[dragoon500ly]

I've heard the same stories, but considering that the SMG does not have any where near the range of the LMG.

Based on the research I've done over the years...

The primary weapon of the German rifle squad was its LMG (MG34 or MG42 on its bipod), the rifleman were there to carry extra ammo cans and provide close range defense of the LMG. If the squad suffered crew losses, then riflemen would man the LMG. The squad leader's issue of a SMG makes sense in this case, because of its short range firepower advantage, it also kept the squad leader out of the firing line and focused on using his issue binos to direct and monitor the LMGs fire.

Another German practise was to open fire with the LMG at the longest possible range. This would give them the chance to inflict heavier losses in the opening of the engagement. It would also alert other nearby MG crews and create the chance for interlocking MG fire. More than one veteran tells stories of being pinned down under the fire of 3-4 MG42s and any offensive action stopped dead in its tracks.

The US, in keeping with the misguided notion that "Every American is a Rifleman" stressed long range, precision markmanship with the rifle. Endless hours were spent on the rifle ranges teaching soldiers to scan for targets, get set up for that perfect shot and then making each round count. This is also one of the reasons that the BAR was kept for as long as it was (face it, as a LMG the BAR suffered from low rate of fire, small magazine capacity and lack of a changeable barrel, not to mention the poor placement of the mag making reloading difficult). German practise was for the rifleman to engage within 200 meters. US rifleman, routinely practised at 600 yard ranges (and to qualify for the Expert badge, and that extra $5.00 a month, you had to hit 6 out of 8 tries at 700 yards).

US machine gun tactics were reflections of some of the worst practises of the French. Machine gun crews were taught to withhold their fire until the enemy was close in and then try to overwhelm them with sustained auto fire. This tatical (mis)use is reflected by the very small numbers of machine guns in US units. A rifle company, for example would have two machine guns (and nine BARs).

As US Infantry units gained experienced with the Germans, many units started to "acquire" extra automatic weapons in an effort to try to match the German firepower advantage. Veteran units such as the US 1st Infantry Division would often have as many as four BARs in a rifle squad, not to mention a .30-cal or two at the platoon level, a practise that senior generals made every effort to stop.

General Patton, among other combat officers, trained his Third Army infantry in the technique of marching fire, exploiting the advantage of the Garand's semiautomatic fire. The tactic was simply that as the riflemen formed their skirmish line, every other man would fire as his left foot hit the ground, alternating their fire as each man moved forward and thus keeping a steady fire on the enemy.

One thing that always turned up in German after-action reports was the need to maximize cover and concealment when fighting the Americans. The Germans respected the marksmanship of the US soldier, and especially their ability to hit targets at long ranges.

NOTE: The US Army was always picked up a lot of its practises during the 1890s-1930s from either the Germans (logisitics and staff) or the French (combat arms) From the French, for example, the US picked up the use automatic rifles vs machineguns, dedicated grenade launchers and the large size of its rifle squads.

The idea of always having an officer as a platoon leader is also French. The Germans for example, relied on careful training of its NCOs and then picking the best to become officers. A German rifle company, would have a company commander and an executive officer (who also commanded the 1st Platoon), that was it two officers total. A US rifle company would have its CO and XO, and a platoon leader for each of its four platoons...not to mention a little practise of assigning assistant platoon leaders so that a rifle company could have a minimum of six officers and as many as ten!!!