00:00 - 00:25: Ian upon seeing that pigeon that's been crapping on his car all week.

@troyjardine5850

Ай бұрын

Must be a truly massive pigeon

@isaacm1929

Ай бұрын

​@@troyjardine5850 Nah. He just wants to cause a little extinction, of all pigeons.

@danielnielsen3501

Ай бұрын

Reminds me of the catchy old song by Tom Lehrer: Poisoning pigeons in the park 😅

@Hybris51129

Ай бұрын

"Negotiations are over."

@ToyotaTechnical

Ай бұрын

@@isaacm1929 What's wrong with pigeons? They're wonderful agricultural birds, as well as a form of entertainment for city workers. Not also are they entertaining, but if the US ever seriously started to starve, urban people could make pigeon traps and keep flocks of pigeons to have meat. Pigeons are incredibly clean birds.

I used to have a book called, "The Social History of the Machine Gun". In it, during an old interview, one German Machine Gunner supposedly said (of the British early war human wave attacks) "They were the bravest men I ever saw, but the machine gun didn't care"

@scottmccrea1873

Ай бұрын

20,000 killed in 20 minutes. Some units kicked soccer balls back and forth as they went forward. Sir John Keegan said that day killed the spirit of optimism in the British thst has never been recovered.

@woongah

Ай бұрын

It sums WWI pretty well, in my opinion.

@dallesamllhals9161

Ай бұрын

Well, still works for Putin & co!!? Good ol' Russia: humans = just another resource 😕

@MrKurtank

Ай бұрын

:-(

@80krauser

Ай бұрын

@@dallesamllhals9161The memes are wearing thin big guy. Maybe make another few shovel jokes, that will send the orcs running!

"Heroic Cavalry With Very Fancy Hats" sounds like a title for Ian's next book, with pictures of himself in all the hats he already owns and a few new ones as well.

@Macgruber161

Ай бұрын

This would make for a perfect coffee table book of hundreds of head shots of Ian in all of his fancy hats. No context for your guests, just great photography.

@brittakriep2938

Ай бұрын

Fancy hats? I am german ( Brittas boyfriend). In german, a hat is a Hut. Which Cavallry units carried a hat/ Hut in 1914? US cavallry, in european standards dragoons / Dragoner, british Dominion troops (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada - including Royal Mounted Police, by european standards a kind of Gendarmerie) and perhaps semiregular latin american Cavallry, see revolutionary Mexico. Then there had been caps, in german Mütze ( or dated Kappe). This headgear was common among british , russian, eastern european,french, austrian and italian light cavallry, Hussars and Cossaks. Third headgear in 1914 was the helmet / Helm in german. Sometimes made of leather, reinforced with brass, sometimes made of steel, brass, or Tombak ( don't know english name of this copperbased alloy). Those helmets had been used mostly by heavy, semiheavy or Guard Cavallry of european and latin american countries. Sometimes hats or caps had some reinforcement with cardboard or metal wires ( in german Drähte), but all cavallry headgear of 1914 only gave some protecion against swords or dated pistols/ revolvers with lead only bullets, but not against modern jacketed rifle bullets, similar to last cuirasses.

@andrewallason4530

Ай бұрын

Could do a crossover with the History Guy channel. He’s also a hat aficionado.

@x_hibernia

Ай бұрын

​Copper alloy? Bronze maybe or stainless bronze but I doubt it was that as they would have had to add 5 percent nickel and 22 percent Chromium and it would have had to be manufactured the same way as stainless steel

@brittakriep2938

Ай бұрын

@@x_hibernia : The helmets of prussian Guard Cuirassiers had been made of yellowish Tombak, which was also used as fake gold for Theater.

You missed the chance when setting it up to say “now, let’s paint some happy little trees” with a gun with such a nickname

@lucky43113

Ай бұрын

Pew pew the devil out of it.

@joelandersson3474

Ай бұрын

I don’t know if I would equate Bob Ross and ”the devil” 😅😅

@Karyovin

Ай бұрын

Were there any trees left to paint out there?

