Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun

Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun

Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun

Type Placeoforigin

Light machine gun

France

Service history
Usedby Wars See Users World War I

Production history
Designer Designed Manufacturer Produced Numberbuilt Variants Lawrence Benet and Henri Mercie 1901 Hotchkiss et Cie ~1909 ~700 by Springfield Armory Hotchkiss M1909 (French Army, 8mm Lebel) Hotchkiss Mark I (Britain, .303) Benet-Mercie Machine Rifle M1909 (United States, .30-06)

Specifications
Weight Length Barrellength Cartridge 12 kg 48.5 inches (1.23 m) 25 inches (64 cm)
[1] [1]

.303 British (Britain) 8mm Lebel (France) .30-06 Springfield (U.S.) .303 British 8mm Lebel 7.62 x 63mm (30-06 Springfield) Gas-operated 400 rounds per minute
[1]

Caliber

Action Rateoffire

Maximumrange 3800 m Feedsystem 30-round strip magazine, or belt-fed

The Hotchkiss M1909 machine gun was a French designed light machine gun of the early 20th century, developed and built by Hotchkiss et Cie. It was also known as the Hotchkiss Mark I and M1909 Benet-Mercie. It was adopted by the French army as the Hotchkiss M1909 (or Mle 1909) in 1909, firing the 8 mm Lebel. A variant to use the .303 round was produced in Britain as the "Hotchkiss Mark I" and manufactured by Enfield. The British army employed three different types of machine gun: the Vickers medium machine gun, the Hotchkiss for

Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun cavalry use and the Lewis Gun with the infantry. It was adopted by the US in 1909 as the "Benet-Mercie Machine Rifle, Caliber .30 U. S. Model of 1909" firing the .30-06 cartridge. The name comes from three sources: Hotchkiss, the name of the American Benjamin B. Hotchkiss who started the company in France; the two main designers, Lawrence Benet and Henri Mercie; and the US designation system at time which label arms with "Model of Year". Lawrence Benet was related to the former head of US Army Ordnance at the time of adoption. It is also known as the Hotchkiss M1909 and M1909 Benet-Mercie, but should not be confused with the heavier Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun. It was also used by other countries, including Belgium, Spain, Brazil and Australia.

Design
It was gas-operated and air-cooled, had a maximum range of 3,800m (4,200yd) and weighed 12kg (27lb). Initial models were fed by a 30-round strip-magazine but later models could be either strip- or belt-fed. The US types had a bipod, while some others used a small tripod. This tripod, fitted under the firearm, could be moved with the weapon, and was very different from larger tripods of the period. The U.S. M1909 machine guns were made by Springfield Armory and by Colt's Manufacturing Company. Total production for the United States was 670.[1] This may seem small compared to the huge production runs of firearms later in the 20th century, but this was a significant number for the size of the contemporary US Army. The M1909's adoption coincided with the withdrawal of the .30-06 manually operated Gatling guns from the US Army's arsenals.

Service
France and Britain used the Hotchkiss M1909 through World War I and on into World War II. The Australian Light Horse, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the Camel Corp used the Hotchkiss in the Desert Campaign in Sinai and Palestine (191517).[2] US forces used the Benet-Mercie in the Pancho Villa Expedition in Mexico of 191617 and initially in France. Firing pins and extractors broke frequently on the American guns. United States troops called the M1909 the "daylight gun" because of the difficulty replacing broken parts at night, and the unfortunate jams created when the loading strips were accidentally inserted upside down in darkness.[1]

Users
Austria-Hungary Australia Belgium Brazil France Ireland New Zealand Republic of China Spain United Kingdom United States

Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun

Gallery

2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry gunners in Flanders, winter of 19141915

Old Glory postcard with U.S. soldiers firing an M1909 machine gun

Hotchkiss Mark I on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

References
[1] Bruce N. Canfield "The Daylight Gun": U.S. Model of 1909 Benet-Mercie Machine Gun" American Rifleman September 2010 pp.8487 [2] Ion Idress: The Desert Column, Angus & Robertson 1944, p. 225

