THE M1 GARAND RIFLE

 The M-1 was the standard weapon of the US infantry soldier in World War II. It is semi-automatic, fed by a clip that holds eight caliber .30 cartridges. It is gas operated, self-loading, and a shoulder weapon. The gun weighs 8.94 pounds, is 43 inches long, with the barrel itself being 22.30 inches. The Garand has a muzzle velocity of 2,760 feet per second, and a maximum range of 5,500 yards. A bayonet can be attached to the M-1, giving it a reach of about five feet. [Note: .30 means the caliber of the weapon is 30/100 of an inch. The caliber of a weapon is the interior diameter, or size, of the bore.] The M1 Garand is a full blown combat rifle with maxiumum range of 3,200 meters and maximum effective range of 400 meters.....or the greatest distance at which the weapon can be expected to fire accurately to inflict casualties or damage. Fully loaded with 8-round en bloc clip, cleaning kit in butt stock, sling and with stock of dense GI issue wood the M1 weighed in at 11-1/4 lbs. The M1 came into production in 1936 using the .30-06 rifle cartridge. The M1 was the designated service rifle of World War II and the Korean War for the United States Military. It was designed for semi-automatic fire using a spring steel clip containing 8 rounds. This is where the term "clip" originated. All other rifles used a detachable or fixed magazine. The M1 Garand was designed for long range accuracy  i.e. battle zero was set for any target less than 200 yards It was the only rifle that had fully adjustable i.e. windage and elevation, rear sights. The M1C, manufactured by Springfield Armory in late 1944-1945, mounted either a M81 or M82 scope, a T4 leather cheek pad, and an M2 flash hider. The The original rear sight of the M1 would not hold adjustments very well, so a locking bar was added in late 1942 which could be tightened after sights were set.

This semi-automatic high caliber (11,43mm) handgun was conceived by John Moses Browning and was adopted by the US ARMY in 1911.In 1926 this weapon had some modifications and became the 1911 A1. A1 stands for the first modifications made to it .During WW2 the fabrication of the 1911,till then manufactured by the Colt plant was launched on an enormous scale, ITHACA , REMINGTON and UNION SWITCH & SIGNALS produced enormous quantities of it .Dispite his weight, was the Colt 1911 A1 a very popular handgun to his users and this because of his high accuracy and important caliber.

COLT model 1911 A1 : caliber 11,43 mm   Weight : 1300 gr (fully loaded). 

This gun was produced by Auto-Ordnance at Bridgeport, Connecticut, and by Savage at Utica, New York. Army procurement records indicate Auto-Ordnance produced 847,991 guns while Savage produced 539,143. Savage subsequently produced a total of approximately 1,250,000 Thompsons prior to and during World War II. It is reported that Auto-Ordnance total production was slightly over 200,000. Serial numbers of Auto-Ordnance manufacture are preceded by "AO." The Savage productions has the letter "S" preceding serial numbers.
All production guns were fed by a 20-round box magazines although those adapted prior to the M1 series could use 50-round drum magazines.
The Thompson was most popular among specialized troops such as Rangers, Marine Raiders, armored and parachute units. It became somewhat of a status symbol and was eagerly sought after. Even today many veterans consider it the best weapon of WWII.
Although the Thompson had many good attributes and enjoyed a good reputation, it did have drawbacks. One of the most frequent "grips" was its weight.. more than 10 pounds, heavier than the M1 Garand. As most submachine guns, it was difficult for the average GI to control in full auto fire. Some commanders said it wasn't any good beyond 50 yards. It, like other submachine guns, lacked penetrating power.

In 1941 while the US ARMY accepted the adoption of the M1 Thompson a complete new plan for an easy conceivable machinegun , the M3 was made up .The purpose was reached, an in major quantities easy to produce machinegun was born .The M3 was a complete in metal made submachinegun.The M3 was adopted by the US ARMY as the caliber 45,M3 submachinegun, but soon because of it's looks the soldiers would call it "THE GREASEGUN". The M3 was a pretty reliable machine gun. It's rather heavy weight and slow shooting rate,permitted to controle it very well .Reliable, easy to handle and less heavier than the Thompson M1 , the M3 GREASEGUN soon became very popular in use by the troopers . 

This by the infantry soldiers commonly utilised handgrenade has a square body in cast iron.The square markings were made to favorise the fragmentation of the handgrenade body while exploding .The cast iron fragments by they large size were considered as highly mortal in a range of  50 m and stayed dangerous in a range of 150 m.The men launching the grenades had to be under cover while they did .The body of the grenade was filled up with 53 or 55 gr of Amatol or TNT,the grenade weight about 590 gr in total .The body was initialy painted yellow ,was for war purpose painted in more discrete olive drab.Those who were already produced in yellow painting were simply soaked in olive drab, those grenades were recognizable by the yellow marksring under the detonation cap (See picture)

Sgt Eagle /Webmaster/July 2004

              

The M1 bayonet is a shorter version of the former 1905 model bayonet developed on demand of the US cavalry that wanted a this shorter .The most M1 bayonets were a 15cm shorter version of the 1905 model bayonet.The model 1905 bayonet was issued to the US ARMY with the Springfield and Garand M1 till the end of WW1, the M1bayonet was better handable and easier to carry version in all situations.

total bayonet lenght : 370 mm                  blade lenght :254 mm

The M3 trench knife,was an army combat knife issued to the US Airborne for D-DAY,afterwards the M3 trench knife was issued to all the US ARMY components.In June1944 the combat wasn issued with a leather M6 sheath considered to fragile afterwards , the sheath would be replaced by a non reenforced synthetique model M8 sheath and the reenforced synthetique model M8 A1 sheath (reenforced at the end ).

