CHARACTERISTICS OF MACHINE GUN.
The fact that the gun is mounted upon a platform and the personal factor thus reduced, results in a close grouping of fire, and practically the same results are obtained in war as in peace, the beaten zone being about half the area of that of rifle fire. This gives the following advantages:—
Surprise effect.
Observation of fire for ranging.
Overhead covering fire.
Other advantages of the machine gun are:—
Narrow frontage (a machine gun only occupying the same frontage as two infantrymen).
Difficult to locate.
Normal rate of fire about 500 rounds per minute. All-round traverse, which allows gun to be turned in any direction without moving tripod, and with little exposure.
Mobility: It can go wherever a man can go on foot.
It has, however, the following drawbacks:—
Overheating, and consequent stoppage through too prolonged fire.
Noise of firing, and steam from barrel casing reveals position.
Narrow and scattered objects are unsuitable targets.
It will be seen therefore that the machine gun is a weapon of opportunity particularly adapted for surprise effect, but not for sustained fire action.