Hello and welcome back to another Forgotten Hope 2 update.
Today we are showing off the weapon that formed the main firepower of the Norwegian infantry squad in 1940, the venerable Madsen light machinegun.
Often referred to as the worlds first practical light machine gun, the Madsen was co-developed by three Danes - Vilhelm Herman Oluf Madsen, Theodor Schouboe and Julius Rasmussen. It began in the 1880s as a semi automatic rifle, but was eventually developed into the fully automatic form that would be adopted by the Danish Army in 1903.
The Norwegian Army showed an early interest in light machine guns. Initially deciding on the Hotchkiss Portative in 1911, the Madsen was adopted as it's replacement in 1914 with production starting at the Kongsberg Arsenal. Unfortunately the M/14 Madsen did not behave as reliably as expected. The relatively weak 6.5×55mm cartridge performed badly with the recoil-driven mechanism of the gun, and its complex design required gunners to have extensive knowledge of the inner workings to solve frequent mechanical issues.
Improvements were needed, and the Danish M/18 design was chosen as the basis for a replacement. A reworked feed mechanism combined with a muzzle booster device improved reliability, but did not completely fix the issues which plagued the weapon. After a period of trials this new version was adopted as the M/22. By 1940 about 3500 Madsen light machine guns of both M/14 and M/22 manufacture were available to the Norwegian Army. This number made it possible to equip every infantry squad with one Madsen, making the weapon a common and valuable asset for the Norwegian forces facing the German invasion in 1940. Our Madsen M/22 was made by Ashton.
That's all for this week, but be sure to come back next time for another update. Until then, feel free to visit our Discord, our public forums, our Twitter, our subreddit, and/or Facebook pages to discuss this update and other news.
