The German MG 08/15 of World War I,During World War I one terrible deficiency of the German Army was

The German MG 08/15 of World War I,During World War I one terrible deficiency of the German Army was that it lacked a good light machine gun.  The Germans developed a few models that were issued to special units, and purchased some foreign imports, but they never quite utilized light machine guns to the extent that the British, French, and Americans did.To make up for this deficiency, a team of designers under the direction of Col. Friedrich von Merkatz assembled in 1915 to create a version of the Maxim Gun (the German copy being called the MG 08) that was lighter and more portable.  Called the MG 08/15, they created a Maxim variant that at 40 lbs, was 110 lbs lighter than the standard Maxin Gun setup.  To achieve this loss of weight, the designers removed the upper rear and lower forward areas of the receiver, areas which on the original maxim were just empty space.  More importantly the designers chose to used a lightweight bipod or tripod rather than the large and bulky sled mount common with the Maxim.  To make it wield more like a single person operated light machine gun, the designers also added a wooden buttstock and pistol grip.  Ammunition feeding was accomplished using 100 round belts held within a large container.  They were chambered for the standard infantry cartridge, the 8x57 Mauser.Theoretically the MG 08/15 could be transported and operated by a single infantryman.  In reality the weapon was still heavy, bulky, and demanding.  Perhaps the most demanding aspect of the MG 08/15 was its water cooling system, which utilized a gallon of water to cool the barrel and prevent overheating.  Most light machine guns of the Allies were air cooled, thus making them much lighter and more portable.  While the MG 08/15 was better than nothing, as a light machine gun it was still sub-par in practicality and numbers compared to Allied light machine guns such as the Lewis gun, Hotchkiss, Chauchat, and Browning Automatic Rifle.Despite its drawbacks, the MG 08/15 became the most commonly employed machine gun in the German Army.  Typically they were allocated at six guns per company, 72 guns per regiment.  Altogether around 130,000 were produced, with most being manufactured by the Spandau and Erfurt arsenals. -- source link
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