By 1940, the Hotchkiss machine gun remained in the French army. Despite the fact that it bore the designation Мle1914 / 25, the "Hotchkiss" itself remained unchanged. In 1925, only a new tripod lightweight machine was adopted to him, allowing for circular shelling. The 8-mm Lebel cartridges, which were poorly suited for automatic weapons, were retained, a power system that did not show high reliability when using a flexible metal tape or a rigid tape (cassette) subject to deformation. A metal shoulder rest could also be mounted on a machine gun, as well as a Krauss optical sight. The large dimensions of the "Hotchkiss" heavy machine gun did not bother the army, since the French were preparing to conduct positional defense and "methodical" offensives.
For automatic weapons, cartridges with a reduced charge of gunpowder and bullets D (weight 12, 53 g), heavy N (lead core, weight 12, 9 g), armor-piercing (steel core), incendiary P, tracer T.
The infantry battalion of the French army had a platoon of a machine-gun and mortar company, which was armed with 4 machine guns Мle1914 / 25 "Hotchkiss". As of 1940, each infantry regiment had 48 easel and 112 light machine guns for 3 thousand people, which was a good indicator of saturation for that time.
In addition to the French army, "Hotchkiss" machine guns were in service in the Polish army under the designation Wz.1914, in the version chambered for the Mauser 7, 92 mm - Wz.1925, mainly used on armored vehicles and tanks. With a heavy barrel "Hotchkiss" had a rate of fire of 380-400 rounds per minute. The machine gun was powered by a belt with a capacity of 252 rounds. Spain also had Hotchkiss Mle1914.
Trophy easel "Hotchkiss" were limitedly used by the Wehrmacht under the designation MG.257 (f). There are references to the use of MG.257 (f) in the battles near Leningrad.
At the end of World War II, the Hotchkiss heavy machine gun did not return to service in the French army, but it continued to be used in the former colonies of France.
Light machine gun М1922 / 26 "Hotchkiss"
Hotchkiss developed the system for commercial purposes. It was launched on the market in 1922. In the "Hotchkiss" light machine gun, the automatics familiar to the company were used based on the removal of powder gas and locking with a swinging lever (wedge). The machine gun system worked quite smoothly, but the large length of the locking unit can be attributed to disadvantages. The gas chamber was equipped with a screw-down regulator, with the help of which its volume was changed. The barrel and receiver were threaded. A reciprocating combat spring was placed in the butt channel. The shot was fired from the rear sear. USM allowed only continuous fire. The fuse box on the right had two positions: the "fire" state corresponded to the forward position ("A"), the "fuse" - the rear ("S"). When the safety catch was set to the "S" position, the trigger was blocked. The mechanical retarder of the rate of fire of the original design was mounted in the trigger box. The mechanism included a gear mechanism, a drum with a lever, a balancer and a retarder lever. The deceleration was determined by the selection of the balancer and gears.
Modifications of this machine gun differed in the power supply system, which could be carried out from: a box-shaped sector magazine mounted on top, a rigid "Hotchkiss" tape traditionally fed from the side, or a flexible metal tape with rigid links of three rounds, developed for the Mle1914 machine gun. The last version of the modification could be equipped with a heavy barrel for firing in long bursts. This machine gun could be mounted on a tripod machine, but it would be wrong to classify it as a "single" one.
The feed of the tape on the right was carried out using a lever-type feeder, which was driven by a shutter. Frequent delays due to sticking during filing were due to the uncertainty of the position of the cartridge during ramming. Food from the store turned out to be more reliable. Reflection of the spent cartridge case was carried out downward.
A sector sight was used. Marking included: on the right side of the receiver - the inscription "HOTCHKISS 1922 (1924 or 1926) Brevete", on top of the box - the serial number.
The French army used the Hotchkiss light machine guns to a very limited extent. Separate deliveries to other countries allowed the company to continue production until the 39th year. So, the М1922 model in calibers 6, 5 - 8 mm was supplied to Greece, Norway, Yugoslavia, South Africa, Czechoslovakia. This model was powered by a box magazine with a capacity of 20-30 rounds or a rigid metal tape with a volume of 15-30 rounds. 7, 92-mm modification was supplied to Czechoslovakia (batch of 1000 pieces) and Yugoslavia. This machine gun had a significant impact on the Czech ZB-26. The 7-mm modification of the M1925 chambered for the Mauser was delivered to Spain, probably from the same batch delivered to Brazil and the Dominican Republic. "Hotchkiss" M1926, powered by a tape with a capacity of 25 rounds, was supplied to other countries, including Greece, where about 5 thousand hand-held "Hotchkiss" were delivered.
