Editing Maxim gun (section)

=== Use in colonial warfare (1886–1914) ===
[[File:Maxim machine gun Megapixie.jpg|thumb|[[Maxim M1895]] [[.303 British|.303 caliber]] tripod-mounted air-cooled variant]]
[[File:USSVixenMaximMachineGun.1898.ws.jpg|thumb|A large-bore Maxim on the [[USS Vixen (PY-4)|USS ''Vixen'']] c. 1898]]

A prototype of the Maxim gun was given by Hiram Maxim to the [[Emin Pasha Relief Expedition]] in 1886–1890, under the leadership of [[Henry Morton Stanley]]. More a publicity stunt than a serious military contribution, in view of the main financier of the expedition, [[Sir William Mackinnon, 1st Baronet|William Mackinnon]], "merely exhibiting" the gun was likely to "prove a great peace-preserver".<ref>Iain R. Smith: ''The Emin Pasha Relief Expedition'', p. 86.</ref> The weapon was used on several occasions, especially during the expedition's retreat from central Africa, not because of its devastating effects, but as an effective means to scare off attackers. One of the first uses of the Maxim gun by British Forces was in the 1887 [[Yoni Expedition]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Yoni Campaign |url=http://www.kaiserscross.com/188001/231201.html |access-date=2022-09-16 |website=www.kaiserscross.com}}</ref> The same prototype used by Stanley was brought back to central Africa by [[Frederick Lugard]], where it played an instrumental role in the establishment of the [[Uganda Protectorate]].<ref>{{Citation |first=Morten |last=Blaabjerg |title=Uhyret der sagde puh! puh! Maxim maskingeværets logistik i det mørkeste Afrika, fra Gordons fald til slaget ved Omdurman 1885–1898 |publisher=University of Southern Denmark |year=2007 |language=da |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/14690805/Uhyret-der-sagde-puh-puh-Speciale}}</ref>

The first unit in the world to receive the Maxim was the expeditionary force led by [[Hermann Wissmann]] which was sent in 1888 by the [[German Empire|German Imperial government]] to [[German colonial empire|its colonies]] in [[German East Africa|East Africa]] to suppress the [[Abushiri revolt]].<ref>G. Richelmann, Schaffung der Wissmanntruppe; in: Becker, Perbandt, Richelmann, Schmidt, Steuber: Hermann von Wissmann, Deutschlands grösster Afrikaner, Berlin 1907, p. 191, [https://archive.org/details/hermannvonwissm00surgoog online at archive.org]</ref> Wissmann was issued one of the first Maxim guns which had reached Germany and used it successfully in his capture of [[Pangani]].<ref>Richelmann p. 236</ref>

The [[Singapore Volunteer Corps]] received a Maxim gun in 1889, but it was never used. This was a civilian volunteer defence unit on the British colony.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Singapore Volunteer Corps {{!}} Infopedia |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1050_2008-10-23.html|access-date=2022-09-11 |website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106094706/https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1050_2008-10-23.html |archive-date=6 January 2023 }}</ref>

The Maxim gun was first used extensively in an African conflict during the [[First Matabele War]] in [[Rhodesia]]. During the [[Battle of the Shangani]] on 25 October 1893, 700 soldiers fought off 5,000 Matabele warriors with just five Maxim guns. It played an important role in the "[[Scramble for Africa]]" in the late 19th century. The extreme lethality was employed to devastating effect against obsolete charging tactics, when African opponents could be lured into [[pitched battle]]s in open terrain. As it was put by [[Hilaire Belloc]], in the words of the figure "Blood" in his poem "The Modern Traveller":

{{poemquote|Whatever happens, we have got
The Maxim gun, and they have not.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colonialwargaming.co.uk/Inspiration/Poetry/Newbolt/Traveller.htm|title=The Modern Traveller|website=colonialwargaming.co.uk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828003722/http://www.colonialwargaming.co.uk/Inspiration/Poetry/Newbolt/Traveller.htm |archive-date=28 August 2008}}</ref>}}