Total knife length : 296mm     Blade lenght : 171mm

foto:Mark Bando's collection

A simple brass toy was used by the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne division . In contrary of what you see in the longest day were the 82nd have them , it was only the 101st who used them.This simple toy that could and would save lifes .To communicate when lost , or when they aknowledged unfamiliar noices, they needed a system to communicate with each other , so the brass cricket, a toy was introduced , One click had to be responded by two clicks , otherwise you were confronted with an enemy .

From left to right: The M2 training gas mask and bag. This mask was used early in the war in North Africa and the Italian Campaign, but was also a favorite later in the war because of its light weight. Next, The Army Assault Gas Mask and bag. The mask was compact and the bag was water tight. This bag saved many Paratrooper's lives in the D-Day landings because of its buoyancy when the soldiers landed in the flooded fields of Normandy. Paratroops continued to use this bag well after the gas mask was gone for things like demolitions equipment due to its resistance to water.

The Gas Brassard was used for the Normandy landings. This unique item would change color in the presence of harmful gas. Many Paratroopers did not use this item as it came with the M5 mask in it's bag which was usually never opened. Also, the gas cape which was used for cover from hazardous gasses .

The M1 helmet was commonly called the "Steel Pot", and for good reason. The M1 helmet was comprised of a steel bowl, into which an adjustable plastic liner fit. Because the liner was adjustable, all helmets were the same size, making it extremely unique amongst its peers. The steel portion of the helmet is painted OD #7, giving it a deep green color, and featured two rectangular "bales", onto which the light green OD #3 chinstraps was sewn. The chinstraps were hooked together using a ball and hook fastener. In combat the chinstrap was rarely employed, and was usually hooked around the rear of the helmet or hanging loose. The liner had the exact contours of the steel pot, but on a slightly smaller scale. The slightly pliable plastic was painted a light green on the outside, with a two-tone brown checkered pattern on the inside. On the upper portion of the liner, six strips of webbing were stamped into the liner using hooks. These were tied in a circular pattern in the center of the liner. This was the actual "adjustable" part of the helmet, allowing for different sized GI's to adjust the helmet to their comfort. Clipped to the adjustable webbing was the sweatband, which was comprised of a strip of webbing covered in leather. The final interior parts of the liner were the "nape-strap", a double strip of webbing stamped to the rear of the liner, and the liner chinstrap. The liner chinstrap was a strip of russet brown leather held into the liner by two swivels. The chinstrap was lengthened or shortened with the use of a small buckle. This chinstrap was almost never used in the field, being pulled up over the front of the steel pot during combat (during training exercises when only the liner was worn, the chinstrap was used on occasion).The Paratroopers model had a special leather chin-strap attached to V shaped or triangular support straps , this to avoid the loss of the helmet on the jump.

Your Webmaster : Sgt Eagle July 2004

B4 Life Preserver

Commonly called the "Mae West." Paratroopers used this life preserver for jumps that were over water. The B4 life Preserver , also called Mae West , because of the form it took when inflated on a man's chest, was made of yellow colored rubber , the rectangular part was worn on the chest and was hold on the troopers back by corrigable yellow webbing straps.The life preserver had to black rubber tubes wich served to manualy inflate the preserver with air or let's say that it was inflated by the trooper who had to blow air in it with his mouth , when the automatic inflationsystem, wich had a pull on mechanism , headtube failed to work.

T5 PARACHUTE

For better picture Click on the Reserve Chute . The classic troop parachute of the US-Airborne during the 2nd World War was the T5.It was approved as the standard troop type in June 13th 1941.It is identified by its three separate snap hook harness closures ,seperable reserve pack and tray flaps that fully enclose the main canopy .The harness was fabricated from multiple layers of type VIII cotton webbing wich is 1 3/4' wide, has two black center nylon threads and a rate tencil strenght of 2300 pounds.Initially the harness was made from undyed white web.This changed to a more tactical green by 1944.The early T5's had V rings for reserve attachements . These were replaced by 3000 lbs test D rings in order to carry cargo.The T5 pack tray is rigid being wire reenforced and made of heavy cotton duck fabric wich may be dyed khaki,mustard yellow,olive drab... . The belly band coming around from the jumpers right side and connecting into an adapter on the left,was raited trough web loops on the reserve back and served to hold  the reserve pack in place if it was activated. The belly band also could help secure a weapon to the jumpers side. The Static Line is thirteen feet long +/- four inches wide. the pack tray cover to wich the static line is permanently affixe provided a strong loop for connecting the apex of the canopy by break cord . This break cord could be any suitable item/fabric as long as its cummulative breaking strain was 100 pounds. This apex tie was crucial to prompt deployement as it was intended to draw the canopy out before separating. The T5 opened canopy first. The canopy being dragged directly out of the pack tray by the static line and into the slipstream, before the suspension lines were stretched out.This system of canopy extraction via Static Line secured with break cord on a laced coverdates back to Charles Broadwick's 1913 coat pack and patented by Leslie Irvin on December 16th 1918. No troop parachute was faster opening than the T5 .

