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The Machine Gun Invented and first used in the late 19th century, the machine gun was probably the most important defensive infantry weapon of World War I. These formidable weapons helped revolutionize warfare, providing soldiers with heavy and sustained fire support which was able to cover relatively long distances.The 1914 machine gun, usually positioned on a flat tripod, would require a gun crew of four to six operators. In theory they could fire 400-600 small-caliber rounds per minute with rounds fed via a fabric belt or a metal strip. The reality, however, was that these early machine guns would rapidly overheat and become inoperative without the aid of cooling mechanisms; they were consequently fired in short rather than sustained bursts. By the war’s end these guns supposedly could fire 800-1200 rounds per minute.Enemy troops advancing across No Man’s Land, open ground, stood little chance of closing the gap between themselves and the defending machine guns without suffering enormous casualties. Machine guns, therefore, were vital; they forced attacking soldiers to seek cover, preventing them from advancing in the open. ................
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