@autofox1744

Ай бұрын

*Unhappy little trees

@joelandersson3474

Ай бұрын

@@autofox1744 this sounds more correct to me, yes 😆

When Ian mentions these being "just given away" by the US govt post ww1...he means exactly that. The US had such a large stockpile of these it was decided to simply give them away as a "bonus" to random retired federal employees/retired teachers/service workers and veterans groups. It was not uncommon for a large wooden box to show up on your front door unannounced as a "retirement bonus" from uncle sam. That is how the bulk of these ended up in private ownership in the US, and were later registered. My friends grandfather (retired postal inspector in the 1920s) received an 08/15 in this way. From what he said it just sat in storage for years and years because ammunition and belts were very hard to find in the US back then.

@ForgottenWeapons

Ай бұрын

Dolf Goldsmith's first Maxim came from his grandmother, who was a Red Cross official and got one as a gift just like that.

@reliantncc1864

Ай бұрын

I wish they still did that. If they want to give me an M240 as a bonus, I won't say no.

@grumbotron4597

Ай бұрын

I was born in the wrong generation.

@will3835

14 күн бұрын

Guess I'll have to settle for a full M107 deployment kit showing up at my door

Remarkably well preserved gun. Two additional points: 1) The German colonial forces did not only use these to fight rebelling natives, but contrary to some other colonial powers trained their loyal native troopers ("Askaris") to use them. The British learned this the hard way while fighting Lettow-Vorbecks Afrika Schutztruppe in current Tansania. 2) At the start of the Ukraine War, there was talk that Ukraine deployed thousands of Russian Maxims; now mounted on a little trolley with a front armour plate, for use out of protected positions. This would mean that the Maxim's combat service life is even longer than that of the M2 machine gun.

@_Wiseguy7

Ай бұрын

The last point supports my belief that most modern firearms technology was invented by WW1. Everything after that are just refinement on what was already there.

@DB-yj3qc

Ай бұрын

​@_Wiseguy7 Well, the Mag 58 or in modern parlay, the M240 is a modernized of the Browning 1918 automatic rifle to belt feeding machine gun.

@ripvanwinkle2002

Ай бұрын

the last point isnt valid as its not an issue weapon. its a weapon forced into emergency service. the water cooled maxim was not part of ukraine's TO&E prior to the war the M2 has been continually IN service since 1919

@magoshighlands4074

Ай бұрын

The Maxims in Ukraine are probably old Soviet WW2 given the wheeled trolley and gun shield, and hey if it still shoots then why not use it?

@davids-ip2lr

Ай бұрын

Necessity is the mother of invention, and warfare is the mother of necessity.(Germany seems to somehow be the father of both.) In war, you use what you have, and it turns out that old weapons kill you just as dead. In Vietnam they frequently used crossbow, every military in the world still issue knives, and knives predate Homo Sapiens, so... yeah, nothing surprising about Maxims still being used. It still makes me happy, though, that "obsolete" doesn't mean "useless".

Funfact, even today in german the term is used if something ist standart "Das ist ja 08/15" so even hundert years later this maschine gun with ist variation from 1915 is part of german language. You are welcom folks!

@scottmccrea1873

Ай бұрын

Like "the whole 9 yards" in American English. The standard length of ammo belt was...9 yards.

@phiipichut247

Ай бұрын

interestingly, it is unclear what about the 08/15 was it that turned into such an expression - whether it meant that something is totally standard because soldiers were handling 08/15s daily; or whether it meant something that is common and kind of getting bad, because the 08/15s were getting worn out by the end of the war; or whether it meant that something is totally unremarkable and standardised, because the 08/15s were so standardised that by the end of the war parts were made in bicycle factories

@dallesamllhals9161

Ай бұрын

@@scottmccrea1873 Stick to feets!

@andreahighsides7756

Ай бұрын

There’s something slightly unsettling about that fun fact lol

@sleepy_Dragon

Ай бұрын

The German standardization started with this MG 08/15. The DIN 1 specified a part of the gun. DIN is the German ANSI.

RIP that laminate flooring lmao

@wozzablog

Ай бұрын

I remember him making deep gouges in a concrete floor at one point - i can't remember which video, but i was hiding behind the sofa watching each new scratch

@donwyoming1936

Ай бұрын

Let's hope it's actually vinyl flooring

@broworm1

Ай бұрын

@@donwyoming1936 I don't think so, looking at those existing scratches and marks ;)

@miglover5

Ай бұрын

Some Belgian made laminate (quickstep) would probably survive that ;-)

@Cornpops_Revenge

Ай бұрын

Was thinking same thing… I have experience destroying flooring in a similar fashion.