Diagram of the device of the machine gun "Hotchkiss" M1923 powered from a rigid belt
Diagram of the device machine gun Мle1914 "Hotchkiss"
Little is known about the combat use of the Hotchkiss light machine gun during World War II. Unless they were in service with the Vichy French troops in Africa and the British troops, a small batch purchased in 22-23 for testing (modification of the.303 caliber).
The procedure for unloading a magazine-fed machine gun. Disconnect the magazine, take the bolt handle back, inspect the chamber. Release the bolt handle, press the trigger.
The procedure for unloading a belt-fed machine gun. Pull the receiver cover latch back, open the cover forward and upward. Pull out the cartridge strip to the right. Pull the loading handle back and inspect the chamber. Releasing the loading handle, pull the trigger.
The order of incomplete disassembly of the machine gun "Hotchkiss" M1926:
1. Unload the machine gun.
2. In the case of a ribbon supply - open the cover, remove the receiver.
3. Remove the butt plate pin, pull back the butt plate and remove it.
4. Remove the movable system from the receiver, remove the connecting rod.
5. Push out the shackle axle and separate the bolt, as well as the bolt carrier and shackle.
6. Separate the drummer.
7. Pulling the fore-end back and down to remove it.
8. Pulling the loading handle back and pushing it to the right to remove it.
9. Unscrew the regulator from the front connection of the gas chamber.
10. Remove the bipod.
11. Remove the trigger box. Why turn down the lever of the box pin, remove it to the left. Take the box down.
When assembling, the steps were carried out in the reverse order.
Technical characteristics of the machine gun "Hotchkiss" М1926:
Cartridge - various calibers;
Weight of 6.5 mm modification - 9.52 kg (without cartridges);
Weight of the 8-mm modification - 12.0 kg (without cartridges);
The full length of the weapon is 1215 mm;
Barrel length - 577 mm;
Rifling - 4 right-handed;
Bullet muzzle velocity - 700 m / s (when using 8x50, 5R cartridge);
Sighting range - 2000 m;
Effective firing range - 800 m;
Power system - rigid cassette (tape) with a capacity of 15, 20, 25 rounds;
Belt weight - 0.75 kg (for 15 cartridges);
Rate of fire - 450-500 rounds per minute;
Combat rate of fire - 150 rounds per minute;
Machine weight - 10, 0 kg.
Large-caliber machine gun "Hotchkiss" model 1930
The French were among the first to develop large-caliber machine guns, but the 11-mm machine gun Мle1917 "Ballun" ("Hotchkiss") was not very successful, and the requirements for this type of weapon changed very quickly. By the end of the 1920s, the Hotchkiss firm, based on the Hotchkiss M1922 light machine gun, developed a 13, 2-mm machine gun. Elements of easel Mle1914 were used in the design. This machine gun is also known under the designation Ml930 CA (Contre avions - anti-aircraft). This machine gun was not the only contender, for example, the Puto plant offered a 20-millimeter twenty-barreled cannon for the same purposes at the same time.
Diagram of the device of the M1930SA "Hotchkiss" large-caliber machine gun: at the top - with a belt feed; below - with store food
The automatic machine gun had a gas engine. There was a special gas regulator to change the volume of the gas chamber. The barrel and receiver were connected by means of a thread, equipped with a radiator with transverse ribs, and a conical flame arrester could be installed. A wedge was used to lock the barrel bore, which is connected by a hinged earring to the bolt carrier. The shot was carried out from the rear sear, which held the bolt carrier by the combat platoon. The sear was the front part of the swinging trigger, assembled in the butt pad. The head of the release lever protruded between the control handles. The loading handle was located on the right. The spent cartridge case was removed from the chamber with a bolt ejector, and removal from the weapon - with a lever reflector in the receiver. The armor-piercing bullet (weight 52 g) used in the machine gun penetrated 30-mm steel armor at a distance of 200 meters, the armor-piercing tracer bullet (weight 49.7 g) was mainly used for anti-aircraft fire.
