Germans Expected Slow British Rifles — Lee-Enfield’s “Mad Minute” Put 30 Shots Downrange

Описание: Discover how the Lee-Enfield rifle's "Mad Minute" shocked German forces in WWI. German commanders expected slow British rifle fire but encountered devastating rapid fire they mistook for machine guns. This documentary reveals the mechanical genius behind the Lee-Enfield's rear-locking bolt, the intensive British musketry training that created the Mad Minute standard, and how 15-30 aimed shots per minute changed infantry warfare forever. From Mons in August 1914 through the Somme, British riflemen consistently outfired German Mauser-equipped troops, forcing doctrinal changes and reshaping modern infantry tactics. Featuring detailed technical analysis, real combat accounts, specific battle dates, and the lasting legacy that influenced rifle development through both World Wars. #worldwar2 #britishsoldier #battleofbritain #ww2 #britishhistory

SOURCES
National Archives, Kew - War Diaries of British Expeditionary Force units, August-November 1914 (WO 95 series)
Imperial War Museum Archives - Personal accounts and testimonies from British soldiers at Mons, First Ypres, and the Somme
RAF Museum, Hendon - Small Arms School Corps records on musketry training standards, 1902-1914
Skennerton, Ian D. - The Lee-Enfield: A Century of Lee-Metford and Lee-Enfield Rifles and Carbines (1993)
Pegler, Martin - The Lee-Enfield Rifle (Osprey Publishing, 2012)
German Federal Military Archives (Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv) - German regimental histories and after-action reports, 1914-1918
Terraine, John - Mons: The Retreat to Victory (1960)
Holmes, Richard - Tommy: The British Soldier on the Western Front 1914-1918 (2004)
Griffith, Paddy - Battle Tactics of the Western Front: The British Army's Art of Attack 1916-18 (1994)
Bidwell, Shelford & Graham, Dominick - Fire-Power: British Army Weapons and Theories of War 1904-1945 (1982)
Royal Armouries, Leeds - Technical specifications and test firing records for SMLE rifles
Bisley Camp Records - Competition results and Mad Minute certification records, 1900-1914