The forbidden backpack

@FuzedBox

Ай бұрын

Thanks to the fucking ATF.

I like how recently. Ian had been doing 'updated' episodes on guns he had covered in the past. Hell, he could do a redo of every episode, and I'd be happy

@nekomasteryoutube3232

Ай бұрын

Well for one, the quality and information gets better and better. Plus I love the history and any extra provonance with guns he covers. I'll probably keep watching Forgotten weapons for years so long as ian keeps posting content.

@yesthecrumbs5806

Ай бұрын

@nekomasteryoutube3232 ive gone through and rewatched every episode atleast half a dozen times. If not more depending on the gun

We've trained Ian to pronounce "Strumgewehr" as "[Sh]turmgewehr". Now it's Spandau's turn: it is actually "[Sh]pandau"!

The german mc gunners also perfected the crossfire tactic that was far better than straight up shooting..

@meijiturtle3814

Ай бұрын

On fixed lines?

@garyowen9044

Ай бұрын

@@meijiturtle3814 if it’s what I’m thinking it is, yes. When we did range cards, interlocking lanes of fire were key.

@DB-yj3qc

Ай бұрын

Cone of fire, beaten zone, FPL, plunging fires, and many others from machine gunnery training. One of the tripods I was issued in 89 was originally made for 1919 machine gun. M2 tripod, the later was marked M122 tripod, the same but made later.

@bruceinoz8002

Ай бұрын

@@meijiturtle3814 The German's basically wrote the book on proper MG deployment. None of the silly cinematic wild swinging of guns at close range. The trick was to site these heavy beasts out on the flanks and have them firing across the front of "friendly" trenches / positions The guns were, like artillery, "surveyed in". Lines of assaulting enemy troops would have to pass through the "beaten zones" of a number of guns to get "up-close and personal" with their bayonets. Here was the huge contradiction of two combat schools. All major combatants were wedded to the "spirit of the Pike" , (NOT the fish, but a long stick with a pointy end). Why do Lee Enfields have that odd-shaped wrist on their butts? And from the early SMLEs onward, full-length top hand-guards? So the troops could better wield their "pike" in a proper, "gentlemanly" way without getting their fingers burnt or slipping in all the mud and blood. See also the Brit adoption of a variation of the Japanese Type 30 bayonet, complete with hooked quillon, in 1907, to regain the" reach" lost when the Lee Enfield rifle was shortened. So, MG-08s with interlocking arcs of fire were used as "area denial" weapons. And they could do this from well over a thousand yards away. A plunging just-going-subsonic bullet will still do a fair bit of tissue damage.. The Germans also added refinements, like reinforced concrete bunkers and "mutual defence" tactics. If attacking infantry approached too close to one strongpoint, other "pill-boxes" would go to a second or third "fire-mission" setting, and hose down the approach area and, if necessary, the concrete structure itself. Enfilade fire; the machine-gunners preferred practice. Like artillery, they had pre-designated fire-missions; all carefully plotted; often using serious optical gear. For Australian readers, the second battle of Fromelles is a stark lesson on how to NOT deploy infantry in territory infested with MGs producing interlocking arcs of fire from somewhere "off the map". The abundance of Australian dead and wounded dragged off the battlefield, with "side-entry" wounds should have been something of a clue.. The MG-08 was too heavy to use / relocate in an assault, hence the MG-08-15, which was still somewhat "clunky". Hence the German's "adoption" of captured Lewis Guns, generally in .303. These were also one of the tools of German "ready-reaction"/ trench-raiding parties.. The concept of the "machine-gun-centric" infantry squad / section, was a direct result of the experiences of those German "ready-reaction"/ trench-raiding teams. Same deal in the next big show. MG-34s, etc., as the primary weapon, supported and screened by infantry with bolt-action rifles.

@larry648

Ай бұрын

@@meijiturtle3814yes, the lines were not a straight line like you might think. They were layered and had interlocking fields of fire. Both sides did it, that’s why at that time there was no mobility and the frontal assaults ended like they did.

