One of the most notable lessons was that infantry needed portable automatic weapons.
That included France, which had practically bled white during the war.
In true French fashion, it was decided to develop a firearm locally.
Polish infantry train in France with the Châtellerault FM 1924-29 light machine gun in the days ahead of the Battle of France. A magazine is not inserted in the gun. Image: Polish National Digital Archives
With a new round, next was developing the weapon to fire it.
However, the French design also moved the magazine from the bottom to the top.
Though it presented some issues, the top-fed magazine made the weapon far easier to use in combat.
The French FM 24/29 was the standard light machine gun of the French military from the 1920s to the late 1960s. Image: Peter Suciu
As a result, the cartridge was withdrawn and redesigned with a shorter case becoming the 7.554mm French.
The rimless bottleneck cartridge is also known as the 7.5 French or 7.5 MAS.
The modified version Fusil-Mitrailleur Modele 1924 Modifie 1929 (FM Mle 1924 M29) was introduced in 1929.
Polish infantry train with the FM 1924-29 light machine gun. Magazines are not in the guns. Image: Polish National Digital Archives
It proved to be a well-designed, robust firearm.
Earlier versions of the machine gun were modified to accommodate the shorter rifle cartridge.
But there were other problems.
The FM 24/29 was one of the first successful light machine guns developed after the First World War. It went on to influence numerous other weapons. Image: Peter Suciu
Instead of a selector switch, one trigger was for semi-automatic fire while the other was for full-auto.
The light machine guns bolt was designed to be held open after the magazines last round had been fired.
The weapon also featured a pistol grip, folding bipod, flash hider, and an in-line wood stock.
In June 1940, a Polish Army soldier scans the sky with a FM 24/29 light machine gun for German planes. You can see the double trigger design here. Image: Władysław Jacek Prytyś
It was also equipped with dust covers to protect the openings when not in operation.
It was both a rugged and refined firearm.
Constant firing of the light machine gun could heat the barrel to very high temperatures.
Polish Army soldier provides air defense with a FM 24/29 machine gun on board the British steam merchant ship SSAlderpoolin 1940. Image: Władysław Jacek Prytyś
Thats not the sort of thing that soldiers are likely to do in combat!
Manufacturing of the weapon ended when France fell to Nazi Germany in the spring of 1940.
Those were apparently captured from second-line Wehrmacht troops.
French Army troops with the FM 24/29 machine gun during the First Indochina War. Image: NARA
In addition, the French military developed a modified version that was designated the MAC Modele 1931.
It used the same basic mechanism but had a longer/heavier barrel and a vertically-founded pan magazine.
The Model 1931 was also employed on some French tanks.
The FM 24/29 weapon featured a small charging handle on the right, while the front and rear sights were also off-set to the right. Image: Peter Suciu
A MAC mle 1931 machine gun — a derivative of the FM 24/29 — in the collection of the Musée des Blindés (Museum of Armoured Vehicles) in Saumur, France. Image: PpPachy/CC BY-SA 2.0 FR
These Polish soldiers are fully equipped with French Army field uniforms and FM 24/29 light machine guns. Polish units joined the French military after Poland fell to Germany. Image: Władysław Jacek Prytyś
