Chapter I: Preface

This book, which was begun five years ago, is now published because I feel that, with all its faults, it may bring into greater prominence the latent possibilities of the machine gun, and the vital necessity for the most complete organisation and tactical training of the detachments.

I desire to express my great indebtedness to Captain C. O. Place, D.S.O., Royal Engineers, who undertook the work of editing and preparing the book for the press at a moment’s notice on my sailing for India.

R. V. K. APPLIN.

R.I.M.S. “NORTHBROOK,”
_December 1st, 1909_.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. DESCRIPTION AND ORGANISATION 1

II. GENERAL PRINCIPLES 28

III. WITH INDEPENDENT CAVALRY 57

IV. WITH PROTECTIVE CAVALRY 86

V. EMPLOYMENT WITH INFANTRY 105

VI. EMPLOYMENT WITH INFANTRY (_cont._) 130

VII. IN FORTRESS WARFARE 144

VIII. IN MINOR OPERATIONS 161

IX. MACHINE GUNS OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES 187

LIST OF PLATES AND DIAGRAMS

FACING PAGE

MACHINE GUN ON ADJUSTABLE TRIPOD BEHIND COVER.
FRONT VIEW 224-5

MACHINE GUN ON ADJUSTABLE TRIPOD BEHIND COVER.
VIEW FROM REAR 224-5

MAP OF PORT ARTHUR 266

PAGE

DIAGRAM TO SHOW THE ZONE BEATEN BY 50 PER CENT.
OF BULLETS 5

DIAGRAM TO SHOW THE DISPERSION OF BULLETS 6

DIAGRAM TO SHOW FORMATION WHEN COMING INTO POSITION 39

DIAGRAM TO SHOW METHOD OF LAYING BY AIMING POSTS 51

DIAGRAM TO OBTAIN ANGLE OF SIGHT _m_ 53

DIAGRAM OF JAPANESE MACHINE-GUN TRIPOD MOUNT 251

ERRATA

-----------------+-----+-----+--------------------------------------
Error |Page |Line | Correction
-----------------+-----+-----+--------------------------------------
“firing” | 4 | 20 | finding
“to” | 6 | 4 | delete
“short” | 27 | 17 | shorter
“25” | 35 | 20 | 125
“G to O” | 53 | 9 | O to G;
“VIII” | 65 | 26 | I
“training” | 72 | 1 | turning
“distance” | 116 | 5 | distant
“work.” | 160 | 1 | works
“the” | 163 | 2 | delete (_i.e._ “attack in mass”)
“line” (omitted) | 177 | 27 | insert word “line” after “blockhouse”
“portable” | 174 | 28 | potable
(Sentence wrong) | 179 | 27 | “an event which has happened
| | | almost every decade.”
“1 ft.” | 196 | 22 | 1 ft. 6 in.
“natural” | 221 | 5 | mutual
“gear” | 226 | 15 | gun
“ground” | ” | 19 | gun
“screen” | 227 | 13 | screw
“it placed” | 231 | 12 | is
“attacked” | 238 | 8 | attached
·26 | 251 | 3 | ·256
“strap” | 252 | 5 | strip
----------------+----+----+-----------------------------------------

MACHINE-GUN TACTICS