Legendary Lewis

Lewis («Lewis") - British machine gun during World War II. Was established in 1913. Design idea belonged to Samuel McLean (born. Samuel Mac Lean), but it embodied the American - US Army Colonel Isaac Newton Lewis. Lewis originally intended to use his gun as a heavy machine, water-cooled, but later moved to the idea of developing a machine gun with forced air cooling stvola.V Russian first 10 guns "Lewis" was bought in July 1913 and after the tests submitted to the officer Infantry School [1]. In 1916, at the initiative of the tsarist government signed an agreement on the delivery of Russian guns 9600 and 1800 US - English production. Guns "Lewis" and used during the Civil War. In particular, machine guns, "Lewis" was armed bodyguards Makhno - "lyuysisty" [2]. Machine guns of American origin have been made under the cartridge Mosin 7, 62 mm (stamp on the back plate - 0, 3). The British fired cartridge .303 British. The latter were more popular because of increased crippling the ability of the bullets Mk VII. British guns "Lewis" at 7, 71-mm cartridge used in Russia mainly in aviation.
Guns "Lewis" remained in military warehouses until World War II and used on its initial stage.