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Chauchat M1915
The Chauchat M1915 is a French light machine gun from the First World War, developed in 1915 by Colonel Louis Chauchat and engineers Sutter and Riberol. It became the first mass—produced light machine gun in history and was chambered for the 8x50 mm R Lebel (in the American version - .30-06 Springfield). The machine gun operated on the basis of a long barrel stroke and exhaust automation, which made its design unusual for its time. The main feature was a half-open 20-round magazine (crescent-shaped for the Lebel cartridge), which often clogged up in trench conditions. The Shosha weighed 9 kg, had a rate of fire of 240 rounds per minute and an effective range of up to 400 meters. The soldiers hated it for its unreliability: the magazine let dirt through, the barrel overheated, and the recoil was excessive for a light machine gun. The American version of the M1918 is chambered for .30-06 turned out to be even worse — due to incompatibility with a powerful cartridge, the machine gun often jammed. Despite the disadvantages, Shosha was widely used in 1916-1918. (especially in defense), as there were almost no alternatives. After the war, it was quickly decommissioned, but transferred to Poland, Greece and Belgium, where it was found even at the beginning of World War II. The Shosha went down in history as "the worst machine gun of all time," but its importance in the development of the concept of light machine guns cannot be denied.
Photo of the constructor:
Louis Chauchat's photo could not be found.
The photo of Paul Ribeirol could not be found
Main Features:
Main Features:
Caliber:
8x50 mm R Lebel (basic version).
.30-06 Springfield (American version of the M1918).
Barrel length: 470 mm.
Total length: 1143 mm.
Weight: 9.07 kg (without cartridges).
Magazine capacity:
Semi-lunar magazine for 20 rounds (8mm Lebel).
Direct magazine for 16 rounds (.30-06).
Rate of fire: ~240-300 rounds per minute.
Aiming range:
Effective range: 200 meters.
Maximum range: up to 2000 meters (theoretically).
Type of automation: discharge of powder gases, long stroke of the shutter.
Firing mode: Automatic only.
Other features:
Open magazine: The semi—lunar shape of the magazine with large holes for visual inspection of cartridges became the main source of problems - dirt got inside, causing delays.
Air cooling of the barrel: The absence of a radiator or a replaceable barrel led to rapid overheating.
Cheap production: The machine gun was assembled from stamped parts with minimal processing, which reduced the quality.
An unusual arrangement: The bolt carrier was located at the rear of the barrel, which increased the length of the weapon.
Wooden box and pistol grip: Resembled a rifle, but with a massive barrel casing.
Produced: About 250,000-290,000 copies (including modifications).
Advantages:
It was lighter than heavy machine guns, like the Hotchkiss M1914.
It was maneuverable, and was suitable for trench warfare and crater attacks.
Cheap to produce
One of the first light machine guns adopted.
Disadvantages:
80% of delays in combat are due to magazine contamination and sensitivity to moisture.
Frequent misalignment of cartridges in the magazine.
An unsuccessful 8 mm Lebel cartridge with a rim complicated the feed.
After 300 shots in a row, the barrel failed.
Interesting facts:
In the dry climate of Africa, Belgian Chauchats performed better than in European mud.
Chauchat's mistakes were taken into account when creating FM 24/29 and the Soviet DP-27.
The Chauchat M1918 variant was chambered for the US Army .30-06 Springfield, which was even less stable.
France used Chauchat in Morocco and Syria in the 1920s, until it was replaced by FM 24/29.
When cleaning and lubricating, Chauchat could be quite effective, but there were few such cases.
Photo:
A Belgian machine gunner with a Chauche machine gun on the Western Front, 1918
French soldiers with a Chauchat machine gun on the Somme, 1918
French machine gunner (left) and grenade launcher on the right), 1918
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