Historical World War I PHOTO: Harley Davidson Motorcycle with Mounted Machine-Gun

Retronaut ^ | (est. 1917) World War I | Retronaut

[DogByte6RER]

In 1917, the United States entered World War I and the military demanded motorcycles for the war effort. Harleys had already been used by the military in the Pancho Villa Expedition, but World War I was the first time the motorcycle had been adopted for combat service. Harley-Davidson provided about 15,000 machines to the military forces during World War I.

- Wikipedia

[snippy_about_it]

Bicyclespankentruppen and motorcyclespakentruppen twofer! Sweet!

[mountainlion]

Neat!

I prefer something bigger though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H7U71KZEJw

[RedMonqey]

I’m sure that set-up was good for morale

Given the churned up, cratered moonscape most WW1 battlefields were doubt these units found much use.

Even in aiding efforts to stop enemy "breakouts" these mounted machines guns would get mired up to it's axles in anything but level, hard-pack roads.

Which were rare

[Southack]

They did the armor all wrong. The sidecar gunner should have been laying down, not sitting up, and the sidecar wheel should have been armored instead of the huge front plate (just a little one needed in front if he was laying down).

[Tax-chick]

Motorcycle ping

[RedMonqey]

Now we know where the producers of “Mad Max” got their ideas.

“Brutus” makes “The Humongous” look like small potatoes...

[RedMonqey]

This looks like it might be the flip side of the setup:

The look of the horse in the background seems to be thinking:

"Don't even THINK of going there with me"

[Southack]

Growing up as a boy in Texas, my next door neighbor regaled me with grand stories of his WW1 motorcycle exploits!

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=MIL_DRAFT&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=0&msT=1&gss=angs-g&gsfn=Doug&gsln=Corley&msdpn__ftp=TX&so=2

[DogByte6RER]

Then, there are always Vespa motor scooters with mounted cannons.

[Afterguard]

Two bikes and a sidecar- mounted gun. I’d trade my R1200RT for that.

[mountainlion]

I was at a fire base once that had 4 deuce and a halfs with quad 50’s. there were maybe 20 APC’s, about that many M60 tanks, one 8” Howitzer on a track, two 155MM Howitzers, two 175 MM Howitzers, about 20 105s, 4.2” mortars, 60MM mortars, and lots of smaller stuff. Every night we had a “Mad Minute” where everyone that want to shoot or check their weapons could open fire for 60 seconds. The only thing bigger that was B52 dropping 3500 tons of 500 pounders.

I was only an Engineer with a bulldozer. I only got to shoot an M16.

[RedMonqey]

I have some friends who are mechanics that could cobble up that for ya in trade for you BMW..

Of course it won't be authentic WW1 era Harleys.

More like two rusted motocross bikes with an apple crate attached, with an a pop gun thrown in ...

Shall I give you their number?

[RedMonqey]

“Mad Minute” sounds like a “real hoot”

Kinda like my younger days with my reeeeally redneck friends

Except for the part about being in an war...

Getting shot at.....

In a stinkin tropical jungle.....

(my hat off to the Vietnam vets and all vets in general)

[PLMerite]

My guess is the rider was warned to dismount before firing the recoilless rifle. Other than that, maybe doable.

[sphinx]

“The name is Bond. James Bond.”

[buwaya]

This was in fact a practical setup at the time.
Both the Germans and Russians used wagon mounted machineguns during the first mobile operations of WWI, and they were useful.
The Germans used them in their Cavalry Divisions in 1914, especially covering the flank of the Schleiffen maneuver, against Belgians, French Territorials, and even against the British at Le Cateau.
German mobile machinegun doctrine at the time was to use them in company-sized groups, opening massed fire at extreme range, 1000-2000 yards, against area targets, manueuvering troops, hasty defenses, especially against flanks. The wagons gave them mobility. Apparently very effective. When everyone dug in this idea had to go away.

[StAntKnee]

I’d say photog’s sleeve. Unbuttoned. Put yourself on report, soldier.

[SAMWolf]

I'll take a BMW with MG-34 for my motorcyclespanken truppen.

[Professional Engineer]

Hiya Snippy!

[Professional Engineer]

Nice ride Sam.