THE FRENCH 37.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14363, 31 July 1917, Page 3

THE FRENCH 37.

All the world- has heard of the French to, ;that marvellous quickfirer which has decimated 'German /attacks- time and again-, and has practically proved- itseli the mpemor.-ot, any -mobile -gun on the held of battle. .-It ;is supposed to be the Very last ahd' fittest, riroduot of the French genius for artillery. YTti,lia s been much improved,,. it is said, since. the war begari . and- is r looked on throughout the French, army iyith affection and throun-h---ottt the" German. ar ny. with greatrespect Naturally it is not., r only the- weapon but thd meh behind that weapon wliich/make it so deadly m beating, domi attacks or m .keeping ,ihe enemy,, down-when an attack is coming son. his trenches. .Tlie Germaii especially m his fighting on the Western front, has, al ways, ,put his faith m an immense quantity of machine guns and his faith hasV not. been, misplaced. As a idefensiye . -weapon, -under modern trenoh conditions', the machine- gun is a, beast with which to deal. , It, sprays an- ad vaii.ee . with bullets; , just as • if • , they were water driven fron.- a hose. 7 Ifc is the macTiine guns which, time and again have; held 7 ; up French, or British advances arid caused terrible, losses ibefore they could be, located! and put, outs of action by a well placed shell, or else,i*ushed or hohibed. „- But.-the French- have a new weapon known as the/37. .This is.especially, manufactured; tpi.deal with,, machine guns. V It is a- pbrtableVcannqnp and. those who handle it say .there is no mores ac--curate w&apon m ithe j world. 'vAny thing which can „be seen, can and tit is Vperfectlyr j possible, to .: strike .with the second shell a rolled-up handkerchief, ( at 1200 yards. A well-trained crew can* fire from 30 to" 35 shells per minute from' this gun and as^ity fcariVbe very conveniently taken to»piece s its transportation is comparatively easy. Its weight allows it to* be carried, by its .crew", over the roughest, ground. -According to descriptions of- the' work of the gun no sooner are -machine gun loopholes marked down- "than V after brie or two. •'Tanging «hots'-the^37;gets .on the lodphole^ ahd ""there is' 'an" -end of- the machine'gUp'ixp arid' itii-crew. '"' .'■■ '''