The Marine Raider Battalion TO&E: 24 Sept 42
HQ Company: 139 men; 2 M-1919A4 LMGs, 4 Boys .55 AT Rifles
4 Rifle Companies, each: 135 men; 2 M-1919A4 LMGs, 2 60mm mortars, 2
Boys .55 AT Rifles
Weapons Company: 211 men: 8 M-1919A4 LMGs, 3 60mm mortars, 2 Boys .55
AT Rifles
Grand Total of 901 men; 18 M-1919A4 LMGs, 11 60mm mortars and 14 Boys
.55-cal AT rifles.
Personnal weapons was a mix of Rising SMGs, M1903 rifles and pistols.
There are some reports that M-1 Garands were being used, but the offical records only mention Springfields.
Operational, the only known use of the Boys AT Rifle in USMC service was on the Makin Atoll raid were it was used to destroy two seaplanes. There is no record that any Boys were used in action on Guadalcanal, although there is a photograph showing a Boys being carried on a jungle patrol (possibly a staged photo). Veteran stories are that the Boys were left at battalion HQ or were rapidly combat-lossed.
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The reason that the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the American Army practices chaos on a daily basis.
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