WWII Infantry Weapons and Their Effect

A

Amsdorf

Moderator
This is a great old movie made to demonstrate the range of weapons available to the troops in the field during WWII: 1911, .30 Carbine, .30 Cal, and on up.

I worked on enhancing the audio and video. The audio was a kind of a mess, particularly in the beginning, but I did what I could.

Hope you like it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuSOecA864o
 
Let us know what you identify as propaganda.

I noticed that they are assuming some really expert marksmanship skills in places.
 
I will tell you the Propaganda that bothers me is the part that makes me want one of those BARS.. I kept going back to Ohio Ordnance web sight looking at their BARs.. and fondling the enter key by the buy icon..
 
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I'd say the whole movie was a "bit optimistic."

I think one purpose of it was to instill a sense of confidence in the troops that their weapons were every bit the match for the "Master Race's" weapon systems.
 
Dear Indy: May I say this? I hate you.

Now I know I'm going to be fondling the "buy" sequence as well.

Thanks a lot, bro.

:)
 
indy - my father-in-law carried a BAR in North Africa and Italy - funny thing - he wasn't as excited about it as you guys are . . . :D :eek: :roll eyes: :)
 
Lots of vets who fought in Europe weren't in love with the BAR. In the Pacific theater it was a different story, Marines and GIs liked the heck out of the BAR.

After the war FN flipped the BAR action over made it belt fed and added a quick change barrel. iirc it's the M-249 now.
 
Thanks for sharing that, very interesting.

Why do you think vets in the ETO didn't like it whereas in the PTO they did?
 
Why do you think vets in the ETO didn't like it whereas in the PTO they did?
Click to expand...

I suppose different fronts required different tactics. An example I know many WWII vets who fought in Europe that liked the Garand. Then I've met many, including my father who fought in the Pacific. The ones in the Pacific seemed to like the Carbine. The ones from Europe liked the Garand.

In the short range you have in the Jungles I can see where the Carbine would have the advantage over the Garand. In Europe it would be the opposite.
 
One part of the film I did have a problem with is the guy with the 03 in the fox hole shooting at the tank vision slit to make the tank close down so to speak ..

Now I would not like to think my self a coward or someone to disobay orders.. BUUUUUUTTTTT I do not see myself shooting at a tank with a bolt action rifle.. Oh what they hay I do not see myself shooting at a tank with a semi auto rifle either..

That is kinda like taking a wiz on Mike Tyson's shoe and waiting for a reaction
 
Don't know, a division of paratroopers (that being light infantry) held off three armored divisions at Bastogne with not much more then those guys in that clip. They did pretty good with what they had.


I remember when I went through the Infantry Officers Basic Course. We went though what was called a tank confidence course where we got in fox holes while a M-60 parked on top, spun around a bit, then we jumped up and shot it in the ass with a LAW as it drove off.
 
I remember seeing a training film when I went through basic training at Fort Knox in 1965 that was a WWII British film. It was about tactics in the field.
 
My uncle was a Glider Pilot in Europe (3 Campaigns} he was issued a 30 carbine and the first thing he did was leave it with a dead soldier and take the Garand.
 
BAR's on the range are fun to shoot but only got to do that once. Mostly you just carried the damn thing and it was always up hill, that hill way over there to be exact. There was something about it that caused it to double in weight every 10 minutes or so.
 
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