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1909 Benet-Mercie Machine Rifle Video


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world war I nerd

This very informative video about the U.S. Army's very first "light machine rifle" came across my radar today. Thought some of this forum's members might find it of interest ...

 

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Well that WAS interesting. I don't recall hearing about these guns. It looks totally cool with all those doodads on it. But it also looks pretty fiddly.

 

Thanks for posting it.

 

Mikie

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riflegreen,

 

You are correct.. The Pancho Villa State Park and Visitor Center museum still has a Benet Mercie MG on exhibit and the US Army NCO museum at Fort Bliss, Texas also has one on exhibit with an original ammunition box as well.

 

The NCO museum obtained a BM from Ft Sill and we now have it in our Columbus, New Mexico exhibit and the 1st Armored Division and Ft Bliss museum also has a Benet Mercie on exhibit.

 

The US Army Sergeant's Major Academy students conduct a staff ride to Columbus, NM and they discuss the BM in detail.. During the raid by Villa and almost 400 Villistas, the first BM that went into action jammed after only a few rounds and the Soldiers could not clear the jam due to limited visibility. The BM was called by US troops as the "Daylight gun" due to the fact that the gun was fed by stripper clips and not belt fed and the clips were fed into the gun with the feed strip facing down so you can see with limited visibility this would be a challenge to properly feed the gun... The first BM gun was set up on the far Eastern edge of town outside the Hoover Hotel. After the gun jammed the troopers attempted to gain entry to the Hospital where there was lantern light but the Hospital stewards hearing the commotion outside barricaded themselves inside and would not let anyone in. (According to Lt. Lucas' testimony, this gun was later repaired and went back into action) The Soldiers assigned to the Machine gun troop had to go back and bring another BM forward. By this time during the attack the commander of the Machine gun troop Lt Lucas commander of the machine gun troop was able to get more of the troops men and machine guns from the guard tent and deploy them along the railroad tracks on the edge of town.

 

Initial reports by Hospital stewards who were sent back to Ft Bliss with the wounded after the raid were inaccurate claiming that none of the machine guns worked during the raid. This report led to congressional investigations and the investigation revealed that the men of Machine gun troop 13th Cavalry under the leadership of Lt Lucas deployed no less than 4 Benet Mercie machine guns which fired approximately 20,000 rounds at the attacking Villistas..

 

Pictured below is the BM on exhibit at the 1st Armored Division and Ft Bliss Museum

 

 

 

Leigh

post-5554-0-95796400-1567694498_thumb.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...
Salvage Sailor

Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié machine gun

 

It was adopted by the United States in 1909 as the "Benét–Mercié Machine Rifle, Caliber .30 U. S. Model of 1909" firing the .30-06 cartridge.

 

Photos from my Pineapple Army archive of the gun in use by the 1st Infantry Regiment at Schofield Barracks, T.H.

 

1st Infantry Regiment 1916 Benet Mercie Machine Rifle  001a.jpg

001.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié machine gun

It was adopted by the United States in 1909 as the "Benét–Mercié Machine Rifle, Caliber .30 U. S. Model of 1909" firing the .30-06 cartridge.

Photos from my Pineapple Army archive of the gun in use by the 1st Infantry Regiment at Schofield Barracks, T.H.

 

Loader and Ammunition clips in crate

1st Infantry Regiment 1916 Benet Mercie Machine Rifle  005.jpg

1st Infantry Regiment 1916 Benet Mercie Machine Rifle  003.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié machine gun

It was adopted by the United States in 1909 as the "Benét–Mercié Machine Rifle, Caliber .30 U. S. Model of 1909" firing the .30-06 cartridge.

Photos from my Pineapple Army archive of the gun in use by the 1st Infantry Regiment at Schofield Barracks, T.H.

 

Gunner and spotter

1st Infantry Regiment 1916 Benet Mercie Machine Rifle  004a.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié machine gun

It was adopted by the United States in 1909 as the "Benét–Mercié Machine Rifle, Caliber .30 U. S. Model of 1909" firing the .30-06 cartridge.

Photos from my Pineapple Army archive of the gun in use by the 1st Infantry Regiment at Schofield Barracks, T.H.

 

Gun Crew on the Range 1916

1st Infantry Regiment 1916 Benet Mercie Machine Rifle  006.jpg

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