during the war are very popular, and instead of three per regiment, six per regiment are being provided.
Report by U.S.A. Officers on Russo-Japanese War
These guns were highly thought of in the Japanese Army, and the propriety of attaching them to the infantry was never questioned. Four or six guns per battery and one battery per regiment were usually suggested, although good arguments have been heard for eight guns in a battery, and the wish for twelve was sometimes expressed. . . . On the outbreak of war the Japanese expected largely to limit the use of the machine gun to the defensive, but experience soon taught them to widen its field, and later it was used to great advantage on the offensive. Their rapid fire frequently silenced the fire of the Russian infantry, and caused the latter to crouch down in their trenches. When the guns stopped firing the Russians could be seen again popping their heads above the parapet. If the flanks of a line be weak, these weapons can be used advantageously to strengthen them. Six guns were generally recommended for a battery, thus permitting an assignment of two per battalion. One officer of high rank, however, who was heard to discuss this question ably, said he preferred eight guns, and that he would divide these into two equal sections and assign each section to a battalion,