THE M42 REENFORCED JUMPSUIT .

.The classic American paratrooper uniform of WW2 was the M42 jumpsuit. Designed by LTC William P.Yarborough, they featured characteristic slanted belows pockets and flaps secured by two snaps on each flap, Wear began in 1942 and ended some time in 1944. The 101st M42 suits were turned-in after Normandy, to be replaced by green M43 combat suits for the duration of WW2. The First Airborne Task Force used them in Operation Dragoon in August, 1944, and the 504 PIR (82nd Airborne) jumped into Holland wearing them in September, 1944. That was probably the last organizational wear of M42's in combat in WW2. Some troopers hid a set in the bottom of their barracks bag when the recall was done. Such suits began to re appear on a spotty basis later in the war.On D-Day the paratroopers jumped in the M42 reenforced model , the reenforcements were sewed on the elbow parts, the pockets were reenforced .the reenforcements were often rigger made . For a limited time period in the ETO, Airborne Riggers modified M42 jump trousers by adding a strip of treated canvas to the edges of both cargo pockets. They also applied knee patches of the same material, and attached tie down tapes of 3/4" khaki web material to the inseam of each thigh. The tapes could be wrapped around each cargo pocket and tied, as shown to help secure the pocket's contents.For the Normandy drop, such reinforced garmets were also soaked with CC-2 to resist poison gas. The pair illustrated was not worn in Normandy, but a few machine washings have faded the reinforcing canvas from green to a characteristic slate gray color. If it makes any difference, this pair belonged to a member of the 506th PIR. Pictures : thanks to Mark Bando's collection .

THE CORCORAN JUMPBOOT

Since 1941, the choice of America’s paratroopers and fighting forces. Authentic, original cap toe and Garrison Army Munson last for superior fit, comfort and performance. Finest to grain cowhide leather available for long wear and comfort. Leather is "spit-shineable." Stitched and brass nail reinforced military tap sole with non-trip beveled heel. Webbing reinforcement for ankle support when running and jumping. Special ribbed steel shank for support. Extra firm, heavy duty military counters and box toes. Taslan performance laces and no-rust aluminum eyelets. Cushioned foot bed. The best jump boot in the world.

The Claymore Mine

View of the open rear of a Claymore mine. Circuit tester Detonator (Clacker)   Connecting wire   The M18A1Claymore mine is primarily a defensive weapon. It may be employed to a limited extent in certain phases of offensive operations. The M18A1 has the same basic capabilities as antipersonnel mines and can be used in most situations where other types of antipersonnel mines are employed. In addition, the M18A1 has the capability of being sighted directionally to provide fragmentation over a specific area and does not necessarily rely upon chance detonation by the enemy. The M18A1 is adaptable for covering the ranges between maximum hand grenade throwing distance and the minimum safe distance of mortar and artillery supporting fires. The M18 antipersonnel mine is an earlier model of the M18A1 antipersonnel mine. The M18 antipersonnel mine comes in two versions--with or without a peep-sight; otherwise, both versions are identical. The mine is a curved, rectangular, plastic case and contains a layer of composition C3 explosive. It has a fragmentation face of rectangular steel fragments. The front face containing the steel fragments is designed to produce a fan-shaped spray which can be aimed at a prescribed target area. The electrical firing device issued with the M18 CLAYMORE is not safe. Due to its construction, it may cause premature detonation of the mine. Whenever possible, the battery holder (firing device) issued with the M18 mine should be replaced by a standard M57 firing device if the battery holder is used, both firing wires should be connected to one terminal until the desired moment of detonation. The claymore is a remote detonation mine with a shaped charge designed to fire a directed shrapnel blast. The claymore is one of the most complicated weapons at your disposal but it can be used to great effect when operated properly. To arm a claymore mine (after picking it up) use the special ability key and click about 3 soldier widths away, throwing it in the direction you wish to direct the explosion. If done correctly there will now be two objects on the ground: the armed mine itself, and the detonator. Clicking at longer ranges will throw the mine, but it will not be armed, and no detonator will appear. To detonate the mine, you will need to pick up the detonator, move to a safe position, press the special ability key, then click on the ground near the claymore and wait a few seconds. The detonator has three charges allowing it to be used for multiple claymores and has a range slightly longer than a thrown hand grenade. Claymores are best placed in bushes or other areas obscured from sight, to ensure maximum surprise. A tank will only take significant damage from a claymore if it runs directly over it as explodes.   Sgt Eagle July 2004