The MG08/15 was an Imperial German army development to create a light machine gun from the proven design of the MG08 heavy machine gun. It was the most common German machine gun deployed during World War I, and can be easily distinguished from the standard MG08 by its narrowed cooling jacket, "stepped down" receiver, and attachment of a bipod, wooden stock, and pistol grip.
Despite these efforts, the MG08/15's Maxim gun heritage made true weight savings difficult, and the machine gun remained extremely heavy for its intended role. The German army made a further attempt later in the war to shave weight down further, resulting in the air-cooled MG08/18.
