Group of Auto-Machine Guns-Cannons (GAMC) * of the
French Army, circa 1915.
A column of French Armored Cars belonging to one of 17 Groups of Auto-Machine Gun-Cannons existing in 1915.
The column consists of six Peugeot Armored Cars (Cannon) Model 1915 (Hotchkiss Cannon of 37-mm M1885), followed by Renault Armored Car (M.G.) Model 1914 (Saint-Etienne Machine Gun 8-mm M1907) and two Peugeot Armored Cars Model 1914 (ex-Auto-Cannons stripped of their weapons), used for supplying, respectively, of each of the two sections that composed the Group.
In the photograph does not appear the other three Armored Car (M.G.) (also Renault) ** and the Car of Liaison between the two sections, armed with a Machine Gun. With them complete the number and type of vehicles to be assigned to each of the Mixed Groups of Auto-Machine-Guns-Cannons of the French Army.***
* In the French Army, during 1915, besides this type of Mixed Groups of Auto-Machine-Guns-Cannons, existed contemporaneously, other formations of Armored Cars. Some came from units organized during the first months of the Great War, especially in the Northeast Front and were still being useful in their missions. It also happened that some units, especially of the Cavalry, were reluctant to discard of the vehicles with machine guns - armored or not - who possessed since the first months of war. Finally there were new formations created with other armored vehicles such as Renault Armored Auto-Cannon with 47-mm Cannon or Archer Armored Car (of Infantry). Subsequently, between 1916 and 1918, appear other new types of Armored Cars.
** In other Mixed Groups, the Renault Armored Car (M.G.) Model 1914 or 1915 could be replaced by Peugeot Armored Car (M.G.) Model 1915, armed with a Saint-Etienne Machine Gun of 8-mm M1907 and carrying 6,000 rounds ammunition, weapons like that which carried the Renault Armored Car (M.G.). These Peugeot Armored Car (M.G.) were the same model "Auto-Cannon Peugeot 1915", but with the barrel replaced with a Machine Gun. Later, in 1918, both in the Renault as Peugeot Armored Cars, Saint-Etienne Machine Guns were replaced by more effective Hotchkiss of 8-mm M1914.
*** The Auto-cannons of the French Army, as happened in the Russian and British Armies with this type of weapon, were handled by sailors belonging to the respective Navies (see French sailors in the foreground of the picture). The weapons used in cars and trucks - armored or not - of these countries, came from the ships and arsenals of the Navy, and were transferred with his allocations to the Army. The infantry and cavalry troops were not familiar with these weapons, nor (at the beginning of the war) had time for training and practice with these rapid-fire guns, usually 37-mm or 47-mm and in some cases of 57-mm. Instead, the sailors-gunners were specially trained for firing anti-torpedo, which required a special skill.
In Russia, in 1914, self-propelled guns in support of the “1st Automobile Machine Guns Company” were handled by sailors, assigned (like guns) by the Imperial Russian Navy. In Britain it is well known the exclusive and determinant contribution of the Royal Navy (RN) for the production and organization of armored cars, including the various support self-propelled guns - armored or not - handled by crews belonging to the RNAS , Royal Marines or other elements of the RN.
In France (as the Admiralty in Britain take the lead Motorized Armored Forces), the French Navy took control of the armored formations of the Groups of Auto-Machine Gun-Cannons (GAMC) and this happened from the first months of the war until August 5, 1916, the day on which the control groups was transferred to the Artillery, but that is another story.
A column of French Armored Cars belonging to one of 17 Groups of Auto-Machine Gun-Cannons existing in 1915.
The column consists of six Peugeot Armored Cars (Cannon) Model 1915 (Hotchkiss Cannon of 37-mm M1885), followed by Renault Armored Car (M.G.) Model 1914 (Saint-Etienne Machine Gun 8-mm M1907) and two Peugeot Armored Cars Model 1914 (ex-Auto-Cannons stripped of their weapons), used for supplying, respectively, of each of the two sections that composed the Group.
In the photograph does not appear the other three Armored Car (M.G.) (also Renault) ** and the Car of Liaison between the two sections, armed with a Machine Gun. With them complete the number and type of vehicles to be assigned to each of the Mixed Groups of Auto-Machine-Guns-Cannons of the French Army.***
* In the French Army, during 1915, besides this type of Mixed Groups of Auto-Machine-Guns-Cannons, existed contemporaneously, other formations of Armored Cars. Some came from units organized during the first months of the Great War, especially in the Northeast Front and were still being useful in their missions. It also happened that some units, especially of the Cavalry, were reluctant to discard of the vehicles with machine guns - armored or not - who possessed since the first months of war. Finally there were new formations created with other armored vehicles such as Renault Armored Auto-Cannon with 47-mm Cannon or Archer Armored Car (of Infantry). Subsequently, between 1916 and 1918, appear other new types of Armored Cars.
** In other Mixed Groups, the Renault Armored Car (M.G.) Model 1914 or 1915 could be replaced by Peugeot Armored Car (M.G.) Model 1915, armed with a Saint-Etienne Machine Gun of 8-mm M1907 and carrying 6,000 rounds ammunition, weapons like that which carried the Renault Armored Car (M.G.). These Peugeot Armored Car (M.G.) were the same model "Auto-Cannon Peugeot 1915", but with the barrel replaced with a Machine Gun. Later, in 1918, both in the Renault as Peugeot Armored Cars, Saint-Etienne Machine Guns were replaced by more effective Hotchkiss of 8-mm M1914.