Fun fact: The MG08 gunners had a tool called "Schleppgurt" or tagging belt, is was essentially a heavy lether loop with a hook to drag the gun while crawling. When the uniforms were standardized, they often carried this belt as an accentuation to indicate their elite status.

@bergfruehling

Ай бұрын

And the belts were so crude they looked like some leftover from the 1600s.

I like the little setup intro

That sled mount is engeneered to perfection, i guess that guys at drowing board was aware of what would be done with it, and where in trenches one period of their lives. They made Maxim transportable in more than one way without using wheels, and that by its self is amazing.

@clothar23

Ай бұрын

I still wouldn't want to be the bloke dragging a 100lb+ MG through WW1 mud under fire. God bless the people who realised a lighter option was needed. And regulated stuff like this to fixed fortfications and vehicles.

@sinisatrlin840

Ай бұрын

@@clothar23 In 1916 that attitude would get you court martialed and then shot😁

@MrDgwphotos

Ай бұрын

@@clothar23 Yeah, the idea of some of the things Ian was describing how the mount was designed to moved gave me the shivers thinking about moving that heavy gun in such a manner.

I like that their floor has perfectly circular marks already made, you can tell plenty has been set up there before.

Thanx Ian. Very interesting to me as my grandfolks were involved in both wars. Regards from Somerset West, South Africa. 🇿🇦

@matthew1882

Ай бұрын

Maxim Guns were also used extensively in the Anglo-Boer War🇿🇦🫡

Also, I can't remember the exact number, but a postwar newspaper article in Ohio mentions something like 700 machineguns being offered to local municipalities in the state for use as war memorials/monuments. Few of these seem to have survived the scrap drives of WW2 (or perhaps even just theft), though there are one or two places where you can still find examples of the MG08 still on outdoor display in the state.

@k.r.baylor8825

Ай бұрын

It could be that this gun was one of those memorial guns, and was NFA registered sometime before 1968.

@Celebmacil

Ай бұрын

@@k.r.baylor8825 Ian stated that this gun was a vet bring back.

@KR-hg8be

Ай бұрын

​@@Celebmacilthe duffel cut must have taken a while

@Celebmacil

Ай бұрын

@@KR-hg8be Obviously it would have to!

Fun fact from Germany: the 08/15 MG was so common that the term "08/15" has established itself in common civilian German language up until even today with the meaning of "standard", "regular", "ordinary"...

@jbarninatus5898

Ай бұрын

This video was not 08/15 😁

@juanzulu1318

Ай бұрын

@@jbarninatus5898 it is mentioned several times.

@Darth_Barnaby

Ай бұрын

​@@juanzulu1318 he only mentions it, rather offhand, 3 times in the video. This exact comment is plastered on every video remotely about german ww1 mg's

@juanzulu1318

Ай бұрын

@@Darth_Barnaby if u dont like the info, just move on.

My great uncle, a sergeant in the 104th IR, 26th Yankee division, survived the attacks on Epieds, where they went up against over 100 emplaced German machine guns. He was an automatic weapons specialist, who received a battlefield commission. Half his company was either killed or wounded.

Got a devil's paintbrush in my mind

@Surv1ve_Thrive

Ай бұрын

Beck!

Ian, thank you for showing the tripod setup and Maxim gun tripod mounting to open your video. The equipment combination is a beast. And imagine hauling this thing back from a Great War battlefield as a souvenir in your US infantry company's equipment stores allocation. Or even your own personal baggage.

Gotta applaud Ian for returning to his old format of scrounging around auction houses. Even if it's a temporary reprieve from the click-chasing he was doing for a while, it's much appreciated.

Much awaited, much appreciated looking forward to excellent insights as always from you.

My grandfather was a trained machine gunner in the First World War. It's a shame that you're not allowed to own the 08/15 in Germany.

The intro was perfect.

@meijiturtle3814

Ай бұрын

Very, very professional.

Ian's pronounciation of DWM ( Deutsche Waffen-und Munitionsfabriken ) is the fun-part of the show for me as a German. Please more of it!

If my woman saw those scratches on the parquet flooring, the gun would most likely be used .... on me

@tomwinterfishing9065

Ай бұрын

Blame Ian. Show her this as evidence of previous.

