|blank cell||Maxim MG08 Machine Gun|
|RATE OF FIRE||20|
|BASE RANGE||110 yards|
|COMBAT USE: Germany, Soviet Union|
In 1884, Hiram Maxim demonstrated what would be the world's first machine gun, and following some minor changes in 1885, this model would go on to become the most common design in service with virtually all military forces well into the 1930s. The Germans adopted their own version of the Maxim in 1908, and the MG08 was remained in use till 1941. With a 51 lb tripod, the heavy water-cooled MG08 was ineffective in the blitzkrieg tactics of the Wehrmacht, but remained useful in the static defense role. The German Army issued the MG08/15 to its stormtroops during the First World War, which was the MG08 fitted with a shoulder stock, pistol grip, and bipod; but, the machine gun still proved too heavy for use in quick infantry tactics. The Soviets also had Maxim guns in their arsenal when the war began, preferring to mount their Maxims on wheeled chassis (as pictured above).