The BEF "Mad Minute", anyone know the details???

Well, it you are talking about 1914 and what the germans called "Die Kindermord" the germans had advanced in close formation with flags flying and drums beating. You wouldn't have had to worry about hitting an individual as any round fired would have hit someone.

As for the magazine cut-off, this dates back before charger loading. Rounds had to be loaded individualy. It was intended that the rifle be single loaded while the enemy were still a distance away and one would only revert to the magazine when they closed or if there was a sudden cavalry attack. However the "We have allways done it this way" syndrome persisted in the upper levels even when it was unnecessary and was only deleted when it slowed production in WW1. Even so, "Tradition" prevailed after the war and some cutoffs were retrofitted.

Now the excuse that the rifle could only be carried safely with the cut-off in place is ridiculous when issued to a trained soldier.
 
A Sergeant Instructor by the name of Snoxall at the College of Musketry in 1914 put 38 bullets
into the bull of a target at 275 metres within one minute using a SMLE.
That’s one aimed shot every 1.6 seconds and includes stripper clip changes. However these
shots were taken using a lee enfield supported by sandbags. To my knowledge no one has been
able to officially beat that record.
 
grant580 said:
I found an article on the net once that mentioned "volley fire". Apparantly it was used by our troops in WW 1 to lay down a volley of fire with the SMLE into the enemy lines and this may be similar, or at least a technique used during the "mad minute"? .
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"Volley Fire" was used at extreme range utilizing volley sights out to say 2000 yards or more. The intention of volley fire was very much like mortar fire. Raining down fire by lobbing in bullets at high arc to hit enemy troops knows (or suspected) to be massing in specific lines or trenches. Indirect fire from above as it were. Not really intended for mad minute type of rapid fire.
 
Volley fire of sorts is still a part of military combat (battle drill). Every shot isn't necessarily an aimed shot the the commander will call out a range a target and a rate of fire. This is suppressing fire to pin down the enemy, thus winning the fire fight, and allowing the advance of troops on the objective. The small arms qualifying exam still requires a mad minute of sorts. Now with semi-auto firearms getting the number of shots off is no problem, but IIRC fifteen hits are still required on a fig 11 target from 100m with a mag change after 10. The timing however is more about the mag change than the rate of fire however. I think you have 30 seconds. I have to admit my memory on details is a bit hazy, as it was just another of the drills on the range test, but it is there.
 
cyclone said:
The Battle of Mons ought to be mentioned here...:)

BTW, I kinda like this site (random thought, I know :p):

http://anonymous-generaltopics.########.com/2009/02/lee-enfield.html

Finally :cool::

[youtube]eh-pgRhi_Lo[/youtube]
Click to expand...

The guy with the bayonet on the mk3 is awesome.

10 rnds in 30 seconds. 5 on each of two figure 11s is a part of service rifle shoots. It can be done with a bolt gun.
 
May not be historically accurate, but we sure had fun. Earlier this fall, at the EOHC (near Bourget, ON):
[youtube]-pnQv6KZpTA[/youtube]
We shot 10 rounds on "charging man" targets at 200 yards. Let's just say I failed miserably in terms of accuracy, but I sure looked spiffy with that bayonet on my No1Mk3 and my "Bushwakker" sweatshirt.
 
Volley fire was designed to produce a "beaten zone" preventing the enemy from either advancing through it or assembling for an attack.

The job was taken over by the Vickers machine gun which was far better suited to the task.

Oh by the way. from friends who had been there, it was also used in Vietnam to prevent the bad guys from assembling for an attack.
 
louthepou said:
May not be historically accurate, but we sure had fun. Earlier this fall, at the EOHC (near Bourget, ON):
[youtube]-pnQv6KZpTA[/youtube]
We shot 10 rounds on "charging man" targets at 200 yards. Let's just say I failed miserably in terms of accuracy, but I sure looked spiffy with that bayonet on my No1Mk3 and my "Bushwakker" sweatshirt.
Click to expand...

I have great respect for "southpaws" who attempt a "mad-minute".....;)
 
Riflechair said:
A Sergeant Instructor by the name of Snoxall at the College of Musketry in 1914 put 38 bullets
into the bull of a target at 275 metres within one minute using a SMLE.
That’s one aimed shot every 1.6 seconds and includes stripper clip changes. However these
shots were taken using a lee enfield supported by sandbags. To my knowledge no one has been
able to officially beat that record.
Click to expand...

I'd be curious to know if Snoxall survived the war.

That is a helluva record to beat.
 
Indirect fire using MGs

This was a well tried tactic developed in WW1 and carried on into WW2. The best weapon for this was the water cooled tripod mounted machine gun (Vikers or Browning ) which was capable of delivering a high rate of fire for extended periods on predictable trajectories using set elevations,clinometers and range tables.

Because of the comparative immobility of the weapon,this type of indirect or plunging fire was best employed in static situations. Using range tables, fire could be directed on reverse slopes and used to harrass enemy rear areas,incl likely concentration areas,much the same as mortars or artillery. Fall of shot was seldom observable,but it was effective nonetheless.

I have an old friend who was a Vickers gunner (amongst other things) in the Saskatoon Light Infantry in Italy,the support bn of 1st Cdn Inf Div. The often static situation and mountainous/hilly terrain in Italy enabled him to participate in many shoots like this. He called it "hailing the Jerries". Jerry was'nt exactly asleep at the switch himself and suceeded in wounding him quite badly with a mortar barrage.
 
Heres one for you, anybody ever heard of a left-handed Lee Enfield rifle of any kind? I read a blurb once that someone saw one in a picture once. Wouldn't mind owning a rifle like that, as I am a southpaw.
 
grant580 said:
Heres one for you, anybody ever heard of a left-handed Lee Enfield rifle of any kind? I read a blurb once that someone saw one in a picture once. Wouldn't mind owning a rifle like that, as I am a southpaw.
Click to expand...

more than likely someone just reversed the negative, then printed the picture- i have a picture of a springfield o3a3 that happened to-
 
In reference to " John Suckey's" thread, Noticed that Tradex has the "cut off" plates for the enfield no1 mk lll for $10.00 bucks. Now that's something you don't see often? I think I might buy one before they are all gone.
 
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