November 11, 1918 My grandfather served in France during WWI in a machine-gun unit. That, along with the somewhat cryptic “PFC 314 Machine Gun Company” marking on his headstone, was all I knew about Gramp, who died at home on the night of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords and never, ever talked about his service to…
Category: WW1 Era Weapons
Know Your Military History: The Black Watch Regiment of the Royal Highlanders
Black Watch: Royal Highlanders The Black Watch regiment is a storied unit within the Scottish military, dating back to the early 18th century. The origin of the Black Watch is similarly steeped in history, with a long lineage of skilled marksmen dating back centuries. Following the Jacobite Rebellion, loyalists of the Highland clans of…
Know Your WW1 Weapon’s History: The Flammenwerfer
Flammenwefer — World War I German Flamethrowers It appears the first flamethrower of modern design was patented in Germany by Richard Fiedler in 1901. During the same year, the German army funded his continued work on flamethrower designs. Fiedler, a private citizen, designed several flamethrowers models and presented a working product to the German…
Know Your WW1 History: Medieval WW1 Trench Weapons
Medieval WWI Trench Weapons The Brutal reality of Close-Quarter Combat in WW1.
Know Your WW1 History: Steering a Steam Roller – The German Invasion of France in 1914
Steering a Steamroller Bear in mind the German’s did this operation TWICE. Once in 1914 with infantry and again in 1940 with tanks and infantry (Blitzkrieg) which only took 46 days. What a difference 26 years makes.
Four for Fighting: The Greatest Quartet of Combat Shotguns
Four for Fighting: The Greatest Quartet of Combat Shotguns A Look Back at the Heavyweight Champions of Combat Shotty’s: Winchester Model 1897 Browning A5 Remington Model 11 Ithaca Model 37 Here is a fascinating article regarding why Germany wanted to ban the Winchester Model 1897 during WW1.
Know Your WW1 Weapons: Germany’s MG08 Heavy Machine Gun
Germany’s Heavy Machine Gun of WWI: The MG08 All you former infantryman out there might find this fact jaw dropping: “The MG08 machine gun itself weighed approximately 60 pounds. Combined with its “Sled” (or Sledge) mount that used four legs, the whole affair weighed around 140 pounds, excluding the water can and ammunition supply….
Know Your Weapons: The American Enfield AKA the US Model 1917 Magazine Rifle
The American Enfield AKA the US Model 1917 Magazine Rifle You can’t go wrong with a Mauser Action in .30-06 Caliber!
Know Your Weapons: German Maschinenpistole 18
Know Your Weapons: Mannlicher M1895 Rifle
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY’S M-95 Rifle “The M95 proved itself one of the finest battle rifles of the First World War. It weighed around a pound less than its equally lengthy peers and was slim and almost delicate by comparison. The soldiers who carried it appreciated its light weight but the Allied soldiers facing the M95 in…