Vickers .303 Water-Cooled Machine Gun

Vickers, 303in Mark 1 Water-Cooled Machine Gun. Introduced in 1912
(Photo shows MG in standard orientation with tripod legs.)

This, the standard water-cooled weapon, remained in service for Great Britain until 1968. It was the medium machine gun used by all British Commonwealth forces in the Korean War, although Australian forces occasionally used the US .30 A4.

Continuous automatic fire generated tremendous heat in the barrel and Maxim overcame this problem by encasing The barrel is encased in a water jacket, containing about 7.5 pints. Heat from continuous firing caused the water to boil, the steam indicating the gun's position. Attaching a tube from a vent in the jacket into a can of water condensed the steam and helped conceal the gun's position. The water-can also helped resupply the jacket, since there was an evaporation rate of about 1.5 pints per 1,000 rounds fired.

Operation Fully automatic, recoil operated, water-cooled
Caliber .303in
Ammunition Mk 8z ball; 174 gr bullet, 36.5 gr charge
Muzzle velocity 2400 fps
Capacity 250-round fabric belt, 22 lb. with box
Weight Unloaded, 40 lb.
Overall length 45.5 in
Rate of fire 450 rounds per minute
Effective range 2000m (2200 yds)

The Vickers machine-gun was an inprovement on the original Maxim. The main difference lies in the fact that the toggle locking action was inverted, but the weight was also considerably reduced by careful stress calculations and by the use of good grade steel and aluminium. The gun was adopted by the British Army in November 1912, and remained as the standard support-fire machine gun until the middle 1960s, when it was replaced by the L7A1 GPMG. In its time, the Vickers pattern went through twelve or more modifications, mostly minor, and was substantially the same gun after fifty years of service. It was heavy, fairly slow-firing, prone to a number of stoppages from the ammunition, but reliable in itself and well loved by all but the enemy. It worked in the most adverse conditions, and its water-cooled barrel ensured long life for the bore by helping to maintain low temperature. It was used in aircraft (for which it was air-cooled), in ships, in tanks, as a ground AA gun, on armoured trains, on armoured cars, and in a host of other roles.

Vickers

A Vickers gun crew lay down covering fire for 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment during the assault on Hill 317, the battle of Maryang San.
Vickers

Chipyong-ni, Korea, February 1951. A Vickers .303 machine-gun in action against the Chinese, manned by Sergeant Chaperlin, 3 RAR.

The two photos immediately above provided courtesy of the Australian War Memorial

The following photos are gratefully borrowed from PvC Web Page






The machine gunner fired from a sitting position, holding two wooden grips which were fixed at the rear of the gun. Between the grips was a thumb operated trigger with a safety catch. This catch had to be lifted up before the thumb piece could be pressed. The grips were hollow. One contained a brass oil bottle, the other an oil brush.
Vickers component parts

Vickers component parts

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About Vietnam Protesters

A SOLDIER DIED TODAY

He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, every one.

And tho' sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,
All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.

He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,
For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.
Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,
And the world won't note his passing, though a soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell their whole life stories, from the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land
A guy who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow who, in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?

A politician's stipend and the style in which he lives
Are sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives.
While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal and perhaps, a pension small.

It's so easy to forget them for it was so long ago,
That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we know
It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom that our Country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand,
Would you want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?
Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend
His home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?

He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say,

Our Country is in mourning, for

 A SOLDIER DIED TODAY

© 1987 A. Lawrence Vaincourt


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