’Aerial defence has now become a vital matter to every country’
Lt-Col Von Keller
A rare original inter-war Madsen weapons anti-aircraft defence handbook, published in Copenhagen in 1930 by the arms manufacturer, Dansk Rekylriffel Syndikat. The book examines the tactics and Madsen equipment that could be deployed in the anti-aircraft role. The Madsen light machine gun (in various calibres) and the Madsen 20mm Cannon are the main weapons described in the book. Subjects covered include: the Madsen anti-aircraft system, the 20mm automatic gun, mountings, aiming devices, sights, the 13.5mm gun, light mountings, tactical use of AA guns, organisation and tactics of anti-aircraft artillery, searchlight defences, etc. The book is illustrated with photographs and a fold out map showing anti-aircraft defences.
Madsen Machine Guns: The Madsen was a light machine gun designed in Denmark by Julius A. Rasmussen and Theodor Schouboe, and proposed for adoption by Colonel Vilhelm Herman Oluf Madsen, the Danish Minister of War. It was adopted by the Royal Danish Army in 1902. The Madsen was the world's first true light machine gun to be produced in quantity and Madsen was able to sell it in 12 calibres to over 34 countries. The gun saw extensive combat usage for over 100 years, with continued use in limited quantities worldwide into the 2010s. The Madsen was produced by Compagnie Madsen A/S - later operating as Dansk RekylRiffel Syndikat A/S,and then as Dansk Industri Syndikat A/S. In Britain, the Rexer Arms Company manufactured the Madsen without license from 1905. The guns were known as the Rexer or DDRS and exported worldwide. The Imperial Russian Army bought 1,250 Madsens for the cavalry and deployed them during the Russo-Japanese War. The Imperial Russian Air Service used Madsens to equip their Morane-Saulnier G and Morane-Saulnier L monoplanes, and as its open bolt firing cycle made it difficult to fire through a propeller, the Madsen's gun mounting had to fire over the propeller. The German Army deployed the Madsen in 7.92 mm calibre in 1914, arming infantry companies, mountain troops and later storm troopers. China would acquire about 150 Madsens by 1913, and began manufacturing a domestic copy at Guangdong Arsenal in 1909. By 1935, China had around 300 Madsen machine guns, with 100 of these being used for Malmö Flygindustri, SIAI, and Caproni aircraft.
Madsen machine guns were still in use in April–June 1940 as the Norwegian Army's standard light machine gun in the Norwegian Campaign, 3,500 M/22s in 6.5×55 Krag being available for the defence of Norway. Each Norwegian infantry battalion had a standard complement of 36 Madsens, in addition to nine M/29 heavy machine guns. However, many Norwegian soldiers did not like the Madsen as it had a tendency to jam after only a few rounds in this calibre.
Madsen 20mm Cannon: The 20mm AA Machine Cannon M/38 was a 20 mm rapid fire autocannon. The gun, which could be adapted to several tactical uses, was a primary weapon of the military of Denmark. It was also exported to numerous countries around the world because of its versatility. The cannon was built at the DISA works in Herlev near Copenhagen. The company supplied several different types of mountings with the weapon which allowed it to be employed in a variety roles such as aerial defences, anti-tank warfare or on naval ships.
The 20 mm Madsen Cannon was originally built by Colonel V. H. O. Madsen of the Royal Danish Army. A version with a necked-out 23 mm round was also produced for the cannon known as the 23 mm Madsen. Several 20 mm machine cannons of the Danish Army were responsible for knocking out eleven armoured cars and two Panzer I's during the German invasion on April 9, 1940. A special variant, the Madsen F5 was designed as an anti-tank gun. It proved very effective against the Japanese tanks until the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was a fully automatic weapon, with two small wheels and a 15-round magazine. At 100m, it was able to pierce 42 mm of armour, and 32 mm at 500m.
Condition:
In very good condition. The card cover is in good condition, with some wear and fading to the edges and spine. The binding is good and secure. The text, photographs, and illustrations are in very good condition.
Published: 1930
Blue card cover
Illustrated with photographs and a fold out map
Dimensions: 140mm x 200mm
Pages: 68
