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Description
During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of fall 1918, the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), including the U.S. Marine Corps, had to use the French Army's Chauchat as its main light machine gun because the much better Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) was still too new and too rare. Despite the problems of the Chauchat, the Allies were able to advance east, and only stopped when Germany surrendered on November 11. Though France built many good weapons such as the Hotchkiss machine gun, Renault FT17 tank, and SPAD fighter planes, the Chauchat was so notorious it probably ruined the reputation of French weapons in America, and the French Army was quick to replace it after World War I. This Chauchat from the Meuse-Argonne Offensive is displayed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia.

Description
During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of fall 1918, the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), including the U.S. Marine Corps, had to use the French Army's Chauchat as its main light machine gun because the much better Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) was still too new and too rare. Despite the problems of the Chauchat, the Allies were able to advance east, and only stopped when Germany surrendered on November 11. Though France built many good weapons such as the Hotchkiss machine gun, Renault FT17 tank, and SPAD fighter planes, the Chauchat was so notorious it probably ruined the reputation of French weapons in America, and the French Army was quick to replace it after World War I. This Chauchat from the Meuse-Argonne Offensive is displayed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia.