The Hotchkiss M1909 machine gun was a light machine gun of the early 20th century that was developed and built by Hotchkiss et Cie . It was also known as the Hotchkiss Mark I , Hotchkiss Portative and M1909 Benét–Mercié .
31-475: It was based on a design by Austrian nobleman and Army officer, Adolf Odkolek von Újezd, who sold the manufacturing rights to Hotchkiss in 1893. Several improved versions were designed by Hotchkiss's American manager, Laurence Vincent Benét (son of General Stephen Vincent Benét ) and his French assistant, Henri Mercié. It was gas-operated and air-cooled, had a maximum range of 3,800 m (4,200 yd) and weighed 12 kg (27 lb). Initial models were fed by
62-399: A brigade ; however, over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, the responsibilities of the rank expanded significantly. During the period from March 16, 1802, to January 11, 1812, the rank of major general was abolished and brigadier general became the highest rank in the U.S. Army. Foreseeing the need for an expanded general staff in case of war, which seemed imminent, Congress restored
93-666: A colonel and below a major general . The pay grade of brigadier general is O-7. It is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral (lower half) in the other United States uniformed services which use naval ranks . It is abbreviated as BG in the Army, BGen in the Marine Corps, and Brig Gen in the Air Force and Space Force. The Civil Air Patrol also uses this grade for its National Vice Commander and some past National commanders. The rank of brigadier general has existed in
124-531: A 30-round feed strip but later models could be either strip-fed or belt -fed. The U.S. types had a bipod, while some others used a small tripod. This tripod, fitted under the firearm, could be moved with the weapon, and thus was very different from larger, heavier tripods of the period. Production began at the Hotchkiss factory in Saint-Denis , Paris, but in 1914, with the invading German army threatening
155-415: A one-star billet is two to four years. Other than voluntary retirement, statute sets a number of mandates for retirement. All brigadier generals must retire after five years in grade or 30 years of service, whichever is later, unless selected or appointed for promotion, or reappointed to grade to serve longer. Otherwise, all general and flag officers must retire the month after their 64th birthday. However,
186-469: The 187th Infantry Brigade ). While separate brigades (e.g. the 187th, commanded by then-BG William Westmoreland in Korea) were traditionally commanded by brigadier generals, this practice has ceased in recent history. Today, an Army or Marine Corps "BG" or "BGen," respectively, typically serves as deputy commander to the commanding general of a division or division-sized units and assists in overseeing
217-739: The Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry used the Hotchkiss in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–17). U.S. forces used the Benét–Mercié at the Battle of Masaya in 1912 , In the 1915 Haitian Campaign , the 1916 Battle of Guayacanas , the Battle of Columbus in 1916 (4 guns fired 20,000 rounds total in the engagement), the subsequent Pancho Villa Expedition in Mexico of 1916–17, and initially in France. On
248-739: The Villa Expedition received additional training and the M1909 was considered an effective weapon. During service in the Villa Expedition in 1916, the M1909 was fitted with the Model 1908 Warner & Swasey Musket Sight (more well known as an early telescopic sight on the M1903 Springfield Rifle) to aid in long-range firing. U.S. production had already ceased before World War I and only a small number were available to
279-540: The 1850s, Benét served in a variety of posts at Watervliet , Frankford , and St. Louis Arsenals, and also taught geography, history, ethics and law at the Military Academy . Promoted to captain in August 1861, Benét was again detailed to West Point, this time as an instructor in ordnance and gunnery. By 1864, he had been made commandant of Frankford Arsenal , a post he held for five years. In May 1865, Benét
310-493: The American guns, firing pins and extractors broke frequently. Some members of the U.S. press derisively called the M1909 the "daylight gun" because of the difficulty in replacing broken parts at night and jams caused when a loading strip was inserted upside down in darkness. Major Julian Hatcher was assigned to look into the issue after Columbus and found almost all the issues were due to inadequate training. U.S. troops during
341-544: The Ordnance Board for a short time, inspected ordnance and projectiles, and experimented with Parrott guns at Cold Spring, New York . On the death of General Dyer in June 1874, Benét was appointed brigadier general and the 8th Chief of Ordnance for the U.S Army Ordnance Corps . General Benét's tenure of nearly seventeen years was marked by the development of new facilities at the various ordnance installations around
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#1732776801802372-494: The President nominates an officer for appointment to fill that position. For all five uniformed services, because the grade of brigadier general is a permanent rank, the nominee may still be screened by an in-service promotion board. The rank does not expire when the officer vacates a one-star position. Tour length varies depending on the position, by statute, or when the officer receives a new assignment. The average tour length of
403-483: The Secretary of Defense can defer a general or flag officer's retirement until the officer's 66th birthday and the President can defer it until the officer's 68th birthday. Because there are a finite number of General officer positions, one officer must retire before another can be promoted. As a result, General and flag officers typically retire well in advance of the statutory age and service limits, so as not to impede
434-558: The U.S. military since the inception of the Continental Army in June 1775. To prevent mistakes in recognizing officers, a general order was issued on July 14, 1775, establishing that brigadier generals would wear a ribbon, worn across the breast, between coat and waistcoat, pink in color. Later, on June 18, 1780, it was prescribed that brigadier generals would instead wear a single silver star on each epaulette . At first, brigadier generals were infantry officers who commanded
465-539: The U.S. military. However, the U.S. Navy still used them in that period. Stephen Vincent Ben%C3%A9t (general) Brigadier General Stephen Vincent Benét (January 22, 1827 – January 22, 1895) was a career officer in the United States Army and served as the 8th Chief of Ordnance for the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps . Stephen Vincent Benét was born in St. Augustine, Florida , on 22 January 1827,