However, the destructive power of the Maxim gun in colonial warfare has often been embellished by popular myth. Modern historical accounts suggest that, while it was effective in pitched battles, as in the Matabele wars or the [[Battle of Omdurman]], its significance owed much to its psychological impact.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

A larger-calibre version of the Maxim, firing a one-pound shell, was built by Maxim-Nordenfeldt. This was known in the [[Second Boer War]] (in South Africa) as the [[QF 1 pounder pom-pom|Pom-Pom]] from its sound. The Boers' "one-pounder" Maxim-Nordenfeldt was a large-caliber, belt-fed, water-cooled "auto cannon" that fired explosive rounds (smokeless ammunition) at 450 rounds per minute.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=2490|title=South Africa's National Museum Of Military History|author=Rob Krott|website=Small Arms Review|date=January 2002 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qVmbCwAAQBAJ&q=second+boer+war++Maxim+machine+gun&pg=PA57|title=The Vickers-Maxim Machine Gun|author=Martin Pegler|date=20 May 2013|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]|page=57|isbn=9781780963839}}</ref>

The Maxim gun was also used in the [[Anglo-Aro War]] (in present-day [[Nigeria]]) of 1901–1902.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/950611553 |title=Encyclopedia of African colonial conflicts |date=2017 |others=Timothy J. Stapleton |isbn=978-1-59884-837-3 |location=Santa Barbara, Calif. |oclc=950611553}}</ref>

National and military authorities were reluctant to adopt the weapon, and Maxim's company initially had some trouble convincing European governments of the weapon's efficiency. Soldiers generally held a great mistrust of machine guns due to their tendency to [[firearm malfunction|jam]]. In the 1906 version of his book ''Small Wars'', [[Charles Edward Callwell|Charles Callwell]] says of machine guns: "The older forms are not suitable as a rule... they jammed at [[Battle of Ulundi|Ulundi]], they jammed at [[Battle of Dogali|Dogali]], they jammed at [[Battle of Abu Klea|Abu Klea]] and [[Battle of Tofrek|Tofrek]], in some cases with unfortunate results."<ref>Callwell, p.&nbsp;440.</ref> However, the Maxim was far more reliable than its contemporaries.<ref name="smallwars">''Small Wars''. 1906. Callwell, p. 559.</ref> A more immediate problem was that, initially, its position was easily given away by the clouds of smoke that the gun produced (although the same was true of artillery pieces and units of troops that the machine gun was intended to replace or supplement, so this wasn't viewed as a particular drawback by the early users). The advent of [[smokeless powder]] (developed by, among others, Hiram's brother [[Hudson Maxim]]), helped to change this.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

The weapon was adopted by the British Army under the guidance of [[Garnet Wolseley|Sir Garnet Wolseley]], who had been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in 1888. In October that year, he placed an order of 120 rifle-calibre Maxims<ref>McCallum, p. 67.</ref> using the same [[.577/450 Martini–Henry|.577/450]] ammunition as the [[Martini–Henry]] rifles. Wolseley had previously led military expeditions in Africa (the [[Anglo-Ashanti wars|Ashanti war]] and the [[Gordon Relief Expedition]] in 1884–85) and had a reputation for being a strong subscriber to military innovation and reform, which he demonstrated in Africa. There he used machine guns, explored other unconventional ideas, and founded an Egyptian camel corps.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

The gun's design was also purchased and used by several other European countries.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

In January 1899, just before the outbreak of the [[Philippine-American War]], the [[First Philippine Republic|Philippines]] had forty-two Maxim guns. An English observer who had seen one of them described it as being "of the most improved type."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sheridan |first=Richard Brinsley |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924023263100/page/n157/mode/1up |title=The Filipino Martyrs: a story of the crime of February 4, 1899 |date=1900 |publisher=The Bodley Head |pages=133, 153 |language=en}}</ref>