Montigny mitrailleuse

Mitrailleuse Montigny
Montigny mitrailleuse.
TypeRegimental artillery field gun
Place of originBelgium
Service history
In service1863
Used byAustria Hungary,[1] Belgium, China, German New Guinea[2] Romania[3]
WarsRomanian War of Independence[3]
World War I (limited)[4]
Production history
DesignerJoseph Montigny
Produced1863
Specifications
Shellbullets
Caliber11 mm
Barrels37

The Montigny mitrailleuse was an early type of crank-operated machine-gun developed by the Belgian gun works of Joseph Montigny between 1859 and 1870. It was an improved version of the "Mitrailleuse", (English: Grapeshot shooter) invented by Belgian Captain Fafschamps in 1851 which was a fixed 50-barrelled volley gun.[5]

The Montigny mitrailleuse was designed to defend narrow defensive positions such as the moats of fortresses. The Belgian army initially purchased Fafschamps volley guns. Only later did they acquire Montigny mitrailleuses.

Joseph Montigny also promoted and sold the weapon for offensive field use by placing the weapon on an artillery carriage.

  1. ^ "Austro-Hungarian Rapid Repeating Montigny Gun". Archived from the original on 9 February 2009.
  2. ^ "Machine Guns of the Schutztruppe and Overseas Forces".
  3. ^ a b Emil Boboescu. "Mitralierele au intrat în dotarea Armatei Române în timpul Războiului de Independență". historia.ro (in Romanian).
  4. ^ "Austro-Hungarian Army in WWI". 3 March 2020.
  5. ^ Machine Guns by James H. Willbanks p.35