The German Imperial Army in the World War - Structure and Organization - Machine Gun Companies/ - Detachments

At the outbreak of the war the German Army had 360 machine-gun companies/detachments; by the end of 1915 there were already 450. In addition, at that time there were 80 machine-gun platoons with the cavalry. The number of machine guns was, however, continuously increased. In the autumn of 1916 it was ordered that henceforth each infantry battalion was to have 1 and each Jäger and storm (assault) battalion 2 machine-gun companies. At the same time additional machine-gun sharpshooter detachments (each of 3 companies) were formed.

From the beginning of 1916 MG sharpshooter teams were formed, which from September of that year were assembled into detachments. In total there were 83, including 4 Bavarian detachments.

The MG sharpshooters wore on the left upper sleeve the special metal badge of the MG sharpshooters introduced in 1916. The sleeve badge showed a gilt-metal MG 08 in an oval MG belt, placed on field-gray cloth.

In 1918 there were a total of 2,300 machine-gun companies (= 27,600 machine guns). According to other sources the stock of machine guns at the end of the war amounted to about 100,000. Above all, the machine gun, by virtue of its enormous devastating effect, had forced the combatants to dig in and thus caused the fronts to stalemate. The cavalry had to dismount and the automatic machine gun thereafter dominated the battlefield.