stores. Below, this type of ring which permitted a degree of elevation superior to some older systems was commonly fitted to a variety of German aircraft from about mid-1917 onwards. The two small levers were for locking the ring and the rising member and the perforated cover was to prevent the observer's clothing from being caught by the ratchet underneath. This mount is on a Freidrichshafen FF39. (George Haddow) Below right, a Parabellum on a ground mount for testing shows the basic ground back sight although the foresight has been removed.
I
/
)
/
Acknowledgements and bibliography The author would like to express his appreciation for the assistance and advice received over the years from many people especially Peter M Grosz, Hank Volker, Dolt L Goldsmith and the late Colonel G B Jarrett (US Army) who first instilled in the author an interest in aircraft armament. The Handbook of German Military and Naval Aviation (War) 1914-18, published by the Air Ministry (A. 12) in October 1918. Reprint (1995) of original in Imperial War Museum in association with the Battery Press Inc., PO Box 198885, Nashville, Tennessee,37219, USA. The Devil's Paintbrush, Sir Hiram Maxim's Gun, Dolt L Goldsmith, Collector Grade Publications Inc ., Toronto, 1989. Military Pistols and Revolvers, Ian V Hogg, Arms and Armour Press, London, 1970. German A ircraft Guns WWI-WW2, E J Hoffschmidt, WE (Old Greenwich) USA, 1969. A Pictorial History of the German Army Service, Alex Imrie, Ian Allen, London, 1971. German 7.9mm Military Ammunition 18881945, Daniel W Kent (author and publisher) 2045 Miller Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103, USA. Imperial German Army Handbook 1914-18, DB Nash, Ian Allen, London, 1980. Early Aircraft Armament, The Aeroplane and the Gun up to 1918, Harry Woodman, Arms and Armour Press, London 1989, also the Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC, USA, 1989. Public Records Office, Kew, Lo.ndon, numerous documents consulted fncluding RFC/RAF combat reports and others in the AIR 1 group. Inter-Allied Aeronautical Control Commission (IMC) Report, Part 1, Vol. II, Annexe III, Executive Report up to March 31 1921, copy consulted courtesy of the National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC. WWI AERO, (edited by Leonard E. Opdycke), 15 Crescent Road, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, numerous features by several contributors over the last two 0 decades.
.'
Above, the crew (regrettably unknown) of an LVG C.V1 of Flieger Abteilung A 225 in late 1918. This reconnaissance machine is armed with an IMG14/17 fitted with a telescopic sight (see text) favoured by some observers. (Col G B Jarrett)
PRINTED IN GREAT BRI-TAIN
Gun type
IMG 14 (aka LMG 14) Parabellum. Short recoil, toggle lock. Air-cooled
LMG 15 n.A., Short recoil, sliding lock Air-cooled
Calibre
7.92 mm
7.92 mm
Manufacturer
Deutsche Watfen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) Berlin
Theodore Bergmann Abt. Waffenbau, Suhl
. Weight
9.5 kg (21 pounds) without feed
15.42 kg (34 pounds) with feed
Rate of fir e
700 + rounds/minute
500 + rounds/minute
Muzzle velocity
2952 feet per second (897 metres per second)
2952 feet per second (897 metres per second)
No. of rounds in belt
200+ standard late enlarged magazines could hold 250-300 + rounds
Standard ground magazine held 100 rounds, some aircraft-mounted guns may have had larger non-standard magazines
No. produced
Exact figure unknown, highest identified serial number recorded was 6461
Exact figure not known but most probably less than 10,000
PUBLISHERS' STATEMENT:
WINDSOCK MINI-DATAFILE No. 16, GERMAN OBSERVERS' GUNS by Harry Woodman is published by Albatros Pr oductions, . Ltd., 10 Long View, Chiltern Park Estate, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 1BY, Great Britain. (Tel: 01442 875838/Fax: 01442 876018/email:
[email protected]©2001AlbatrosProductions.Ltd.Printedin Great Britain. ISBN No. 1-9022207-31-9: Designed, edited and produced by R L Rimell, A M Hogan and F M Farrell. Front cover photo NASM. Scale drawings by Harry Woodman. Mono and colour origination, printing and binding in Great Britain by the Magazine Printing Company Limited, Enfield, Middlesex, EN3 7NT. The entire contents of this publication (including all drawings and colour plates) are strictly copyright and may not be reproduced or transmitted (including on the internet) in any form whatsoever, either in whole or in part, without the prior, written consent of Albatros Productions, Ltd. Acknowledgements - All photos are from the author's collection unless otherwise accredited. Website: www.windsockdatafilespecials.com. November 2001
