MODERN ARMS

Evening Star, Issue 23350, 21 August 1939, Page 14

MODERN ARMS

DEVELOPMENT OF THE BREN GUN FIRST CONSIGNMENT ARRIVES (Contributed' bv Major G. H. Clifton, N.Z.S.C.) Next time you are in London go a short distance down Grosvenor road from Hyde Park Corner. A group of bronze statuary catches the eye- On a base about 6ft in height stands a graceful youth, full of fire and courage; his right hand rests on the hilt of a huge sword which reaches well above his head; his left hand, holds a sling. It is David and Goliath's giant sword. Across the plinth is out the Biblical quotation, “ Saul bath slain his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.” The memorial commemorates the mombox-s of the, machine gun corps who were killed in 1914-18. It emphasises, somewhat indirectly, the fact that they bore the brunt of the war on land, and in doing so suffered a higher proportion of casualties than any other corps, nob excepting the Air Force. The machinegunners paid terribly for their title. “ the Suicide Club,” but are proud of the service and sacrifice given without stinting. Looking back now, wc can appreciate the dauntless spirit which animated not only our own machinegunners, but also their opposite numbers across No Man's Land. Whatever else crumbled under the terrific hurricane of shell fire, they stayed to back —and died. That is the spirit which the survivors have immortalised in the beautiful group of London bronze. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS. The development of machine guns is a story going back almost os far as the introduction of gunpowder. Let us, however, look very briefly at the more recent phases. When the Great War started old Hiram Maxim could claim almost a monopoly of machinegun design. Excepting the French, who had developed the Hotchkiss, almost every belligerent was armed with some type of Maxim. Not that there were many of them in any army. In spite of the evidence of the RussoJapanese War, 10 years earlier, few soldiers and only an occasional general really appreciated what the machinegun could do—not oven the Germans, although their training was well ahead of our own or that of the French. Pre-war British infantry relied on the “ mad minute” of rifle fire. Events proved this faith was justified; German troops, attacking in mass, and shot to pieces by well-aimed rapid fire, reported bitterly' that the English had dozens of machine-guns. Actually, each British battalion went to France equipped with two Maxims only, which were regarded by tbe common soldiers as cranky gadgets always liable to break down at the critical moment, “ . ... the Gatling’s jammed and the colonel's dead ”... situation. Moreover, anyone who volunteered for machine-gun work was also a crank and not truly “ regimental.” New Zealand will always be grateful for the fact that the British instructors lent to us before the war included “three musketeers,” Wallingford, Rose, and Henderson, who were fanatics on machine guns as well as being outstanding musketry experts. On every possible occasion they preached and proved the capabilities of this deadly weapon. As a result, the New Zealand machine-gunners who went to Gallipoli were most efficeut and probably trained ou more modern lines than anv similar unit in the British forces. But to return to the weapons. Hiram Maxim’s guns turned the scale at about 1001 b, including a substantial tripod or sledge mounting. The barrel was water-cooled; the ammunition packed in belts. They could fire rapidly for a long time, limited by the ammunition available. Fader trench warfare conditions or for purely defence tasks their weight and bulk did not constitute serious difficulties; but something more mobile was needed to fill the rather wide gap between them and the rifle. Every belligerent sought hurriedly for the answer.

