Page:Machine-gun tactics (IA machineguntactic00appl).pdf/269

 The personnel of the battery consists of 1 captain (or lieutenant), 1 W.O., 1 bugler.

Each gun has 1 commander (sergeant or corporal), 1 firer, 1 loader, 3 ammunition carriers.

—Tactically, the guns are used primarily for defence, and reserve their fire for short ranges up to 600 or 800 metres. On the defensive line of the Third Army after the battle of Mukden many machine-gun emplacements were noted. These consisted mainly of blinded casemates, 8 ft. wide, 10 ft. deep, and 3 ft. 6 in. high, and from 18 to 24 in. of overhead cover. Importance is attached to concealing the guns, and it was claimed that none had been knocked out by Russian artillery. In the cavalry brigades the machine guns were organised into sections of 2 guns under an officer, so that sections could be detached with squadrons.

In the First Cavalry Brigade, General Akiyama, 4,000 rounds per gun per day was the greatest rate of fire attained. Machine guns were popular in the Japanese army, and were highly spoken of by the officers.[A]

Cavalry.—Each cavalry brigade has an 8-gun battery, which is divided into half batteries of 4 guns each. The personnel of the battery consists of 1 captain, 2 subalterns, 1 W.O. (sergeant-major), 2 N.C.O.'s, 2 trumpeters. The gun detachments are the same as for