Encyclopedia - Bergmann MP18 Gun
In early 1918, in time for the great German Spring
offensive of that year, the only widely used sub-machine gun
deployed during the First World
War - and the model for subsequent developments - was launched, the Bergmann
Maschinenpistole 18/1 (MP18). The MP18 used common but powerful 9mm
ammunition rounds and was loaded via a 32-round magazine
This formidable weapon - in effect a machine pistol - was a genuinely effective forward infantry assault gun. Its rate of fire was similar to heavy machine guns.
In the event - with Germany losing the war in the second half of 1918 - by the time the MP18 saw widespread service it was chiefly used as a defensive weapon.
The terms of the Treaty of Versailles specifically banned German possession of the MP18. In post-war years the MP18 was used in the police service.
A Kite Balloon was an observation balloon controlled by a cable from the ground.
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