LEWIS GUN DEVELOPED. Mr Lewis, who obtained his first patent in 1902, now appeared on the scene with a light gun quite different from the Maxim and Vickers. Weighing only 301 b, air-cooled, and fired from the shoulder on a low bipod stand, the Lewis is much more easily handled than its predecessors, but lacks their capacity for sustained rapid fire. Moreover, there are several somewhat fragile parts, which break at awkward times, while mud or dust will clog the action. Nevertheless, the Lewis gave very good service during 191(3-18, particularly as an attacking weapon, when, as usual, the limiting factor became feeding the insatiable gun with ammunition. It proved a formidable opponent to the German Maxim, and was being issued on an increasing scale right up v to the Armistice. THE BREN PRODUCED. Almost before the ink had dried on the peace treaties, and while the “ War to End War ” placards still covered the hoardings, experiments commenced for the purpose of evolving better and lighter machine guns. After various trials extending over some 10 years, a new type was produced at Brno, in Czechoslovakia, which quickly established a high reputation, and proved to have really outstanding qualities. Naturally enough, the original gun fired standard Continental ammunition, so that considerable modifications were necessary to take the British cartridge, mainly because this is rimmed uses cordite as a propellant. From 1931 until 1934, exhaustive, though somewhat leisurely tests were made with the modified gun, known ns the “ Z.G.8.” However, the British troops promptly christened it tho “ N.8.G.” Casting round to obtain a more appropriate name, someone had the idea of combining the initials of its birthplace, Brno, and the Royal Ordnance Factory, at Enfield, whore thousands of Brens are now being made. MANY QUALITIES. For the benefit of those readers who, at various times and in many circumstances have handled the Lewis, Hotchkiss, or Vickers, let me briefly describe the new gnu : The chief qualities of the Bren are its light weight—2olb. as against 30 for the Lewie; its great steadiness when firing, and almost complete immunity to stoppages due to broken parts, dirt, mud, or fouling. It can also fire at high speed for a long time. Truly a formidable list of virtues, yet the Bren is air-cooled and gas-operated on the same principle as the Lewis. How are the improvements made? Lightness is due to the more efficient steel added to simplicity of design. The latter is also mainly responsible for the lack of stoppages. In this respect, the fact that all the moving parts are eu-

closed helps a great deal. Mud, dust, and other foreign bodies simply cannot get in. Again, the “ body,” which contains all the “ bits and pieces ” engaged in loading and firing the Bren, is cushioned against a long spring in the butt, reducing the shock of discharge to a minimum. This is good for both gun and gunner. The overhead magazine, holding 30 rounds, is a distinctive feature. Viewed from the side, it gives the impression of being somewhat cumbersome, but when looked at from the business end we find that the head of the firer forms a background to the magazine. The ammunition feeds straight down, and the empty cartridges are knocked clear through the bottom of the body—an excellent system, making the Bren very steady when firing. But the most outstanding feature on first acquaintance is the quickness and ease with which the barrel can be changed. Turn a catch, lift the wooden handle, and off comes the barrel without actually touching the red-hot metal. “Red-hot” is no exaggeration. With two barrels changed frequently the Bren can go on firing almost indefinitely in spite of the heat; what is equally important, the accuracy does not suffer. Moreover, the steel used is so good that the barrel can be thrown into water or otherwise suddenly cooled without destroying its efficiency in any way. Fired off the small bipod stand and held in the shoulder, the Bren is the ideal light machine gun. Actually a trained gunner of average build can fire from the shoulder, standing without any other support—very useful for taking on a sudden aircraft attack. .That, however, does not limit its possibilities. As part of the equipment, a tubular steel tripod mounting is supplied for each gun; fixed to the stand, it is capable of prolonged fire as long as the magazines and barrels are changed—and ammuntiion is available. Here the Bren really takes over the job of the Vickers, in addition to the Lewis and Hotchkiss. As a third string, if the tripod is upended and one leg is extended the Bren becomes an excellent anti-aircraft weapon. That, briefly, is the latest British light machine, now being manufactured in thousands at Enfield. The earlier Continental model covers a / wide field. British troops at Shanghai saw the Bren in action for the first time with the Chinese defenders of Chapei, and were more impressed by the gun than the gunners. New Zealand’s first consignment for issue to the Territorial Force has arrived, and, according to a Press statement by the Minister of Defence, will be demonstrated and used for training at appropriate annual camps this year. Nothing could be more heartening to our volunteers. Modern equipment is half the battle to maintain interest and increase fighting efficiency.. Not that the Lewis or the Vickers should be discarded. The. latter remains the weapon of the Britisli machinegun battalions, while the former is still on issue to 90 per cent, of the Empire’s infantry. Both arc first-rate guns for defence, and, after all, that is what our Territorials are training for. Home defence is a vital duty in these troublesome days.