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Weapons System

MG 08

Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons

The MG 08 (Maschinengewehr 08) was the standard heavy machine gun of the Imperial German Army in the First World War, adapted from Hiram Maxim's 1884 Maxim gun design and produced in several variants by Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken and the Spandau and Erfurt arsenals. Chambered mainly in 7.92x57mm Mauser, it fired at roughly 500 rounds per minute in its Schloss 08 lock and 600 in the later Schloss 16, and telescopic sights were widely fitted during the war to extend its use in long-range direct and indirect fire. It remained in German service into the Second World War, by which time it had been relegated largely to second-line fortress units, and variants stayed in use with Switzerland into the 1980s and China into the 1960s. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Classification
Caliber
7.92x57mm Mauser 1
Caliber
7x57mm Mauser 1
Service Status
Retired 2
Weapon Class
Heavy machine gun 3
Introduced Year
1908 2
Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category)
Machine Gun 3
FAQs

Where did the MG 08 machine gun come from?

Military Factory says: "The Maxim MG08 (or "Maschinengewehr 08") was a copy of the original machine gun as developed by Sir Hiram S. Maxim in 1884."
Connections

Operated By

Wehrmacht, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: MG 08

Used In

Second Sino-Japanese War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: MG 08
World War I, Wars
Source Wikipedia: MG 08
World War II, Wars
Source Wikipedia: MG 08
In the Other Atlases

Manufactured By

German Arms and Ammunition Factory

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikidata: MG 08
Hanyang Arsenal

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikidata: MG 08
Sources
1. Wikipedia: MG 08
  • service status
    Additional telescopic sights were also developed and used in large quantities during World War I to enable the MG 08 to be used in long-range direct fire and indirect fire support roles
  • Infobox: cartridge
    7.92×57mm Mauser, 7.65×53mm Mauser, 7×57mm Mauser
  • Lead section
    Designated after 1908, the year it was adopted by the Imperial German Army, the MG 08 was a development of the license-made MG 01, which was a slight development of the MG 99 The MG 08's rate of fire depends on the lock assembly used and averages 500 rounds per minute for the Schloss 08 and 600 rounds per minute for the Schloss 16.
  • Used In: Second Sino-Japanese War, Wikipedia article text
    Imported MG 08/15 machine guns also used during Second Sino-Japanese War.
  • Used In: World War II, Wikipedia article text
    The MG 08 also saw service during World War II in the infantry divisions of the German Army, although by the end of the war it had mostly been relegated to second-rate "fortress" units.
  • Operated By: Wehrmacht, Wikipedia article text
    The MG 08 also saw service during World War II in the infantry divisions of the German Army, although by the end of the war it had mostly been relegated to second-rate "fortress" units.
  • In Group: Heavy Machine Guns, Infobox: type
    Heavy machine gun
View the Source
2. Wikidata: MG 08
Wikidata Q573994, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
3. Wikipedia: MG 08
  • Introduction
    is a heavy machine gun (HMG)
  • Development and adoption
    went into production at Spandau in 1908.
View the Source
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