THE LEWIS AUTOMATIC GUN

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 211, 25 May 1918, Page 2

THE LEWIS AUTOMATIC GUN

, LECTURE AT GAR-BISON HALL. At tho Garrison Hall, Buckle Sheet, last evening, Major J. A. Wallingford M.C., delivered a very interesting lecture on the Lewis automatic gun to the officers of the garrison. Hβ said it was not necessary to go to tho front for them to teach their men. Ho had not handled tho Lowis gun, but had studied it from the pamphlets issued from tha Ordnauco jjupartment. Tho Lewis gun was not a'machine-gun, but an automatic gun in that it was not fired lroin a fixed position. Tho Hotchkiss gun used by the mounted troops, was also an automatic gun, as' was also tho gun invented by Vickers, Maxim and Co., which weighed only 171b. against the 281b. Lewis gun and tho 271b. Hotchkiss gnu. Ho then explained the- operation of tho Lewis gun, and went on to refer to the paucity of machine-guns at tho outset of tho war in tho British Army, and described how the Lowis gun came to be used at the front. Ho then explained that the platoon was weakened bv men l«ing taken for diggers, bombers, grenadiers, and tho fire-powor was reduced to a few rides. Tho Lewis gun re-established tho fire-power of the platoon, for each Lewis gun was equal l« ■>o to 30 rifles. In the war it often happens that a Lewis gun is recaptured from tho enemy, and this means an ad- , (lition to the fire-powor, since every man in tho platoon can use this automatic, rifle. To get tho snmo power one would need to call in 25 rifles, which would mean adding 25 yards to tho frontaßC and thereby increasing tho vulnerability Ho then described how tho company, -which was tho fighting unit, went into action, and explained several ways in which the four Lewis guns went out into action with tho company. Tho general principle was to divide up the guns and not to send them in a bunch. Tho speaker gradually illustrated tho characteristics and power of tho gun. riin Lewis gun was said to be as delicate n< n motor-car and consequently required a great deal of attention. Gas had a very bod effect on the Lewis guns, and it was necessary to keep them well oiled...