×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Scale (2024) Special Forces

Maxim MG08/15 (Maschinengewehr 08/15)


Anti-Infantry, Belt-Fed Water-Cooled Light Machine Gun


Imperial Germany | 1915



"The Maxim MG08/15 was nothing more than a lightened form of the original MG08 field machine gun - sans several key components to improve battlefield portability."

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Maxim MG08/15 (Maschinengewehr 08/15). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
656 ft
199.9 m | 218.7 yds
Max.Eff.Range
450
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire
2,840 ft/sec
866 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity
Physical
The physical qualities of the Maxim MG08/15 (Maschinengewehr 08/15). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
1,445 mm
56.89 in
O/A Length
721 mm
28.39 in
Barrel Length
39.02 lb
17.70 kg
Weight
Short-Recoil; Belt-Fed; Water-Cooled; Full-Automatic-Fire-Only
Action
7.92x57mm Mauser
Caliber(s)
250-round fabric belt
Feed
Iron.
Sights
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Maxim MG08/15 (Maschinengewehr 08/15) Anti-Infantry, Belt-Fed Water-Cooled Light Machine Gun family line.
MG08/15 - Base Series Designation; revised stepped receiver; wooden shoulder stock; bipod assembly, water-cooling jacket.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/31/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Maxim MG08 was the standard machine gun for the German Empire when it entered World War 1 (1914-1918) in 1914. This belt-fed, water-cooled weapon system was the culmination of tests begun by the nation back in 1887. By 1895, the Maxim was being adopted in limited number by the German Army and the Navy followed the year after. Official service entry of this storied gun happened in 1901 - giving plenty of time for the weapon to see global circulation before The Great War years arrived.

However, as effective as the MG08 proved to be in-the-field, it was a cumbersome weapon particularly when mated to its "sledge" support mounting assembly - driving the weight of the gun close to 140lb with the water jacket and ammunition belt in place. This tactical inflexibility was not lost on German authorities who requested a lighter version of the same gun so engineers returned with such a weapon in which the sledge was removed altogether and, in its place, a bipod fitted. A pistol grip gave a more natural approach to the firing of the gun and a solid wooden shoulder stock added another area of support for the gunner. The receiver was also revised to have a "stepped-down" appearance at its aft-end. These changes drove the weight of the weapon down to a much handier 40lb - though it was far from a Light Machine Gun (LMG) form as we recognize such weapons today. Nevertheless, the weapon was now as portable as ever and ultimately adopted into service as the "MG08/15" during 1915.

Up to four personnel were trained as a complete gunnery crew in the proper function of a single MG08/15. Typically six guns were assigned to an infantry company and these guns positioned in such a way as to inflict maximum carnage at range with overlapping fields-of-fire. The water-cooling feature was retained for lack of anything better at the time so a steady water supply was required. Short bursts were the call of the day for accuracy at range left something to be desired of the new weapon. Within a short period, the MG08/15 permeated the battlefields of World War 1 and the weapon saw servince well into the war's final days of November 1918 - its reach was such that it became the most numerous of all the available German machine guns of the war, overtaking the original MG08 in number, and, in turn, the weapon was also responsible for more casualties on the battlefield than any other weapon fielded in the conflict.

About 130,000 examples of the MG08/15 were built during World War 1 by the arsenals of Spandau and Erfurt.

The MG08/18 was a late-war addition to the MG08 line which lost its water-cooling jacket and other weight-savings measures. Though tested in limited numbers, the end of the war signaled the end of the MG08/18 project.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Maxim MG08/15 (Maschinengewehr 08/15). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Spandau Gewhrfabrik / Erfurt - German Empire
National flag of the German Empire

[ German Empire (retired) ]
1 / 2
Image of the Maxim MG08/15 (Maschinengewehr 08/15)
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
2 / 2
Image of the Maxim MG08/15 (Maschinengewehr 08/15)
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Going Further...
The Maxim MG08/15 (Maschinengewehr 08/15) Anti-Infantry, Belt-Fed Water-Cooled Light Machine Gun appears in the following collections:
HOME
SMALL ARMS INDEX
SPECIAL FORCES
ARMS BY COUNTRY
ARMS MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE ARMS
ARMS BY CONFLICT
ARMS BY TYPE
ARMS BY DECADE
INTERWAR PERIOD ARMS
WWI SMALL ARMS
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)