Machine Guns: Their History and Tactical Employment

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MACHINE GUNS THEIR HISTORYAND TACTICAL EMPLOYMENT(BEING ALSO HISTORY OF THEMACHINE GUN CORPS 1916-1922) Lt-Colonel G. S. HUTCHINSON D.S.O, M.C. MACMILLAN AND Co. Ltd, London 1938 A 1st edition of Lt-Colonel Hutchinson’s classic survey of the role of the machine gun in WW1, and the history of the Machine Gun Corps. Although mainly concerned with the role of the weapon during the Great War, Lt-Col. Hutchinson examines how the machine gun evolved, with sections on the Gatling Gun, the prototype machine gun much favoured in 19th century colonial wars, and on Hiram Maxim, the cheerfully amoral inventor who was the creator of the modern machine gun. In discussing the role of the machine gun on the western front, the author describes the early advantage enjoyed by the Germans, who initially had far more of the weapons per head than the British. He does not attempt to hide the horrendous toll taken by the German machine gunners on what may have been the weapon’s bloodiest and most successful day: the decimation of the British advance on July 1st, 1916, the first day of the battle of the Somme. But Hutchinson goes on to show the British army learned from their errors, caught up with the Germans, and devised new machine gun tactics. The book includes sections on the use of the gun in other theatres of war, including Italy, the Balkans and the Middle East. A well-written, sober and informative account, packed with detailed and fascinating information.Condition: In very good condition. The boards are in good condition, with some minor marks and some fading to the spine. The binding and hinges are very good and secure. The text is in very good condition. The photographs are in very good condition.Published: 1938Red boards with gilt titlingIllustrated with b/w plates and photographsDimensions: 150mm x 220mmPages: 349 Show more