Montigny mitrailleuse
Encyclopedia
The Montigny mitrailleuse was an early type of crank-operated machine-gun developed by the Belgian gun works of Joseph Montigny
between 1859 and 1870. It was an improved version of the "Mitrailleuse
", (Grapeshot
shooter) invented by Belgian Captain Fafschamps in 1851 which was a fixed 50-barrelled volley gun
.
The Montigny mitrailleuse was designed to defend narrow defensive positions such as the moats of fortresses. The Belgian army initially purchased Fafschamps volley gun
s. Only later did they acquire Montigny mitrailleuses.
Joseph Montigny also promoted and sold the weapon for offensive field use by placing the weapon on an artillery carriage.
The weapon consisted of 37 barrels of 11 mm inside a cylindrical protective casing. Loading was performed with a loading plate containing 37 cartridges. It was inserted against the breech in one stroke and locked in with a hinged loading lever attached to the rear of the gun. The ammunition had a brass head and thin rolled brass foil body and was fired by needle pins. With the rotation of a crank, all shots were fired simultaneously, although later improvements used a cam
which permitted the progressive firing of the 37 shots. Around 150–250 shots per minute could be fired depending on the skills of the operators. The whole weapon was very heavy, weighing 2000 pounds (907.2 kg).
The Montigny Mitrailleuse was built in numbers and used mostly to defend Belgian forts and other defensive positions.
Napoleon III showed personal interest in the mitrailleuse. Montigny had approached the French army for the purpose of a sale. Experiments to evaluate the weapon began in 1863 in a French facility near Paris but the decision was made to build a similar weapon by sole French means. Manufacture began at Meudon
in 1866 under the direction of Verchères de Reffye. Hence the weapon is usually known as the "Reffye mitrailleuse
". Altogether 215 mitrailleuses were manufactured for the French Army
before the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. They were of the 13mm, 25-barrels type, and used elongated shotgun shell style cartridges instead of foil cartridges as in the Montigny mitrailleuse. The weapon, which was on an artillery carriage, was deployed in six gun batteries and manned by artillery personnel. Most of the time, they were used quite ineffectively to engage distant targets. When the weapon was engaged at the Battle of Gravelotte
in 1871, in an infantry support role and at shorter distances, it produced devastating effects.
Joseph Montigny
Joseph Montigny was a Belgian gunsmith, from Fontaine l'Evèque near Brussels, and the developer of the Montigny mitrailleuse, an early European machine gun, in 1863. The design was based on the early 1850s prototype of a volley gun by the Belgian officer Fafschamps...
between 1859 and 1870. It was an improved version of the "Mitrailleuse
Mitrailleuse
Mitrailleuse is the French word used to describe all rapid-firing weapons of rifle caliber. Therefore the word mitrailleuse, when used in the French language, applies to all machine guns including modern full automatic weapons. However in the English language the word mitrailleuse applies to...
", (Grapeshot
Grapeshot
In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of shot that is not a one solid element, but a mass of small metal balls or slugs packed tightly into a canvas bag. It was used both in land and naval warfare. When assembled, the balls resembled a cluster of grapes, hence the name...
shooter) invented by Belgian Captain Fafschamps in 1851 which was a fixed 50-barrelled volley gun
Volley gun
A volley gun is a gun with several barrels for firing a number of shots, either simultaneously or in sequence. They differ from modern machine guns in that they lack automatic loading and automatic fire and are limited by the number of barrels bundled together.In practice the large ones were not...
.
The Montigny mitrailleuse was designed to defend narrow defensive positions such as the moats of fortresses. The Belgian army initially purchased Fafschamps volley gun
Toussaint-Henry-Joseph Fafchamps
Toussaint-Henry-Joseph Fafchamps, sometimes spelled Fafschamps, was a Belgian Army Captain. In 1851, with the Belgian gunsmith Joseph Montigny and the Fusnot company, he developed what is sometimes considered the first machine gun in history, 10 years before the advent of the Gatling...
s. Only later did they acquire Montigny mitrailleuses.
Joseph Montigny also promoted and sold the weapon for offensive field use by placing the weapon on an artillery carriage.
Specifications
Cam
A cam is a rotating or sliding piece in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear motion or vice-versa. It is often a part of a rotating wheel or shaft that strikes a lever at one or more points on its circular path...
which permitted the progressive firing of the 37 shots. Around 150–250 shots per minute could be fired depending on the skills of the operators. The whole weapon was very heavy, weighing 2000 pounds (907.2 kg).
The Montigny Mitrailleuse was built in numbers and used mostly to defend Belgian forts and other defensive positions.
Development of the Reffye mitrailleuse
Meudon
Meudon is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Geography:...
in 1866 under the direction of Verchères de Reffye. Hence the weapon is usually known as the "Reffye mitrailleuse
Mitrailleuse
Mitrailleuse is the French word used to describe all rapid-firing weapons of rifle caliber. Therefore the word mitrailleuse, when used in the French language, applies to all machine guns including modern full automatic weapons. However in the English language the word mitrailleuse applies to...
". Altogether 215 mitrailleuses were manufactured for the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
before the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. They were of the 13mm, 25-barrels type, and used elongated shotgun shell style cartridges instead of foil cartridges as in the Montigny mitrailleuse. The weapon, which was on an artillery carriage, was deployed in six gun batteries and manned by artillery personnel. Most of the time, they were used quite ineffectively to engage distant targets. When the weapon was engaged at the Battle of Gravelotte
Battle of Gravelotte
The Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
in 1871, in an infantry support role and at shorter distances, it produced devastating effects.