Fantastic piece of German engineering. My wife's great uncle was in the British Machine Gun Corps and sadly died around the time of the Somme offensive aged just 21.

THAT IS A BIG MACHINE GUN!

@mikespurg8006

Ай бұрын

Maxim 1910 is bigger and better 😁

@nickjohnson710

Ай бұрын

​@@mikespurg8006vickers is better than both of them! 🇬🇧💪

@mikhailarutyunyan4126

Ай бұрын

​@@nickjohnson710 No. Just... No. Read more

@nickjohnson710

Ай бұрын

@mikhailarutyunyan4126 Read more? .....why don't you learn to write English properly!

@mikespurg8006

Ай бұрын

@nickjohnson710 Actually, both are about the same in fire power. I own and shoot both. Cloth belts are not ideal when it comes to a Vicker's.

Knowing the Preussian Army logistic system of the German Kaiserreich i assume: Top cover serial number was a demand by the army for inventory management and the a/b/c/d plus 4 digit system was the DWM system they put on all guns, no matter who was their customer.

@M_Northstar

Ай бұрын

Still doesn't explain why though.

@andreahighsides7756

Ай бұрын

@@M_Northstarbureaucracy

@voiceofraisin3778

Ай бұрын

@@M_Northstar Its Germans and serial numbers they dont need a reason. They just need a flat surface.

@M_Northstar

Ай бұрын

You misunderstand. The question isn't "why serial numbers", the question is "why indicate the thousands digit with a letter suffix". If you think about it, there are significant disadvantages to this system, and NO advantages over just putting the thousands digit in the place reserved for it by maths. With the suffix system, 1) you have to read out the whole number, then convert it in your head to get the actual number 2) at the higher numbers (maybe as low as f or g) most people would have to stop and count the letters before even getting to the previous step 3) you'll have a problem if you ever make more than 28000 of anything Meanwhile, just writing the number out normally can do exactly everything the letter suffix system can do, with none of the drawbacks.

@robert8984

Ай бұрын

@@M_Northstar Using a letter pre or suffix is very normal in productions. It allows the producer to "shorten" whole blocks or dedicate a serial number space for specific customers or variants. And all the downsides you listed are irrelevant. 1) Nobody who has to deal with the serial number has to count them in the head. He simply writes down 1234 A and carries on. He doesnt care if the number is 123456 or 1A2B3CXXXX001 or ABC321 or what ever 2) see 1 3) you simply add another letter. Series 29 becomes AA. All of this is pretty much standard one way or another. See: Todays Glock Serial numbers, they started with AB12345 system and now run a ABC123 system.

Interesting timing with this video, as I'm currently re-watching The Great War on KZread. Excellent WW1 documentary in the same vain as the WW2 World at War series.

@russianbear0027

Ай бұрын

I haven't watched the WWII series. Is the name of the series also the name of the channel like it was for the great war?

@BleedingUranium

Ай бұрын

@@russianbear0027 Yep, the channel name is simply "World War Two". You'll uh, have a bit of catching up to do, as next episode is VE Day. :P

@russianbear0027

Ай бұрын

@@BleedingUranium thanks xD I guess I better get started lol

@ejf5175

Ай бұрын

@@russianbear0027 Nah, it's not the Great War channel. it's the BBC documentary from the 60's - kzread.info/head/PLucsO-7vMQ00twBJvRZKs1KNUKUVClo6C&si=8m-mYyrRdV0Qc7aL

@ejf5175

Ай бұрын

@@russianbear0027 The WW2 series is on here in full too: kzread.info/dash/bejne/YpZoyZaTirGpYag.html

Never knew the extra utility the mount offered besides the sled function, those carrying setups seem very well thought out and something that would be genuinely appreciated by the crews!

Storing part of the cleaning kit in the handles is such a cool pice of design

You're absolutely right to say the MG08 is a fascinating piece of machinery in military history and that sledge mount is very cool even if the soldiers who carried it on their backs found it pleasant. Thanks for providing us with this fantastic insight Ian.

Thank You Ian, best wishes from Orlando, Florida, Paul

Fun fact about the 08/15 light machine gun (and in a way probably the 08 as well): To this day, in Germany and Austria saying "08/15" is an extremely common colloquialism which means that something is ubiquitous or standard. Most people don't even know anymore where the term comes from but absolutely everyone knows what it means.

