13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun
Encyclopedia
The 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun was a heavy machine gun
designed and manufactured by Hotchkiss et Cie
from the late 1920s until World War II
where it saw service with various nation's forces, including Japan where the gun was built under licence.
, that had proven extremely reliable during World War I
and was still in service. Hotchkiss also advertised the 13.2 mm machine gun as an infantry weapon, that could be fitted on conventional tripods and be used against light armour. French infantry commanders, that had expressed interest in acquiring light anti-aircraft guns, refused the 13.2 mm. They argued that those heavy bullets falling down could be dangerous to friendly troops, and went to larger calibres where self-destructing shells were available. But the 13.2 mm Hotchkiss saw extensive use as a naval gun, and was also chosen by the French cavalry for some of its armoured vehicles.
used a twin mounting on a tripod carriage, designated as mitrailleuse de 13,2 mm CA mle 1930, for close-range defence of its airfields and other strategic places.
Early in World War II, the French and Japanese navies were using twin and quadruple mountings on many of their warships. French warships that were refitted in the USA in 1943, such as battleship Richelieu
or destroyer Le Terrible
, had their 13.2 mm machine guns replaced by more efficient Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
s.
The Spanish Navy bought this MG in DEC 1935 and used it during the Civil War (mounted in several Republican Navy destroyers and cruisers)
The "Pirotecnia Militar" Army Ammo plant (Sevilla) produced its cartridges after 1939
, light tanks as well as the AMD Laffly 80 AMhttp://www.warwheels.net/images/Laffly80AMdatasheet.pdfarmoured car and on fortifications. The Japanese mounted license-produced version of the gun on a number of Type 92 Heavy Armoured Cars which had initially only been armed with only a pair of 6.5mm machine guns
.
-Kegresse
or Berliet
chassis, but none was mass-manufactured. The Free French used field-modified self-propelled mountings, with guns recovered from French ships, in North-East Africa in 1942.
Heavy machine gun
The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...
designed and manufactured by Hotchkiss et Cie
Hotchkiss et Cie
Société Anonyme des Anciens Etablissements Hotchkiss et Cie was a French arms and car company established by United States engineer Benjamin B. Hotchkiss, who was born in Watertown, Connecticut. He moved to France and set up a factory, first at Viviez near Rodez in 1867, then at Saint-Denis near...
from the late 1920s until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
where it saw service with various nation's forces, including Japan where the gun was built under licence.
Development
In the late 1920s, Hotchkiss proposed a range of anti-aircraft automatic weapons in the 13.2, 25 and 37 mm calibres. They were all based on the same type of gas-operated action than the 8 mm mle 1914 machine gunHotchkiss M1914 machine gun
The Mle 1914 Hotchkiss machine gun became the standard machine gun of the French Army during World War I. It was manufactured by the French arms company Hotchkiss et Cie, which had been established in the 1860s by American industrialist Benjamin B. Hotchkiss...
, that had proven extremely reliable during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and was still in service. Hotchkiss also advertised the 13.2 mm machine gun as an infantry weapon, that could be fitted on conventional tripods and be used against light armour. French infantry commanders, that had expressed interest in acquiring light anti-aircraft guns, refused the 13.2 mm. They argued that those heavy bullets falling down could be dangerous to friendly troops, and went to larger calibres where self-destructing shells were available. But the 13.2 mm Hotchkiss saw extensive use as a naval gun, and was also chosen by the French cavalry for some of its armoured vehicles.
As a ground-based anti-aircraft weapon
The French Air ForceFrench Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
used a twin mounting on a tripod carriage, designated as mitrailleuse de 13,2 mm CA mle 1930, for close-range defence of its airfields and other strategic places.
As a naval weapon
French battleship Richelieu (1939)
The Richelieu was a battleship of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She served during World War II, on the Vichy Regime side, notably fending off an Allied attempt on Dakar, and later with Allied forces in the Indian Ocean in 1944 and 1945...
or destroyer Le Terrible
French destroyer Le Terrible
The Terrible was a large destroyer of the French Navy in service during World War II.-History:Terrible was launched in 1933 and displaced 2,570 tonnes with 74,000 HP...
, had their 13.2 mm machine guns replaced by more efficient Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
s.
The Spanish Navy bought this MG in DEC 1935 and used it during the Civil War (mounted in several Republican Navy destroyers and cruisers)
The "Pirotecnia Militar" Army Ammo plant (Sevilla) produced its cartridges after 1939
As a ground weapon
The 13.2 mm Hotchkiss was used on the, Belgian T15 and French AMR 35AMR 35
The Automitrailleuse de Reconnaissance Renault Modèle 35 Type ZT was a French light tank developed during the Interbellum and used in the Second World War...
, light tanks as well as the AMD Laffly 80 AMhttp://www.warwheels.net/images/Laffly80AMdatasheet.pdfarmoured car and on fortifications. The Japanese mounted license-produced version of the gun on a number of Type 92 Heavy Armoured Cars which had initially only been armed with only a pair of 6.5mm machine guns
Type 96 Light Machine Gun
The was a light machine gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the interwar period and in World War II. - History and development :Combat experience in the Manchurian Incident of 1931 and subsequent actions in Manchuria and northern China reaffirmed the Japanese army of the utility of machine...
.
Self-propelled mountings
Several self-propelled anti-aircraft combinations were tested in the 1930s, with CitroënCitroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
-Kegresse
Kegresse
A Kégresse track is a kind of rubber Caterpillar track which uses a flexible belt rather than interlocking metal segments. It can be fitted to a conventional car or truck to turn it into a half-track, suitable for use over rough or soft ground...
or Berliet
Berliet
Berliet was a French manufacturer of automobiles, buses, trucks and other utility vehicles, based in Vénissieux, outside of Lyon, France.-Early history:...
chassis, but none was mass-manufactured. The Free French used field-modified self-propelled mountings, with guns recovered from French ships, in North-East Africa in 1942.
See also
- Anti-aircraft
- 25 mm Hotchkiss anti-aircraft gun25 mm Hotchkiss anti-aircraft gunThe Hotchkiss 25 mm anti-aircraft gun was an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the French firm of Hotchkiss. It served in World War II with French, Japanese and other nations' forces...
, a closely related weapon