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This engagement gave birth to the legend of "The Angel of Mons" where some claimed to have seen angels fighting on the side of the British. Typical Brit propaganda. That said, I've heard the SMLE called many things, but rarely an "angel"...In Normandy if you didn't know who was hiding in the next hedgerow, you'd fire a shot over their heads.
If you got mortar fire back they were Americans.
If you got machine gun fire they were Germans.
If you got massive accurate rifle fire back they were British getting up to 15 aimed shots a minute out of their bolt actions.
You can work a bolt very fast when trained up.
In WWI the first contact between Germans and British at Nimy bridge on the Mons canal, the Royal Fusilers engaged with rifles at 1000 yards with such rapid fire that the Germans reported the bridge was held by a machine gun battalion.
Bolt rifles are nothing to discount.
The Enfield rifles are definitely the fastest bolt battle rifles I have used in my life, tho not necessarily my favorite- that accolade goes to the Mausers..
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