WWI, Bristol Fighter with Lewis Gun, 1918

"No. 22 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was originally formed in 1915 as a reconnaissance unit equipped with BE2c aircraft, the squadron operated in France and Germany during and after the First World War. The squadron went to France with FE2 aircraft but, from 1917, the squadron was equipped with the Bristol F2b also known as the Bristol Fighter or Brisfit'. As part of the post-war reduction of the military, the squadron was disbanded in 1919. By the time it was demobilized, it had had 27 flying aces within its ranks, both pilots and observers. The Lewis Gun was a light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was extensively used on British and French aircraft during WWI. The Lewis's popularity as an aircraft machine gun was partly due to its low weight, the fact that it was air-cooled and that it used self-contained 97-round drum magazines. Captioned: " A Bristol Fighter of No. 22 Squadron, RAF, at Agincourt, July 1918. The Squadron improvised the mounting for the top Lewis gun."

Picture No

10978327

Media ID

47619085

Size

4500px x 2608px (2.2MB)

Credit

Source

Photo Researchers

Date

1918