Dec 6: Forgotten machine-guns I: Bergmann old model and new model MGs
Very early on in the procurement of machine guns, the German Army decided on the Maxim system and set out on the path to its introduction with the MG 99 and MG 01. As a result, an entire series of suppliers, who designed machine guns other than the Maxim system, were ignored. One of these was Theodor Bergmann, Abt. Waffenbau in Suhl (Thuringia), which was part of Bergmann Industriewerke G.m.b.H. of Gaggenau (Baden), Bergman had developed a self-loading pistol in 1894, but unlike the models by Loewe, the Borchardt C93, the Mauser C96 and the Mannlicher pistols, all of which appeared on the market almost simultaneously, it had little success in its original form. The Bergmann pistols had a straight blowback action, a stationary barrel, an exposed hammer and a side-mounted safety. Depending on the model, they fired ammunition with a calibre of 5 mm, 6.5 mm or 8 mm.
One of Bergmann’s designers, Louis Schmeisser, improved this early self-loading pistol and redesigned it several times. In 1897 he abandoned the straight blowback action and designed the weapon as a locked recoil-operated pistol. The barrel and bolt recoiled together, until the bolt unlocked by swivelling sideways. The pistol had a removable two-row box magazine located in front of the trigger guard and fired a cartridge with a calibre of 7.65 mm, designed by Bergmann specifically for it. A smaller and simple version of this pistol was the Bergmann Simplex, which was not manufactured in Germany, instead being produced at the Anciens Etablissements Pieper (trademark Bayard) in Liège in Belgium. It was also known as the Bergmann-Bayard. Bergmann and his designer Louis Schmeisser thus had experience in the development of self-loading weapons.
By 1907 Louis Schmeisser had moved to the Dreyse-Werken in Sömmerda, which after its takeover by Rheinmetall operated as the Rheinische Metallwaaren- und Maschinenfabrik (Rheinmetall), Abt. Sömmerda, as chief designer. It is rather confusing that, at about the same time, Hugo Schmeisser, the son of Louis Schmeisser, joined Bergmann as a weapons designer. Precisely when, why and against what background this “family business” took place, is impossible to determine today. In any event Louis and Hugo Schmeisser continued their activities as designers with Bergmann and Dreyse independently of one another, and both designers designed machine guns for their respective companies which were used during the First World War.
Between 1900 and 1907, Louis Schmeisser developed a series of liquid-cooled machine guns for Bergmann mounted on tripods, with which Bergmann took part in international trials—in each case unsuccessfully, the Maxim models having just begun their triumphal march among the procurement authorities of the various armies. In 1910 Bergmann presented a model which adopted several design features of the Maxim machine gun: the ammunition feed used fabric belts, from which the cartridges were extracted and fed into the chamber after the preceding shot. However, the cartridge feed was so designed that a metallic-link ammunition belt could also be used. The Bergmann Model 1910 machine gun was a closed-bolt weapon, whose basic design probably came from Louis Schmeisser and whose development was completed by Hugo Schmeisser. The bolt was locked by a cam which moved vertically. This model was also not a commercial success, with only China purchasing a small number of these machine guns. The Bergmann Model 1910 had a firing rate of 480 to 600 rounds per minute, clearly higher than that of the early Maxim guns. Externally, the gun differed little from the other machine guns of its time: it was liquid-cooled, fired by means of spade grips, had an adjustable folding pillar-type rear sight and was mounted on a tripod. Bergmann even made it possible to mount the machine gun on the MG 08 sledge, and he offered it to the Prussian War Ministry—again unsuccessfully—as the Bergmann Model 1915 machine gun.
