Browsing by Author "Fisher, Richard"
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Item Open Access The fall-out from Brexit(Trident Publications, 2017-01) Young, Stuart; Antill, Peter D.; Fisher, RichardOn 23rd June 2016, the British electorate voted to leave the European Union (EU) [i], in what can only be described as a surprise result that has sent shockwaves through not only the British political establishment but across both Europe and the world. As far as UK defence acquisition was concerned, a strategic environment that was already in a state of dynamic flux due to the publication of a new National Security Strategy (NSS) and Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) in late 2015, was made even more complex by the referendum result and what that could mean for the UK's international relations. While the full impact of the Brexit vote is unlikely to be understood for some time to come – especially as the UK has yet to officially declare its intention to leave under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty – this article will look at some of issues and challenges that now face UK defence acquisition, in light of recent political events.Item Open Access Historical defence capability analysis: applying the defence lines of development retrospectively(Taylor & Francis, 2023-03-28) Fisher, RichardThe Defence Lines of Development (DLOD) used by the Ministry of Defence encompass all elements of military capability. Historical study of military capabilities does not use a similar or equivalent model. Richard Fisher describes how the current DLOD model can be used to analyse historical capabilities. He provides an objective approach to any comparison by capturing the training, equipment, personnel, information, doctrine and concepts, organisation, infrastructure and logistics requirements of machine gunnery in the British Army from the First World War to the 1960s, as a case study to demonstrate the method.Item Open Access One million rounds fired in 12 hours? An analysis of the account of six guns of the 100th Brigade Machine Gun Company at High Wood in August 1916(Taylor & Francis, 2019-08-12) Fisher, Richard; Willis, RichardThe Great War saw machine gunnery develop from a direct fire weapon through to mass indirect fire barrages. There is an account from High Wood in August 1916 that represents the pinnacle of these developments – firing one million rounds from ten guns in 12 hours. This research examines that account to determine what happened and the technical and logistical requirements of such a feat. By examining the war diaries and characteristics of the Vickers machine gun, it has been possible to identify what actually took place, what would have been necessary for one million rounds to be fired and the potential of Great War machine gunnery.Item Embargo Provisioning the requirement: machine gun needs of the British expeditionary force in France, 1914-1916(Helios House Press, 2023-12-31) Fisher, RichardAt the outbreak of the First World War, the British Army was in the process of replacing its Maxim machine guns with the Vickers machine gun it had adopted in 1912. Although both weapons were of the same calibre and shared some common accessories, they were not wholly compatible. Furthermore, with the expansion of the British Expeditionary Force and the concomitant need to increase its automatic firepower, the introduction of more machine guns had to be managed with increased demand and complexity, with additional new models introduced as the war progressed. By analysing the war diaries of the lines of communication, this article evaluates the rollout of the Vickers and later models, and the implications their introduction had on logistics, personnel, and organisation across the Force. It is hoped this approach will offer an insight into the prioritisation and decision-making of this critical period, as well as an opportunity to understand the growing importance of the machine gun ahead of the formation of the Machine Gun Corps in October 1915.