Russia was the first country to buy the Danish Madsen light machine gun in any appreciable number. One thousand two hundred and fifty Madsen's were bought from Denmark Chambered to take Russian ammunition they were used to equip the cavalry and first saw action during the Russo-Japanese war of 1904. The experiment was a success but the high cost of purchasing the machine gun meant that the Russian army never formally adopted the Madsen. Early in the Great War when it became apparent that the army did not have enough machine guns the Madsen was pressed into use. It was issued to the infantry, cavalry, air force and river detachments. By then the guns were few in number and worn out. The Russians also tried to acquire other machine guns from their allies and America.

By 1915 the Russian Madsen's were gathered together and sent to the front. Some were sent beforehand to the Sestroretsk Arms Factory for repairs. The weapons robustness and ease of use made it a popular weapon in the hands of the Russian soldier. Russian made Madsen's may have been produced at the Kovrovsk Machine Gun Factory.

With the onset of trench warfare the German army quickly saw the need for a portable light weight machine gun. As a stop gap expedient the Germans organised and converted a number of infantry battalions to use Danish purchased Madsen machine guns. These new formations were known as Musketen Battalions. They were formed in August, 1915. The very first Musketen battalion was made up of Hessian soldiers of the 4th battalion of the 117th Body Infantry Regiment. Three such battalions were speedily mustered and armed with the newly acquired Danish Madsen's.

The Musketen battalions went into action the following month in the Champagne region of France. By the battle of the Somme, in 1916, only two battalions remained. These were eventually broken up, in early 1918, and their personnel sent to various machine gun sharpshooter detachments.

A Musketen battalion was made up of 500 men organised into three companies of thirty machine guns each. Four man squads operated the individual Madsen's, two as machine gunners and two as ammunition carriers. Their role was to act as a mobile reserve, in the second line, ready to move forward to plug any breaches in the front. Essentially confined to a defensive posture, their job was to engage the advancing allied units and stop them by sheer weight of fire. In this they were not particularly successful as they could not match the sustained rate of fire of the conventional machine gun defence.

Inevitably the Musketen battalions suffered heavy casualties. Many of the Madsen's were lost to British artillery fire and the Musketen battalions had to be re-equipped with captured British Lewis machine guns. Despite this Madsen's continued to be used by the German army, most notably by mountain troops in the Vosges, Carpathians and the Balkans.

In his attack on Hill 1192, during the successful Austro-German Caporetto offensive of 1917, Erwin Rommel skilfully deployed two Madsen light machine guns to support his 2nd company of Wurtemberg mountain troops as they secured this vital position.

In Galicia, on the Eastern front, German storm troops used the Madsen in practise raids against the Russians. These daring raids enabled the Germans to refine the storm troop tactics they would employ against the French and the British during their great Spring offensive of 1918. German Friekorp troops continued to use the Madsen in the aftermath of the Great War, along with a host of other nationalities. Both Red and White Russians used the Madsen light machine gun in their own bloody civil war. Captured Russian Madsen's were also used to equip a number of German aircraft. Some may have been used in a ground role.

Today the 1914-21 Society fields a Madsen light machine gun wrapped around a four man section of Hessian troops of the 117th Body Regiment. The Society also owns an original WWI Russian Sokolov machine gun complete with all its accoutrements. We can replicate the sound of machine gun fire using custom made noise boxes. These portable noise boxes are virtually fool proof. They work every time and require no setting up. For more information please write to the manufacturer, Dave Thirlwell, at Murton Park, Murton Lane, York, YO19 5UF.

The 1914-21 Society will be fielding its full complement of machine guns at the UK's first ever non stop 24hr WWI living history and battle re-enactment event over the weekend of 17th-18th April, 2004. This event is open to all WWI re-enactors, groups and individuals, and is being organised by the Birmingham Pals. For more information please contact Eric Mace at ericmace@blueyonder.co.uk

The site is but a few minutes drive from the Humber Bridge in East Yorkshire. Two opposing trench lines will be established in extensive open countryside alongside a large wood which can also be used. There will be no public. Fox holes can be dug and the Birmingham Pals promise a suitably authentic display of pyrotechnics and trench flares. There will be plenty of scope for probing attacks, patrols, trench raids and full blown assaults, including night attacks. Each invited group will man its own section of frontline, individuals attending the event who do not belong to established groups can fit in where they feel most appropriate.

The non combative side of the war is not forgotten. Much time will be spent simply manning the front for a period of twenty four hours. Sentries and reserves will have to be maintained, food brought up to the line, rest periods granted and field hospitals held in readiness for casualties. All this will impose considerable difficulties on the respective commanders as they struggle to man the front. Communication and control of the troops will further tax the command structure. These teasers should add immeasurably to the experience. The event will start at 12pm on the Saturday and will end at 12pm on the Sunday. Only period accommodation will be allowed. Period encampments, field hospitals and rest areas will be set up in the woods. If enough re-enactors sign up for the event the woods will also be used as a part of the frontline.

Firewood can be had in abundance and the sites boasts basic toilet and washing facilities plus off road car parking. All in all if you are a WWI re-enactor looking for something a little different, something that has never been tried in the UK before then sign up for this unique event and help take WWI re-enacting to a new level. Unfortunately a small charge of £6.00 per person will have to be levied in order to cover the cost of the site rent and pyrotechnics.

In order to beef up the Central Powers contribution our Russian section will be turning out as Bulgarians. Our Bavarian and Hessian sections will also be taking to the field. We are all very excited by the prospect of assisting the Birmingham Pals in this ground breaking event and look forward to seeing as many WWI re-enactors take to the field as possible. For more information about the 1914-21 Society please contact Bruce Chopping at chopper@zapo.net