Lewis gun in WW2?

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archerynut

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just a question. would they have been used? say in a situation like the evacuation at dunkirk. early in the war and britain hasn't quite built up its armouries and the BEF has substantial firepower on the french coast. using stockpiles that may have been left over from the great war. just musing about this.
 
EVERYTHING was used by Britain in WW II. Even old Colt Potato diggers and MG's that were WW I trophies were used by the Home Guard after the standing army got it's pick. The beaches were even patrolled by HG with pieces of pipe and 1888 bayonet blades stuck in the end. The Lewis was used as an AA gun on ship and shore mounts almost to the end of the war. Bren's went to the front, the Lewis stayed home.....
 
wheaty said:
EVERYTHING was used by Britain in WW II. Even old Colt Potato diggers and MG's that were WW I trophies were used by the Home Guard after the standing army got it's pick. The beaches were even patrolled by HG with pieces of pipe and 1888 bayonet blades stuck in the end. The Lewis was used as an AA gun on ship and shore mounts almost to the end of the war. Bren's went to the front, the Lewis stayed home.....
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Is that you Warren??
 
Yep. Lewis guns were used on some aircraft and by the SAS(et al) in North Africa. W.W. I vintage Vickers MG's were used as well.
 
I'll try to find and scan it, but there is a fairly well known photo of Volkstrum (sp?) on parade for the defense of Berlin. One old guy has a Lewis on his shoulder.
It's not really that surprising. The Lewis was a much envied, light weight gun during WWI. There is good documentation of Lewis' being used by Imperial German forces all through WWI. I believe that they were modded to take the Mauser 8mm round. Indeed the Lewis spurred the development of the Maxim 08/15, a lighter weight 08.
Following the theme, one good photo of the second war in Germany (Berlin I think) shows a US trooper poking at a well ventiilated 08/15 with his M1A.
Regards,
Maxm08
 
Lewises were standard equipment during the Normandy invasion, as many of them were in single and twin mounts aboard landing craft and, especially, the DEMS (Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships).

Right after the pullout from Dunkirk, Hitler sent Heinrich Hoffman, his personal photographer, to photograph the beaches. Hoffman was one of the few who were really "into" colour photography at that time, and his photos showed the beaches absolutely littered with Lewis Gun drums. Many of these photos were published for the first time back about 1963 in, if I remember correctly, the "Times" weekend magazine (London).

Lots of Lewis Gun use in Canada as well, as it was only about 1944 that we actually had enough equipment that we didn't have to clean the museums out. Sure, the photos show the front-line formations very well-armed a lot earlier than this, but those were the front-line formations, not echelon formations, rear formations or formations still in Canada. Remember, in 1943, we had ONE squadron of Hurricanes (133) to protect our entire West Coast, yet we had already been at war with Japan for better than a year. A second squadron (135) was sent to Tofino in late 1943, which doubled out entire Pacific defence.

And it wasn't just us, either. Officially, the Germans replaced the MG-34 with the MG-42, but I have seen specimens of the MG-34 marked as 1945 production.
 
If anyone is curious what the Canadian Army went to war with in 39, here's an except from a short paper I just wrote on the military on the eve of the war:

In December 1938 the Army asked for $28 million, but was given only twenty. This meant cuts in the procurement of boots, clothing, ammunition, let alone any modern tools like tanks and anti-aircraft guns. Even though this was more than the Army had obtained in previous years, it was too little and too late to have an effect when the war broke out. In September 1939, the Non Permanent Active Militia and Permanent Force combined had 29 Bren guns, 23 anti-tank rifles, 4 modern anti-aircraft guns, and four 2-pounder anti-tank guns, hardly the makings of an effective fighting force. These meagre supplies were shared by the 4261 members of the PF, and the 51 418 of the NPAM.
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As a stop-gap, WWI kit was issued, including SMLE's, puttees and other obsolescent materiel. Lewis guns were used throughout the war in various roles. I'm not sure whether we sent any Vickers though. The RCAF got the lion's share of the funding in the late 1930s, but even they were not much to look at - 20 squadrons, 8 PF and 2 reserve. Only one had started switching from biplanes to Hurricanes, and the sole bomber squadron used old biplanes with a top speed of 130mph and a bomb load of just over 500lbs. RCN had 10 modern ships, and the only offensive ones we had were 6 destroyers. In Sydney NS the RCMP made improvised depth-charges for two patrol boats - blasting powder in a metal drum, to supposedly 'defend' against subs.

It's a miracle that Canada once again put together such an effective fighting force after starting with next to nothing.
 
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Japanese Navy made and used Lewis guns throughout WW2.
Dutch LMG was the Lewis in 6.5 ,7.9 and .303" as well as 30-06 guns bought in the US.
Canada ceased training recruits on the Lewis in 42.
 
CFB Chilliwack 1990, Annual BCRA Service Rifle competition. Me behind the trigger !! By the way, that year I beat the 3rd Patricia C9 team (who only had their guns for 3 weeks). It was great fun, taking the piss out of the Patricia Team WO, since he and I went through Cornwallis and Pay Level 3 together.

chilliwackprovserviceriyr1.jpg

Shot at 2007-11-15
 
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Hmmm. And I was wondering if I was the only one on CGN who had fired a Lewis. My experience was over 40 years ago though.
 
I'm not sure whether we sent any Vickers though
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There is a picture of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa in Normandy with a Vickers doing indirect fire from behind a hedge.

I'd post it but have no idea where to find it on the internet
 
I remember back around 1980 there was a Chinese restaurant in Vancouver that burnt down . The demolition company that cleared the rubble found 4 or 5 Lewis guns in the debris . I remember cleaning them up . Unfortunetly the would never fire again . Never did find out why there were there
 
tiriaq said:
Hmmm. And I was wondering if I was the only one on CGN who had fired a Lewis. My experience was over 40 years ago though.
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You are not alone! I own and fire a Lewis gun.
Many aircraft Lewis guns in 30-06 were sent over for the Home Guard.
Skeleton buttstocks were fitted. Being aircraft guns they did not have the aluminum radiator or the metal jacket over it. they were found to work just as well as the regular ground guns.
A home guard officer was asked "what orders would you give if you saw the germans landing on the coast? His answer; "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" When asked why, he replied, "I have two rifles with five rounds each, and a Lewis gun with a broken return spring!":D

Also the U.S. machine gun M1915. A Colt built Vickers in 30-06 plus all the 30-06 M1917 Enfields for the Home Guard.
 
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