496-544: The advice of the Secretary of Defense, the service secretary, and if applicable, the service's chief of staff or commandant. The President may nominate any eligible officer who is not on the recommended list if it serves in the interest of the nation, but this is uncommon. The Senate must then confirm the nominee before the officer can be promoted. Once the nominee is confirmed, they are promoted to that rank once they assume or hold an office that requires or allows an officer of that rank. For positions of office reserved by statute,
527-646: The city, the French military authorities ordered the factory to be moved to Lyon . The following year, the British government invited Hotchkiss to set up a factory in Coventry . By the end of the war, this factory had manufactured over 40,000 M1909s. The U.S. version was made by Springfield Armory and by Colt's Manufacturing Company . Total production for the United States was 670. This was small compared to
558-566: The country. Sandy Hook Proving Ground was established in August 1874. The Ordnance Board studied and recommended significant improvements for field artillery, including breech loaders, high angle fire weapons, elevating mechanisms to allow curved fire with reduced powder charges, uniform construction of interchangeable wheels, and folding trail handspikes. Considerable experimentation was carried on with seacoast guns, armor plate, and high explosives. The early modern machine guns were given some attention after they were first introduced in 1884, and work
589-513: The fortresses at Verdun in a defensive capacity, on some fighter aircraft, and in Mark V* tanks acquired from Great Britain. A variant to use the .303 round was produced in Britain at the Coventry factory as the "Hotchkiss Mark I" and issued to some cavalry regiments. The MkI* variant, with the wooden stock replaced with a pistol grip, was widely used in British tanks during World War I. It
620-532: The huge production runs of firearms later in the 20th century, but this was a significant number for the size of the contemporary U.S. Army . The M1909's adoption coincided with the withdrawal of the .30-06 manually operated Gatling guns from the U.S. Army's arsenals. As the Hotchkiss M1909 (or Mle 1909 ), firing the 8 mm Lebel , it was adopted by the French military in 1909 but not issued as an infantry weapon. The 700 examples manufactured were used in
651-675: The permanent grade of brigadier general, eligible officers are screened by a promotion board consisting of general officers from their branch of service. This promotion board then generates a list of officers it recommends for promotion to general rank. This list is then sent to the service secretary and the Joint Chiefs for review before it can be sent to the President , through the Secretary of Defense , for consideration. The President nominates officers to be promoted from this list with
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#1732776801802682-499: The planning and coordination of a mission. A Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), as the medium capability (and sized) scalable Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with up to 20,000 Marines, is normally commanded by a Marine BGen. An Air Force brigadier general typically commands a large wing or serves as the deputy commander for a NAF . Additionally, one-star officers of all services may serve as high-level staff officers in large military organizations. U.S. law explicitly limits
713-541: The rank of major general in January 1812. The insignia for a brigadier general is one silver star worn on the shoulder or collar, and has not changed since the creation of the rank two centuries ago. Since the Mexican–American War , however, the lower rank of colonel has been the normal rank appointed to command a brigade that is organic to a division ( e.g. , the 1st Brigade of the 94th Infantry Division , vice
744-584: The son of a prominent political figure of Spanish descent. His grandfather, a native of Minorca , had settled in St. Augustine toward the end of the 18th century, and a great uncle had been a captain in the Spanish Navy. At the age of 12, young Benét entered a private school in Alexandria, Virginia , where he compiled an outstanding record over a period of several years. On the strength of this background, he
775-597: The top students in his class. He ultimately stood third in his class of 1849. His son Laurence Vincent Benét was a longtime engineer at Hotchkiss et Cie , best known for designing the Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié machine gun , also participating in multiple other projects. His other son, James Walker Benét, became a colonel and parented three best-known General Benét's grandchildren, William Rose Benét , Stephen Vincent Benét , and Laura Benét , who went to become distinguished twentieth century writers. During
806-487: The total number of general officers who may be on active duty. The total number of active duty general officers is capped at 218 for the Army, 62 for the Marine Corps, 170 for the Air Force, and 21 for the Space Force. The President or Secretary of Defense may increase the number of slots for one branch, so long as they subtract an equal number from another. Some of these slots are reserved by statute. For promotion to
837-554: Was admitted to the University of Georgia as a junior, but left before completing his course to enter West Point in June 1845. He was the first cadet ever admitted from his home state of Florida, which had been admitted to the Union just three months previously. Originally determined to pursue a career in law, Benét had considered remaining in the Army for a comparatively short period of time. He nonetheless consistently remained one of
868-572: Was adopted by the United States in 1909 as the "Benét–Mercié Machine Rifle, Caliber .30 U. S. Model of 1909" firing the .30-06 cartridge . It was also used by other countries, including Belgium, Sweden and Mexico. France and Britain used the Hotchkiss M1909 through World War I and on into World War II. The Australian Light Horse , the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade , the Imperial Camel Corps , and
899-562: Was also done on a pneumatic dynamite gun. General Benét was also credited with having successfully pressed for retention of the Arsenal system despite determined efforts by private industry to take over all weapons production. The General retired on his 64th birthday, January 22, 1891. During his four years in retirement, Benét was increasingly troubled by ill health, and he died in Washington, D.C. , on his 68th birthday, January 22, 1895. He
930-515: Was awarded brevets of major and lieutenant colonel for faithful and meritorious service as an ordnance officer during the Civil War . Benét created and patented an internally primed center-fire cartridge in 1868. When the Dyer Court of Inquiry was convened in 1868, Benét, by then a major, was assigned the task of serving as an expert witness in defense of his chief. He subsequently served on
961-572: Was buried at Arlington National Cemetery . [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army . Brigadier general (United States) In the United States Armed Forces , a brigadier general is a one-star general officer in the United States Army , Marine Corps , Air Force , and Space Force . A brigadier general ranks above