Glad to see Ian uploading again!!!

Thanks, Ian. This was very educational.

Good training and 2.5x sights? I didn't know the German Empire was so ahead of the times when it came to MGs

7:05 Those are French troops carrying the MG08 (Adrian helmets and French army uniformcoats)

@ForgottenWeapons

Ай бұрын

Yes, they are from an Allied manual on how to operate captured German guns.

I absolutely love how, in the whole kit, everything has been thought out : multiple ways of carrying the thing, spare barrel, spare locks, knee pads, oil and solvent... I absolutely love how these old stuff had everything.

@Forgotten Weapons Here is a little trivia about the 0815. i live in austria and we use the term 0815 (nullachtfünfzehn) to tell if something is like the most basic type of something. So for example we would say thats a 0815-car, -flat, -t-shirt and what not. if this thing is the most basic type of that thing... This term is commonly used term in austrian german language, even today. Thanks for the nice videos...

I have absolutely loved the content since I started viewing close to the time I started watching Demolition Ranch many years ago. I try to catch up on older videos by scrolling through. I scroll because I have no idea what crazy piece of history you're going to bring up next. Can't search for what you've never heard of. Lol! Thanks for the content and my son has been watching almost as long as me. He's 23 now and following Matt's footsteps as a veterinarian and 2 A supporter. Thanks to you both for being positive roll models on my son, as well as informative fun content that lead him down our rabbit whole of 2A awesomeness! Thanks again to you and several other channels during the struggle.

I love Ian sitting on the floor talking about this machine gun like a little kid doing show and tell.

That is a very complex boat anchor.

I remember the brass Model from about 7-8 years ago, IIRC you owned a example of family. Great Video.

Nice machine gun. Thank you for the history lesson.

The British had exactly the same number of MGs per Division (24x) as the Germans did at the outbreak of war in 1914, plus specialist MG training schools, plus pre-war framework plans for a Machine Gun Corps (formed 1915, once the front had stabilised such that MGs could be detached from parent battalions). Its very much an old myth to maintain that the British had ignored or neglected the use of MGs prior to WW1. The apparent discrepancy between total number of MGs in the British and German 1914 armies is simply down to the fact that the German army was 18x the size of the British one.

@lardomcfarty9866

Ай бұрын

Your info seems off..

Very interesting to get in touch with the grandfather of modern machine guns. Thanks for that. Best regardes from Germany. Thanks for that video =)

Thanks for the knowledge

That gun was a veteran bring back. That guy must have had one hell of a big Duffel bag

Very interesting video explaining exactly how these things worked. My uncle Jack lost his leg to one in 1918. I suspect it was during the counter offensive later in that year as he had already been nominated for his MM for rescuing his CO under fire.

Wow this just reminds me of an old forgotten weapons video, could put the old intro and music and it would fit right in! Going back to his roots!

I think it makes the gun so much more when you get the history along with it.

The notion of how Germans had machine-gun corps as kinda elite troops and how they were sort of disrespected in other armies is kinda what happens even to this day. At least in the Finnish military, artillery corps are treated as the lowliest branch of service (along with signals). "Tyhmä saa olla mutta ei tykkimies" ("It's fine to be dumb but not an artilleryman"). However, this is mostly just friendly banter and it's just that some other services are portrayed as more cool (especially recon has this reputation of being really tough and elite). But everyone recognizes and agrees that artillery is probably the most important branch of the army. Artillery is the king of battlefield.

Amazing intro for such a beautiful heavy machine gun.

This is one of the few guns that shows up on this channel that I have actually seen in person. In the town where I went to college, the American Legion post has a pair of MG08's out front, though they are not complete, and one is in worse shape than the other.

I’m always amazed at the thought put into weapons

@Zaprozhan

Ай бұрын

I've always been interested in ergonomics, and the designers of this device were too!

I think Ian is having alot of fun setting up all of these custom mounts for the Maxim.

