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 The History of the Lewis Gun
In 1911 Colonel Isaac Newton Lewis of the US Army
redesigned a complex light machine gun design owned by Samuel McLean. Lewis'
redesign is the gun we see today as the "Classic Lewis Gun". Colonel Lewis
first demonstrated the use of his light machine gun from an American aircraft
in 1912. Lewis' main goal was that soldiers on the move would use his weapon as
a light support gun and not as an aircraft weapon. Unfortunately for Lewis, the
US Army would be hard to sway.
Marines in training with the Lewis Gun |
Tired of trying to persuade the U.S. Army to adopt his new
design, Colonel Lewis retired from the army and sailed for Belgium arriving in
January 1913. With very little persuading the Belgian Army was quick to see the
merits of the gun and ordered manufacturing to begin in Liege. It would be
bored in .303 British ammunition. It was not too long after this event that the
Birmingham Small Arms Company of Great Britain bought a license to manufacture
Lewis' light machine gun. The Lewis gun was widely adopted by the British
Empire and its forces from 1915 onwards. It saw heavy action in both WW1 and
WW2.
Prior to the US entry into WW1 the US Marines would buy
several hundred Lewis Guns for their machine gun battalions. The Marines liked
the way it handled. 
British Lewis Gunners in
action |
It was easy to set up and very easy to move. It was
chambered in US 30.06 and the ammo was interchangeable with the 1903
Springfield. Three-man teams were designated and training with these guns was
extremely proficient. When the US Marines finally went to war they were not
allowed to take their Lewis guns.
As our air forces needed an aircraft weapon, General Pershing ordered
the Marines to give up their Lewis guns to the Air Corp.
The Lewis Gun would serve the British Army and US Marines
through WW2 where it would finally be retired. During the Battle of Britain WW1
Lewis guns would be mounted in quad mounts as anti-aircraft defenses. These gun
mounts would be responsible for 20% of all German combat aircrafts shot down
over Great Britain during this time and getting its last kill as a ground gun
against a German V-1 buzz bomb in 1944.
Sideshow's Lewis Gun
The Lewis Gun done by Sideshow is a miniature copy of the
original. It has a working bipod, flip site, and sling. The Lozenge type
magazine is removable and is compartmentalized with painted brass rounds. It is
made from a softer type plastic and is a little more forgivable when doing
other things with it. This, as with many of Sideshow's accoutrements, are great
for other 1/6th-scale projects or kit bashing.
This figure is probably one of the most diverse that
Sideshow has delved into militarily speaking. In most cases it can be bashed
into a WW1 infantryman or with a couple of modifications he could be a WW2
rifleman or Bren gunner. In all, the Lewis Gun has great potential all the way
around for either a great centerpiece for your WW1 line up, or for that great
little kit bash you have been wanting to do for a long time.
 The Head Sculpt and Figure
I can't place him but he looks familiar. His drawn blood
shot eyes could show concern, strength and fear while overlooking the carnage
of Gallipoli from his landing boat, or is he looking up into the hills where
the Turks have bunkered themselves, raking the beach with machine gun fire, and
wondering if he will make it out of his boat? It doesn't matter really. This
"typical" Mat Falls head sculpt is anything but typical. Probably the best in
the Bayonets and Barbed Wire line, this sculpt shows how deep one can get while
sculpting. The sunken eyes are the first thing you notice when you open the
box. Then you try to figure out what he is thinking about. That's what good
sculpts do. They make you think.
 P1908 Webbing and Pistol
I always pull the gear apart to make sure that nothing is
misarranged or not attached. I find that all the gear is correct P1908 webbing.
Everything is well represented and done smartly. The haversack and the braces
(suspenders to us) are done in elastic that simulates the khaki webbing rather
well. The buckles that hold them all together need care when attaching things.
They are small and may break easily. Everything is attached like the real gear.
The Small Box Respirator or SBR for short is done rather
well and fits into the mask bag that comes with it. Its cloth headcover and
large eye disks are another reason why Sideshow has no problem selling their
military line.
Standard British service revolver in both world wars and
chambered in Cal.455. The Webley was one of the most trusted side arms in the
world. Though used extensively in both wars it carried on service in Korea and
in Vietnam.  One nice touch to this particular model is that Sideshow has graced
it with a lanyard, which is seldom seen in the 1/6th scale world
unless done by a customizer.
The British "Tommy" helmet is nicely done. With a
leatherette chinstrap and a molded on camouflage cover of burlap it is a great
addition to this soldier. The remaining gear such as the pickaxe and shovel
head, handle, cartridge case, rolled poncho and puttees add to the history of
this piece.
The Uniform
Done in khaki, the uniform stands out as very well done.
Detailing and accuracy have always been one of Sideshow's fine points.
Divisional patches including the "follow me" marker on the back are a great
added touches that seem to be missing from other 1/6th scale figure
makers' uniforms. The 3-button soldier's shirt is a nice touch as well.
Especially considering that some or most manufacturers have gone to including
only a dickey for an undershirt.
Conclusion
With plenty left in stock my advice about this figure
would be to run, not walk, to the Sideshow ordering page and get one of these
historic figures. It is certainly cracked up to what it is supposed to be.
Also, there is no down side to getting this figure. Everything with this figure
can be used with something else and the kitbash potential here is really high.
On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the best I would have to rate this figure a very
high 4. Although the Lewis Gunner is a retired item there are still limited
quantities available. If you act now you can get him for $15.00. Well worth it
in my books! (Click the Banner Below to Order)
My thanks to BJ Omanson at http://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/wwi.html
for the use of the Marine Lewis gunners picture.
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