Vickers machine gun Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Vickers Medium Machine Gun
A typical Vickers machine gun crew in action
Type	Medium machine gun
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1912–1968
Used by	See Users
Wars	World War I Chaco War World War II Indo-Pakistan War of 1947 1948 Arab–Israeli War Korean War The Troubles Congo Crisis South African Border War
Production history
Designed	1912
Manufacturer	Vickers
Produced	1912–1968
Specifications
Mass	33–51 lb (15–23 kg) all-up
Length	3 ft 8 in (1.12 m)
Barrel length	28 in (720 mm)
Crew	three man crew

Cartridge	.303 British
Action	recoil with gas boost
Rate of fire	450 to 500 round/min
Muzzle velocity	2440 ft/s (744 m/s)
Effective firing range	2,187 yd (2,000 m)
Maximum firing range	4,500 yd (4,100 m) indirect fire
Feed system	250-round canvas belt

The Vickers machine gun, often called the Vickers gun, was a powerful machine gun. It was used by the British Army for a very long time, from 1912 all the way to 1968. This gun was built by a company called Vickers Limited. It was known for being extremely reliable, meaning it almost always worked when needed. The Vickers gun became one of the most important weapons used during World War I.

What is the Vickers Machine Gun?
- How the Vickers Gun Worked
- Key Features of the Vickers Gun
Where the Vickers Gun Was Used
- Major Wars and Conflicts
- Use in Aircraft
Images for kids
See also

What is the Vickers Machine Gun?

The Vickers machine gun was a heavy weapon. It needed a team of three soldiers to operate it properly. One soldier would fire the gun, another would feed the ammunition belt, and a third would help carry the parts and keep it supplied.

How the Vickers Gun Worked

The Vickers gun used a system called "recoil with gas boost." This means that when a bullet was fired, the force of the shot (recoil) helped to load the next bullet. A special gas system also helped make this process smoother and faster.

It fired bullets very quickly, about 450 to 500 rounds (bullets) per minute. The bullets traveled at a speed of about 744 meters per second. This made it a very effective weapon for defending positions or providing covering fire.

The gun was fed by a long canvas belt that held 250 rounds of .303 British ammunition. This type of ammunition was common for British firearms at the time.

Key Features of the Vickers Gun

Water-cooled: The Vickers gun had a water jacket around its barrel. This water helped to cool the barrel down during continuous firing. Without it, the barrel would get too hot and could melt or warp.
Heavy and stable: The gun itself weighed about 33 to 51 pounds (15 to 23 kg). When set up on its tripod, it was very stable. This stability helped make its shots accurate, even when firing many bullets quickly.
Long range: It could hit targets up to 2,000 meters away. For indirect fire (shooting over obstacles), its maximum range was even further, about 4,100 meters.

Where the Vickers Gun Was Used

The Vickers machine gun was used in many conflicts around the world. Its long service life shows how effective and trusted it was.

Major Wars and Conflicts

World War I (1914-1918): This was where the Vickers gun became famous. It was crucial for trench warfare, helping soldiers defend their lines.
World War II (1939-1945): Even decades later, the Vickers gun was still in use during the second global conflict.
Korean War (1950-1953): British and Commonwealth forces continued to use the Vickers gun in Korea.
Other conflicts: It also saw action in wars like the Chaco War, the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947, and the Congo Crisis.

Use in Aircraft

The Vickers gun was not just for ground troops. It was also adapted to be used on aircraft. Early fighter planes in World War I used Vickers guns. They had a special device called an "interrupter gear." This gear allowed the machine gun to fire through the spinning propeller blades without hitting them.

The cockpit of a Bristol Scout biplane in 1916, showing a Vickers machine gun set up to fire through the propeller using an early interrupter gear.

Images for kids

A Vickers machine gun crew in action at the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, September 1917
An Indian Army Vickers machine gun crew in the North West Frontier, India, 1940.
Australian soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment operate a Vickers gun during fighting near Chipyong-ni during the Korean War, February 1951
Rimmed, centrefire Mk 7 .303 inch cartridge from World War II. The type of ammunition is shown by the colour of the annulus.
Soldiers of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry firing a Vickers machine gun during a training exercise, Eastbourne, England, 3 December 1942
Clinometer for Vickers .303 machine gun, used to set the gun's angle.
British Vickers gun team in action at the Battle of the Somme. Both are wearing gas masks.
Rear view of Vickers gun team in action at the Battle of the Somme.
Vickers gun set up for anti-aircraft purposes during the First World War.
Vickers machine-gun of the 1st Manchester Regiment in Malaya, 1941.
British Vickers gunners in action in the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden. All are wearing the Mk III Turtle helmet.
British commandos on the outskirts of Wesel during Operation Plunder in 1945.
View of the breech of a Vickers gun showing brass feed ramp.
Dorsal view of a Vickers gun showing fluted water-cooling tank.
Vickers machine gun from Polish Army Museum's collection.