*** The Auto-cannons of the French Army, as happened in the Russian and British Armies with this type of weapon, were handled by sailors belonging to the respective Navies (see French sailors in the foreground of the picture). The weapons used in cars and trucks - armored or not - of these countries, came from the ships and arsenals of the Navy, and were transferred with his allocations to the Army. The infantry and cavalry troops were not familiar with these weapons, nor (at the beginning of the war) had time for training and practice with these rapid-fire guns, usually 37-mm or 47-mm and in some cases of 57-mm. Instead, the sailors-gunners were specially trained for firing anti-torpedo, which required a special skill.
In Russia, in 1914, self-propelled guns in support of the “1st Automobile Machine Guns Company” were handled by sailors, assigned (like guns) by the Imperial Russian Navy. In Britain it is well known the exclusive and determinant contribution of the Royal Navy (RN) for the production and organization of armored cars, including the various support self-propelled guns - armored or not - handled by crews belonging to the RNAS , Royal Marines or other elements of the RN.
In France (as the Admiralty in Britain take the lead Motorized Armored Forces), the French Navy took control of the armored formations of the Groups of Auto-Machine Gun-Cannons (GAMC) and this happened from the first months of the war until August 5, 1916, the day on which the control groups was transferred to the Artillery, but that is another story.
**************************
Grupo de
Auto-Ametralladoras-Cañones (GAMC)* del Ejército Francés, circa 1915.
Una columna francesa de coches blindados pertenecientes a
uno de los 17 Grupos de Auto-Ametralladoras-Cañones existentes en 1915.
La columna está compuesta por seis Auto-Cañones Blindados
Peugeot Modelo 1915 (Cañón Hotchkiss M1885 de 37-mm),
seguidos de una Auto-Ametralladora Blindada Renault Modelo 1914 (Ametralladora
Saint-Étienne M1907 de 8-mm) y de dos Coches Blindados Peugeot Modelo 1914 (ex
auto-cañones desprovistos de su armamento), utilizados para el
aprovisionamiento, respectivamente, de cada una de las dos secciones que
componían el Grupo.
En la fotografía no aparecen las otras tres
auto-ametralladoras blindadas (también Renault)** y el coche de enlace entre
las dos secciones, armado con una ametralladora. Con ellos se completa el
número y tipo de vehículos que se asignaba a cada uno de los Grupos Mixtos de
Auto-Ametralladoras-Cañones del Ejército Francés***.
* En el Ejército Francés, durante 1915, además de este tipo
de Grupos Mixtos de Auto-Ametralladoras-Cañones, existían, coetáneamente, otras
formaciones de Coches Blindados. Algunas procedían de las unidades organizadas
durante los primeros meses de la Gran Guerra, especialmente en el Frente Nordeste y que
seguían aún siendo útiles en sus misiones. También ocurría que algunas unidades,
especialmente de caballería, se resistían a desprenderse de los vehículos
armados con ametralladoras - blindados o no - que poseían desde los primeros
meses de la guerra. Por último existían nuevas formaciones creadas con otros
vehículos blindados, como los Auto-Cañones Blindados Renault con cañón de 47-mm
o los Coches Blindados de Infantería Archer. Posteriormente, entre 1916 y 1918, aparecerían
otros nuevos tipos de coches blindados.
** En otros Grupos, las Auto-Ametralladoras Blindadas
Renault Modelo 1914 ó 1915 podían ser sustituidas por Auto-Ametralladoras
Blindadas Peugeot Modelo 1915, armadas con una ametralladora Saint-Étienne
M1907 de 8-mm y portando munición para 6.000 disparos, igual armamento que el que portaban
las Auto-Ametralladoras Renault. Estas auto-ametralladoras eran el mismo modelo “Auto-Cañón
Peugeot de 1915”, pero con el cañón sustituido por una ametralladora.
Posteriormente, en 1918, tanto en los Coches Blindados Renault como en los
Peugeot, las ametralladoras Saint-Étienne serían sustituidas por las más
eficaces Hotchkiss M1914 de 8-mm.
*** Los Auto-Cañones del Ejército Francés, al igual que
sucedía en los ejércitos ruso y británico con este tipo de armamento, eran
manejados por marineros pertenecientes a las Marinas de Guerra respectivas
(véanse los marineros franceses en el primer plano de la fotografía). El
armamento utilizado en los coches y camiones - blindados o no- de los
mencionados países, procedía de los barcos y arsenales de la Armada, y fueron cedidos
junto a sus dotaciones a los Ejércitos de Tierra. Las tropas de infantería y
caballería no estaban familiarizadas con este tipo de armamento y tampoco (al
principio de la guerra) había tiempo para el entrenamiento y práctica con estos cañones de tiro rápido, normalmente de 37-mm ó 47-mm y en algunos casos
de 57-mm. Al contrario, los marineros-artilleros estaban especialmente entrenados para el tiro contra-torpedos, lo que requería una especial destreza.
En 1914 en Rusia, los cañones de apoyo autopropulsados de la 1ª
Compañía de Automóviles Ametralladores estaban manejados por marinos, cedidos
(al igual que los cañones) por la Marina Imperial Rusa. En Gran Bretaña es de sobra conocida la
determinante y exclusiva aportación de la Royal Navy (RN) con respecto a la fabricación y organización de los
coches blindados, incluidos los variados cañones
autopropulsados de apoyo – blindados o no – manejados por tripulaciones
pertenecientes a la RNAS, los Marines Reales o por otros elementos de la RN.
En Francia (al igual que en Gran Bretaña el Almirantazgo
asumiría el liderazgo de las Fuerzas Motorizadas Blindadas), la Marina de Guerra
Francesa asumió el control de las formaciones blindadas de los Grupos de
Auto-Ametralladoras-Cañones (GAMC) y esto sucedió desde los primeros meses de la guerra hasta
el 5 de agosto de 1916, día en el que el control de los Grupos pasó a manos del Arma
de Artillería, pero ésta es ya otra historia.
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