Editing Mitrailleuse (section)

==Development==
The mitrailleuse is best known for its service with the French Army but in fact it was first used in Belgium in the 1850s as a static weapon to defend the moats of fortresses. It was a 50-barrel needle fire, paper cartridge weapon which had been designed by a Captain [[T.H.J. Fafschamps]]. Then, after 1863, it was improved with only 37 barrels, 11×70mmR centerfire ammunition<ref name="Huon, 1986"/> and the weapon's placement on a wheeled artillery carriage. This transformation was carried out as an industrial venture by Christophe and [[Joseph Montigny]] of [[Fontaine-l'Évêque]] near [[Brussels]], who sought to sell the new weapon to the rest of Europe.

The French military became interested in the Christophe and Montigny mitrailleuse in 1863 and the French Army's Artillery Committee undertook an investigation into the possible adoption of the Belgian weapon. However it was decided to do otherwise and to create a proprietary mitrailleuse weapon by sole French industrial means. In May 1864, General [[Edmond Le Bœuf]] submitted a preliminary report entitled ''Note sur le Canon à balles'' to the Emperor [[Napoleon III]]. Full-scale manufacture began in September 1865, in great secrecy, under the leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel [[Verchère de Reffye]] (1821–1880). Assembly and some manufacturing took place at the workshops in [[Meudon]] but many parts came from the private industrial sector. Production was slow due to limited funding (the army had already spent much of its five-year budget on the Mle 1866 [[Chassepot]] rifle), forcing Napoleon III to pay for development and manufacture out of secret funds.<ref>S Shann, L Delperier, ''French Army of Franco-Prussian War: Imperial Troops'', p. 35–36 (Osprey Publishing, 1991)</ref> The new weapon was thoroughly tested in 1868 at the military firing range at Satory, near [[Versailles (city)|Versailles]], in conditions of great secrecy. Due to a fear of spies, test guns were concealed in tents while being fired at distant targets. The mitrailleuse performed mechanically with remarkable efficiency and much was expected of it in a combat situation.

A total of 215 mitrailleuses and five million rounds of ammunition had been manufactured by July 1870, but only 190 were operational and available for field service when war with [[Prussia]] broke out.