Calls by the German armed forces for a light machine gun were becoming ever louder, however, as a weapon of this kind was needed on the one hand for use in aircraft and airships, and on the other for more mobile and versatile use by the infantry. Based on his Models 1910 and 1915, Bergmann designed a light machine gun: instead of spade grips the new Bergmann machine gun had a short buttstock, it was fired using a pistol grip under the weapon, and the cooling jacket was replaced by a slotted jacket of significantly smaller diameter, which while intended to prevent the gunner from accidentally grasping the hot barrel no longer served any cooling purpose. The Bergmann machine gun was supposed to be used as a light machine gun, which meant for the firing of short, rapid bursts.
MG 15 Light Machine Gun (Bergmann a. A./n. A.)
Manufacturer: Theodor Bergmann GmbH, Abt. Waffenbau, Suhl
Operating principle: Bergmann a. A. recoil-loader with open bolt, Bergmann n. A. recoil-loader with closed bolt
Calibre: 8 mm x 57 IS
Rate of fire: 600 rounds per minute
Ammunition feed: fabric belt with 250 rounds, as on the MG 08
Overall length: 1,120 mm
Barrel length: 726 mm, right hand twist with 4 grooves
Weight: 12.9 kg
Sight: 400 meters
Production: approximately 5,000 examples
The infantry as a rule valued the Bergmann machine gun very highly—where it was available—on account of its lightness and robustness. Clearly lighter than the MG 08/15, it was also about 27 centimetres shorter and thus easier and more versatile to use: “Because of its light weight, the unlimbered l.M.G. 15 is superior in mobility to the M.G. 08.”
In the following description of the major disadvantages from the War Ministry’s point of view, the lack of understanding about the changes regarding modes of fire and the use of light machine guns is apparent on the part of the authors of the manual from the General War Department: “The l.M.G. 15 is not equal to the M.G. 08 in firepower. Its maximum duration of fire is 300 shots in continuous fire mode. As well, the weapon becomes so hot that the internal parts suffer. The barrel begins to glow after 500 shots. If the combat situation allows, every gun should schedule a lengthy firing pause to cool the barrel after 200 shots.” In fact, light machine guns were no longer used against enemy infantry showing itself as an area target in the “traditional” firing modes “full automatic” and “continuous fire”, but instead in short, quick bursts against enemy riflemen who were only visible briefly as they ran. The versatile Bergmann machine gun was very well suited to this role, however.
The war ministry had recognized this in principle, however it classified it a disadvantage: “With regard to this [to the rapid heating of the barrel, the author] it is appropriate for a section’s machine guns to fire in turn. The light machine gun is only suitable for short firefights at the shortest ranges. Firing range is the same as that of the M.G. 08, however the weapon only has sights for 400 meters.” Before the war, both infantry and machine gun fire had been practiced to 800 meters. It was a requirement from which the authors of the manual obviously had a hard time distancing themselves. Then during the war, especially in trench warfare, it had turned out that the main combat ranges would reach at most to 200 or 300 meters. For long-range firefights there was still the MG 08 with sledge mount as a stable firing platform and the optical sight for better target acquisition. For the tasks of a light machine gun in close combat, the Bergmann was actually much better suited than the MG 08 or MG 08/15. The authors of the manual did, however, capture well the conceptual formulation for a firefight at short range: “The l.M.G. 15s are intended mainly for the attack. They are to be used in the most forward position:
- a) to repulse the enemy attack with powerful, well-aimed and, to the extent possible, flanking fire,
- b) during our own attack, to follow immediately behind the assault battalions, support our attack, and in the event of an enemy counterattack provide initial supporting fire.
With respect to a), the use of machine guns by sections is useful here, in order to prevent a complete loss of fire.
If is therefore necessary to deploy the three sections so that they can provide mutually supporting fire, as a single section still cannot absolutely guarantee uninterrupted continuous fire. At seriously-threatened positions it is advisable to combine several sections for the same purpose.”
The war ministry then acknowledged another advantage of the Bergmann machine gun: “The l.M.G. 15s are also capable of laying down fire which is almost identical to rifle fire by the infantry, thus avoiding revealing themselves as machine guns prematurely.” The main mode of fire for the Bergmann machine gun would be short, quick, aimed bursts, whereby the operational concept for light machine guns was born; logically, this also later applied to the liquid-cooled MG 08/15.