I think I recall C&Rsenal discussing Russian machine guns (though it might be something I read) and presenting the issues with the initial Russian use of machine guns as being due to them not being pushed to the very tip of the front as aggressively as the Germans would do. The reason given was that the Russians initially treated the risk of losing a machine gun like the risk of losing an artillery piece and thus they would be withdrawn or kept back, if there was a risk that a position might be lost. Russia had indeed invested heavily in machine guns after the Russo-Japanese War, which was probably also what inspired the Germans to do the same, as, despite Russia losing the war, their machine guns had taken a terrible toll on the Japanese. But the Germans had a more integrated and aggressive doctrine at the outset of WWI that would turn out to be far better suited to the circumstances. Of course, other armies very quickly adopted similar approaches.

The oil/cleaning brushes in the handle is super cool

I first learned about the MG 08 as a kid. It played a big part in Gold Key Comics Tarzan # 163. These comics were set in the same time period as the books. In this one Tarzan uses one against German colonial forces in Africa during WWI. He handles it like Rambo handles an M60. At the end of the action Tarzan has disappeared leaving the gun behind with water jacket glowing red hot. Who says comics aren't educational.

@thundergod111

Ай бұрын

Just looked it up. What an awesome cover, with such an accurate depiction of the weapon.

@williambefort5327

Ай бұрын

The Edgar Rice Burroughs story in which Tarzan tangles with the Germans in East Africa is "Tarzan the Untamed" (1920). Its depiction of them as ravening Boche lost Tarzan his market in postwar Germany..

If someone is shooting at your feet "making you dance," would that dance be a Spandau Ballet? ^-^

@jeffkeith637

Ай бұрын

I think it was actually shooting you in the chest

@jeromethiel4323

Ай бұрын

@@jeffkeith637 That would be the "dead man's party" dance. ^-^

The ingenuity of Victorian/Edwardian era mechanical engineers is astonishing. Especially considering modern mIlitary weapons are really just improvements/variations on things those men built.

I just recently read a book about the 1914 war of movement and 1916 Somme so this is interesting.

It's all about the platform, the foundation for this "Paintbrush". Paint by number, stable. Would be interesting to see gun placement in action on the front, and the effectiveness of that placement. What a picture it would paint.

It's incredible how much the machinegun changed warfare forever.

@Joe-hz1nw

Ай бұрын

Imagine the first time a bunch of men on horses rode into a bunch of these guns set up with interlocking fire. Imagine being the one guy who survived after watching hundreds of your closest friends get cut down in front of you. Wild.

@graveperil2169

Ай бұрын

@@Joe-hz1nw Artillery would do the same that's why you did not ride into them unless you was Australian

@Zaprozhan

Ай бұрын

"The means of destruction are approaching perfection with frightening rapidity." I can't source the quote, but some noblemen said it at the demonstration of the machine gun.

I can't even imagine of someone hauling a heavy mg with its mount and all back home after fighting a war across the world. That veteran sure wanted to have his own machine gun.

0:24 was fully expecting Ian to start making machine gun noises

It takes Gun Jesus to explain the Devils Paintbrush. 😇

Whoever installed the electrical outlets in this room is my hero. IYKYK.

My favorite movie, is 1964's Zulu. 100 or so British soldiers against 4000 or so Zulus. Michael Caine's first movie. Thanks for the video Ian!!

@NareshSinghOctagon

Ай бұрын

Have you seen the fan made Sabaton music video for it?

@stumpythedwarf8712

Ай бұрын

@@NareshSinghOctagon I have not. I will look for it later this evening, I have to go for my run first.

We took so many as war reparations in Belgium that the MG08 was our standard machinegun up until the German invasion in 1940, enough to field an army of roughly 500,000 soldiers.

Like the TITLE The Devil's Paintbrush. Ian, You are the Painter, cool one.

As a kid, watching ANZACs showed me the practical difference between the MG08 and the Vickers: one had a large, heavy, cumbersome tripod and the other said "oh, yeah? Watch this!" The same series showed the usability difference between the practicality of a purpose-built LMG and a rushed adaptational improvisation. Bluey would have mutinied if handed an 08/15.

Thanks for explaining what the scale on the left side of the gun is for.

Damn. People were tiny a hundred years ago ...

When Ian showed the photo of the two soldiers carrying the gun I noticed that one of the soldiers had the barrel aimed right at his groin. I'm sure it was empty but I think that would be a little disconcerting.