External links
The Light Machine Gun (http://www.lightmachinegun.org.uk) Army.mil website with Benet-Mercie M1909 section (https://www.infantry.army.mil/museum/inside_tour/ photo_tour/12_case64.htm) Images (http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13959&pid=119247&st=0& #entry119247) Image 1 (http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/987/35194.jpg) Image 2 (http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/84/sb5002a.jpg)

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=547451511 Contributors: Albertodv, Aldis90, Chris the speller, Cla68, DocWatson42, Falcon8765, GraemeLeggett, GregorB, JustAnMD, Koblentz, L1A1 FAL, MFIreland, Magus732, MatthewVanitas, Nedrutland, Nemo5576, Nukes4Tots, Rcbutcher, Refisher, Rheo1905, RoslynSKP, Sietse Snel, Starkman69, Sturmvogel 66, Surv1v4l1st, Sus scrofa, TheWatcherREME, Thewellman, Trekphiler, Ve3, Wikimah, WotWeiller, 20 anonymous edits

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File:Hotchkiss M1922.PNG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Hotchkiss_M1922.PNG License: Public Domain Contributors: Guilmann File:Flag of France.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_France.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Anomie File:Flag of Austria-Hungary 1869-1918.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: vectorized by Sgt_bilko, change name by User:Actarux for use in same templates File:Flag of Australia.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Australia.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Anomie, Mifter File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Bean49, Cathy Richards, David Descamps, Dbenbenn, Denelson83, Evanc0912, Fry1989, Gabriel trzy, Howcome, IvanOS, Mimich, Ms2ger, Nightstallion, Oreo Priest, Ricordisamoa, Rocket000, Rodejong, SiBr4, Sir Iain, ThomasPusch, Warddr, Zscout370, 6 anonymous edits File:Flag of Brazil.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Brazil.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Anomie File:Flag of Ireland.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Ireland.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: User:SKopp File:Flag of New Zealand.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_New_Zealand.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Achim1999, Adabow, Adambro, Arria Belli, Avenue, Bawolff, Bjankuloski06en, ButterStick, Cycn, Denelson83, Donk, Duduziq, EugeneZelenko, Fred J, Fry1989, George Ho, Hugh Jass, Ibagli, Jusjih, Klemen Kocjancic, MAXXX-309, Mamndassan, Mattes, Nightstallion, O, Peeperman, Poromiami, Reisio, Rfc1394, Sarang, Shizhao, Tabasco, Transparent Blue, Vsk, Xufanc, Zscout370, 38 anonymous edits File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_the_Republic_of_China.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: 555, Abner1069, Bestalex, Bigmorr, Denelson83, Ed veg, Gzdavidwong, Herbythyme, Isletakee, Kakoui, Kallerna, Kibinsky, MAXXX-309, Mattes, Mizunoryu, Neq00, Nickpo, Nightstallion, Odder, Pymouss, R.O.C, Reisio, Reuvenk, Rkt2312, Rocket000, Runningfridgesrule, Samwingkit, Sasha Krotov, Shizhao, SiBr4, Tabasco, Theo10011, Vzb83, Wrightbus, ZooFari, Zscout370, 75 anonymous edits File:Flag of Spain.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Spain.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Anomie File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Anomie, Good Olfactory, Mifter File:Flag of the United States.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_the_United_States.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Anomie File:IndianArmyMGCrewFlanders1914-15.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:IndianArmyMGCrewFlanders1914-15.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Indian Army photograph. File:OldGloryPostCardwithM1909machinegun.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:OldGloryPostCardwithM1909machinegun.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Photo : Pictorial News Co. File:HotchkissPortableMarkI LMG.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:HotchkissPortableMarkI_LMG.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: Sturmvogel 66

License
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