As of July 25, 1916, the Bergmann machine gun was used to equip the new Machine Gun Sections No. 1 to 111 then being formed, as insufficient MG 08/15s were available. The weapon was thus used both on the Western and Eastern Fronts, which naturally had a negative impact on repair work and the delivery of spare parts. The War Ministry was very reserved toward the Bergmann and Dreyse machine guns, especially from the aspects of logistics and production technology. As it had just succeeded in organizing the collaborative and efficient mass production of Maxim machine guns, it did not want to threaten this success with a growing diversity of machine gun types. The Bavarian War Ministry made this clear in June 1916: “The Royal Prussian War Ministry has advised: it is not intended that light M.G. 15s which become unusable at the front should continuously be replaced with usable M.G. 15s. Which weapon will be provided as replacements is still not yet certain. Little by little, the light M.G. 15 will disappear again from the front. An attempt is being made to take this into consideration during training of replacements.”
On June 4, 1917 the War Ministry ordered that the Bergmann machine guns should ideally be employed cohesively in one theatre of war. The l.M.G. 15 would be used only in Bereich Oberost by the Heeresfronten (Army Fronts) Archduke Joseph and Scholtz, while the Dreyse machine guns delivered as of summer 1917 should only be used by Army Group Mackensen in Romania. After the fighting in Romania ceased, the Dreyse machine guns were probably passed on to the German troops of the Asian Corps in Palestine. Concerning the Bergmann machine gun, in August 1917 the War Ministry declared: “The l.M.G. 15 is only being procured in relatively small numbers to make good the existing shortfall of M.G. 08s and 08/15s. Consequently they will only be used at one place in the front. A general introduction order has not been issued. The MG Training Course in Döberitz to immediately send 5 examples of the manual and the equipment directive to each machine gun section of infantry companies with three or six l.M.G. 15 n./A..”
At the beginning of 1917 the Theodor Bergmann GmbH once again reworked its light MG 15 slightly to make it somewhat more similar in appearance and handling to the MG 08/15s being delivered to the units: instead of the bipod being attached behind the muzzle, it was now attached directly in front of the receiver on a bayonet clip, and it also used the same bipod as the light MG 08/15. A carrying handle was mounted on the barrel sleeve to make the already light machine gun even easier to carry during quick changes of position. A rail was installed on the right side below the feed mechanism so that Patronenkästen 16 (so-called belt drums) and other cartridge boxes could be affixed there.
The Bergmann a.A. (alter Art, literally “old type”) still had an open bolt, designed so that after the first shot was fired, the breech moved forward, loaded a cartridge into the chamber and ignited it there. On the Bergmann n.A. (neuer Art, literally “new type”) this was changed to a closed bolt, in which the breech was locked when the shot was fired and was not unlocked until the recoil and then moved back to load a new cartridge into the chamber and cock the firing pin. On open bolt systems, the bolt is in motion at the moment the shot is fired and on its way forward. Thus vibrations can be transmitted, negatively affecting the weapon’s accuracy at the moment the shot is fired. As a closed bolt system is fundamentally more secure and accurate, this redesign definitely represented an improvement. One problematic aspect of this redesign, however, was that the breech and other important parts of the Bergmann MG n.A. did not fit in the MG a.A. Thus the spare parts situation was further complicated, as units now had to precisely specify whether the requested parts were supposed to fit the Bergmann a.A. or n.A.
The Bergmann machine gun was available as a light machine gun before the 08/15, and could therefore have helped the infantry in many emergency situations and it must—at least in the Bergman n.A. version—be seen as superior to the 08/15. Probably for reasons relating to production the War Ministry refused to have larger quantities of this machine gun built. It is estimated that about 5,000 Bergmann machine guns of both versions were built during the war.