German soldiers at a stationary post, equipped with a captured Mle1914 "Hotchkiss" (MG.257 (f)) heavy machine gun and a Renault FT tank, 1943
Food was carried out in two ways: from a rigid clip (tape) inserted on the right with a capacity of 15 rounds or from a box magazine with a capacity of 30 rounds and inserted from above. The mass of the tape with 15 cartridges was about 2 kilograms. To supply a rigid tape on the left, a lever mechanism located in the hinged cover of the receiver served. The mechanism was driven by a moving shutter. In the magazine-fed version of the machine gun, a different receiver was used. There was a special stop, which, when the ammunition was used up, kept the bolt carrier in the rear position. After installing a new loaded store, the stop automatically released the bolt carrier. The sector sight had a notch in the range of 200-3600 meters. The maximum horizontal range is 7000 meters, the slant range is 4500 meters, and the height reach is 3000 meters.
The machine gun, depending on the purpose, was installed on a light tripod machine with a seat on the rear leg (for commanding fire at ground targets), on a universal field tripod machine or a special stationary single or integrated anti-aircraft gun. A universal tripod machine made it possible to conduct a circular attack with vertical guidance angles from 0 to +90 degrees. The seat for the machine gunner and the swivel (upper machine) rotated together. The machine gun box and the machine formed a parallelogram, which allowed the shooter not to change the position of his head at different elevation angles. The machine was not very maneuverable and massive. There was also a field wheeled machine equipped with an anti-aircraft rack and sliding supports.
Of the anti-aircraft installations, the most successful were the paired R3b on a heavy folding tripod and the R4 on a pedestal mount (widespread), and the HLP4 quad mounts. In the integrated installations, machine guns with store food were used. Paired installations were installed not only on the ground, but also mounted on railway platforms, cars, trailers, ships, equipped with vertical and horizontal guidance mechanisms, a balancing spring mechanism. A seat for the shooter was installed on the upper machine, the footboards were equipped with separate pedal slopes for each machine gun. In front of the shooter's head, a Le-Prieure collimator sight-corrector was installed on the bracket (it automatically corrected for the bullet flight time in the aiming angles). The KZL installation on a tripod with machine guns and a sight had a mass of 375 kg. French coupled ZPUs were used in some other countries.
The mass of the HLP4 quad mount with machine guns was 1200 kg. It was used as a semi-stationary or stationary. Rate of fire HLP4 - 1800 rounds per minute. The installation was mounted on a circular pursuit, the gunner's seats were installed on the sides with their own pedal triggers and sights. Shooting opened only in case of coincidence of pressing on the pedals, that is, when the aiming coincided horizontally and vertically. The accuracy of the fire was increased due to the low height of the line of fire. The machine guns were loaded with one large handle at a time. The French ZPU were among the first to be equipped with guidance mechanisms with handwheels, which increased the guidance speed and reduced errors. Other more advanced sights were also used.
13, 2-mm machine gun "Hotchkiss" model 1930 was put on light tanks. In addition, on the basis of this machine gun in 1934 was created aircraft machine gun "Hotchkiss" with a rate of fire of 450 rounds per minute.
The 13.2mm Hotchkiss machine gun from 1930 has been exported to a number of countries, including Greece, Spain, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia. In Japan, this machine gun was produced under the designation Type 93 under license. In Finland, the L-34 Lahti machine gun was developed under the French cartridge 13, 2x99.
The order of incomplete disassembly of the belt-fed machine gun:
1. Unload the machine gun.
2. Press the receiver cover latch (located on top of the butt pad) to open it.
3. Sink the rear end of the return-mainspring guide rod (located at the bottom of the butt plate), remove the bolt, separate the butt-plate and the return-mainspring.
4. Remove the bolt carrier and the bolt by pushing the shackle axle to separate the bolt from the frame.
5. Remove the striker from the bolt.
The assembly is carried out upside-down.
Technical characteristics of the machine gun "Hotchkiss" model 1930:
Cartridge - 13, 2-mm "hotchkiss" (13, 2x99);
The mass of the "body" of the machine gun - 39, 7 kg;
The length of the "body" of the machine gun - 1460 mm;
Barrel weight - 14.0 kg;
Barrel length - 992 mm;
Length of the rifled barrel - 896 mm;
Rifling - left side;
Bullet muzzle velocity - 800 m / s;
Rate of fire - 450 rounds per minute;
Combat rate of fire - 90-100 / 180-200 rounds per minute.
Sighting range - 3600 m (ground shooting);
The mass of the equipped belt for 15 rounds - 2.0 kg;
Machine gun weight - 97 kg (on a tripod machine);
Calculation - 5-6 people.