@JohnHughesChampigny

Ай бұрын

Pretty sure they're French, not German. Presumably after the war. The guys carrying them on their backs are Germans.

@jmjedi923

Ай бұрын

If you do it all the time, maybe not...at first though yeah

@Sturminfantrist

Ай бұрын

My PC picture is bad but in the first Pictures i saw only French Infantry carrying the MG!!

@48mastadon

Ай бұрын

@@Sturminfantrist I bet you're right. My PC is pretty bad too. I took out the word "German" from my comment. All is right with the world now.

never underestimate the devastating effect of troops wearing fancy hats in an urban combat situation

thank You Ian.....best wishes from Orlando, Florida, you are an amazing expert in the field....

Great video 👍 The pop group Spandau Ballet is named after that chaingun's cha cha cha

Every time I see one of these I'm reminded of the scene from "All Quiet on the Western Front,1930" where the MG is sweeping back and forth against the French with that sound of a typewriter.

The decision not to prioritize field stripping might seem odd to some, but when you're focused on mass production and reliability, it makes sense. Plus, having spare locks ready to go speaks volumes about their meticulous planning.

The C&Rsenal videos on this and the Russian 1910 really shows what a difference machine gun doctrine made in that war. The Russians had many more mg’s and arguably better ones but they aren’t remembered as the great machine gunners of WW1.

Looks like a great mount for a prepared position. A good gun crew with everything ranged out would be hell to dig out. Artillery or mortars would be the only way. If they had them in interlocking trenches you couldn’t get their flank.

Them: "Do you want adjustable headspace?" Germany: "Nein, danke." Them: "But how will you make all of the locks so precisely?" Germany: "Git gut."

Wondering how many of the guns that Germany surreptitiously kept were done as whole guns disassembled and labeled as "spare parts".

@fabiogalletti8616

Ай бұрын

pretty much what they did. Some were actually spares, but a gazillion were "we have 800 machine gun assembled, honest. Nah, that's just a pile of of spare parts to reassemble 25.000 of them, nothing to see there"

@corrinestenman5683

Ай бұрын

@fabiogalletti8616 that's what I expected; I just haven't studied the treaty disarmament in any real detail (unfortunately).

@bjdzieran2014

Ай бұрын

Yeah, there were a lot, some were "lost" in demobilisation and were used in civil unrests years after... They were quite usual in the beginning of WW2 for second line troops, I still have a photo of my grandfather training with it in Summer 1939 in East Prussia as part of the "Grenzwacht" a name given to troops in that area to conceil the strength of armed forces in the border regions... the MG-squad wear M18 helmets as well 😂

If you look at a Sewing machine from this era, you can see, how factory making those could easily switch to making something like this.

The 2 man carry concept is actually very novel and utilitarian for this particular piece...the spacing width and length of the legs make transport much easier, the only problem I can see with it is that the person who is carrying the muzzle end of the rig needs to be extra careful, because the thought of falling forward, eating shit AND getting buttfucked by that muzzle will definitely cause me to have a bad day 😂

@jordanandrew2786

Ай бұрын

It definitely happened at least once. Uneven ground, mud, etc. guarantees it.

I want to see more "off track" stuff. That's the whole point of this channel

I would really like a video on the evolution of the madsen over the year.

Thank s

You can tell that mounting was engineered by a German. Beautifully engineered, designed to last forever, finished to perfection. Horrifically expensive and takes forever to build.

Nice watch

Cool gun and cool tripod too.

There are one of these things outside the Royal Canadian Legion Hall in Truro, Nova Scotia, and another in a memorial park outside the old schoolhouse in Arcadia, Nova Scotia, near where I live today. They're both badly weathered.

Gun Jesus and The Devil's Paintbrush. The perfect combination!

0:25 quick cut because you know Ian started making machine gun noises with his mouth (as would we all)

@Mirko_C.

Ай бұрын

Tu tu tu tu tu tu tu tu, reload, tu tu tu tu tu tu 😂😂

There's a great example captured in 1916, The Somme, & on display in The Green Howards Museum, Richmond, North Yorkshire, UK. It's a great chunk of metal & mount. The mount is probably over-engineered in the way that some German equipment can be. Holding the grips is chilling - I wondered how many unfortunates had met their demise from the 'business end'.