They're using stripper clips for the 10 round box mag for reloading in 1914. By about mid war I can see the Brits using the mags themselves for reloading.
Donald Reaver
Donor
Very interesting timeline, not able to comment much on the tech details of the guns, but obviously some bad days for the Germans coming up.
Does anyone know if the OTL FH rifle could be loaded using stripper clips? IIRC the feed lips were machined into the receiver and this might prevent the round being pushed down into the magazine. If the stripper clips cannot feed rounds through the Magazine on the OTL rifle then for TTL the rifle receiver and magazine would need modification. I have no idea how difficult that redesign and modification might be.
Deleted member 94680
I don't know about that tbh. If it's the standard issue rifle for the Regulars, I don't know how secret the British can keep it. Although the Germans never had a fully effective spy network in Britain, the F-H would show up in newspapers and be seen when British troops are abroad...
That, however, might well be more of a shock. The actions around the canal might well be the first time the F-H is used in a full warfighting scenario.
They knew full-well about the SMLE OTL, and that it had a considerably better rate-of-fire that their Gewehr 1898, but didn't think that mattered for much so the issue wasn't given much attention. I suspect the same would be true of the F-H.
If that sounds daft think of it this way. The last time the German Army marched this far West it was the Franco-Prussian War. In that conflict not only did the French have better rifles (the 1866 Chassepot was far superior to the Dreyse that dated from the 1840's) they also had an early machine-gun (the Mitrailleuse). Despite their infantry being out-gunned the Germans still won because of adaptable tactics and perhaps most importantly, better artillery.
The military model with the drum could not but the civilian sporting model used a fixed internal box so it must have been reloaded and fed the rounds somehow.
I envision the "Detachable Fixed Box Magazine" of this time-line to basically be a kludged up solution that works, but is far from perfect by-the-way. It's more fiddly to reload the Pattern 1913 SLR with stripper-clips than it is the the SMLE (hence the reason the Mad Minute rate-of-fire is only thirty rounds per minute for the ten round box mag, which is less than you can manage with an M1 Garand, even though the latter only carries eight rounds).
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How about engaging by 1/2 company volleys/ on commencement of firing half the company lets fly once their magazines are empty the second half company commences firing. By the time the second half company has finished their magazines the first half company should have reloaded. Continue until enemy is dead or scarpered!
Just food for the discussion regarding the mad minute - this on the Lee Enfield which sort of debunks this 'Myth'
The closest pre war documentation appears to suggest that British Infantry should attain 15 successfully aimed shots at 300 Yards in 1 minute (which is still impressive as its the benchmark that all Infantry, Cavalrymen and Royal Engineers should reach)
The closest pre war documentation appears to suggest that British Infantry should attain 15 successfully aimed shots at 300 Yards in 1 minute (which is still impressive as its the benchmark that all Infantry, Cavalrymen and Royal Engineers should reach)