A Madsen after WW1, unrelated to this discussion but a good image - not sure about the user's nationality: http://forum.ioh.pl/graficzki/madsen_m-14_lub_m-22.jpg
Hello Ironsides, I am by now way an expert but the file name includes m22 which might indicate a later model such as the m22 used by the Norvegian army and captured in numbers by the Germans.
Wikipedia relates the m22 to Norway and this http://www.vftt.co.uk/vfttpdf/vftt31.pdf does as well.
Now how to decide whether this is a m22 I cannot tell. Pity so little of the uniform is seen in the image.
Some more Madsen images:
This one has a useful scale ruler: http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/2008040716280.aspx
These you will already know: http://madsenlmg.enigmamachine.co.uk/page3.html http://madsenlmg.enigmamachine.co.uk/page4.html http://madsenlmg.enigmamachine.co.uk/madsenlinks.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Danish_soldiers_on_9_April_1940.jpg http://www.chakoten.dk/cgi-bin/fm.cgi?n=979
New to me - images from Brazil, Estonia, China, Mexico, and then some: http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?173498-The-Madsen-machine-gun-not-quite-dead-yet http://www.mosinnagant.net/global%20mosin%20nagants/TheUseOfTheMosinNagantInEstonia.asp http://wargamesfactory.lefora.com/2010/10/23/1920s-chinese-warlord-troops/ http://web.archive.org/web/20050330000055/mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/20th_century_warfare/id31.htm http://www.ima-usa.com/madsen-display-light-machine-gun-german-8mm.html http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=129151&p=1146370
The french Army used the Madsen light machine Gun: -before 1914: the Madsen was extensively tested. -in 1915: the Madsen was ordered and used by infantry and also on aircraft. -in january 1918: 381 Madsen were still in active service in french Army. -after 1920: some three hundred new Madsen were bought and used in "Légion Etrangère" and "Infanterie Coloniale" in four "Régiments".The Madsen was used with great success in active operations in Morocco, Syria and Lebanon.The reports of the "chefs de bataillon" and "colonels" of these regiments were "good" for the use of Madsen light machine guns. Yours sincerely, Guy François.
Guy - that is most interesting. I know that the Belgians carried out trials with the Madsen with a view to equipping the Carabiniers Cyclistes but didn't adopt it. I have never found any reference to France using the Madsen.
Our long discussions about the gun established that Germany secured Madsens direct from Denmark and captured some on the Eastern Front. Where did you get your info about French use?
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I have many papers from a former french "Chef de Bataillon" of "Infanterie Coloniale" who experimented the Madsen after the first world war during combat with his "bataillon" in Morocco in 1920 years.He kept a copy of all his reports and had Madsen Hand-Books, drawings and copies of reports of the french use during the first world War. Yours sincerely, Guy François.
Hi came across some pictures of the troops that ALVF mentions on the internet unfortunatly I promtly mislaid the link and have been looking for it ever since... I think it was a french WW1 forum, the french use during WW1 is new to me though and I would be interested to know which Units used the gun.. ALVF Thanks for that very interesting info...
Ironsides, was it this one? http://pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net/pages1418/forum-pages-histoire/mitraillette-18-sujet_7208_1.htm It says "en 1923,lors de l'expérimentation à plusieurs centaines d'exemplaires du fusil-mitrailleur Madsen dans l'armée française,une instruction officielle indique que cette arme est baptisée "fusil-mitrailleur" à titre provisoire mais qu'en cas d'adoption, elle serait appelée "mitrailleuse portative".
This one http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=66044 says: "In 1922, 500 FM Madsen were tested."
I must admit that I thought the French didn't trial the Madsen until after the War. Maybe Guy could give us some more details.
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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
Read the Madsen document to see that the Rexer was a British design that was supplied to the Danish army (and others) before the Rexer company was formed. Chambers' Journal of 27May 1905 reports this and notes that good reports had been received from the Danes which boded well for the ongoing trials in the British army. Typical of the Brits inability to match business acumen with technological expertise, a company formation was initiated without securing patents and manufacturing licenses - hence the international legal wrangles and its subsequent failure. Good fortune to all.
It is really cool and makes you satisfied to read new stuff. I would have not known about all of these if I was not stumble into this page. The exchange of information and knowledge was awesome.