In Their Words

Maxim Light Machine Gun

The German MG08/15 was the light version of the standard MG08 Maxim heavy machine gun. Following their encounters with accurate and durable British Lewis light machine guns, the German infantry complained that they had no light machine gun of their own. While the MG08 was extremely accurate and reliable, it was difficult to move around and almost impossible to advance with during an infantry assault. In 1915, the German army set up a commission to design a new light machine gun. To save time, it was decided to lighten the standard MG08 design in order to make it more portable. This was accomplished by removing the heavy “sled mount” from the gun as well as decreasing the size of the water cooling jacket. A stock and grip were added, as well as a bipod for stationary firing. A new “drum” magazine was created that attached to the weapon’s receiver. This held a 100 round ammunition belt and allowed for increased portability. The weapon’s steel receiver was also reduced in thickness to save weight.

The MG08/15 first went into production in the spring of 1916 and began to be issued to the troops in small numbers soon after. It was first used in combat during the battle of the Somme in June 1916, and proved far more light and mobile than the standard MG08. By early 1917, the light MG08/15 was replacing MG08s in most front-line trenches, with the latter being used in second line trenches to provide heavy long-range sustained fire.

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