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#1
06-06-2011, 07:31 AM
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OT; The Longest Day
Sixty seven years ago today, the largest amphibious landing in history started the final chapter of the history of the Third Reich. It marked the return of the western Allies to occupied Europe and the start of the long, bloody road that would end in a small bunker in Berlin.
To the soldiers, sailors and airmen, the men and women who risked their lives and especially to those who paid the supreme price...may your sacrifice never be forgotten!
__________________
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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#2
06-06-2011, 08:05 AM
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Forgive me if this has been posted here before; when you watch the movie The Longest Day; have a look for Richard Todd's character, Major John Howard.
Uniquely among the cast, Todd actually fought on D-Day; while he did not play himself, he was a platoon commander in the airborne unit led by Howard. At one point IIRC he even speaks to a character called "Toddy."
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#3
06-06-2011, 08:31 AM
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Quote:
However I'm being seriously picky here and your point is a good one - that must have been very weird making the film the Longest Day - filming those sequences with the central character in that part of the story being played by someone who was actually there! It's a very good film and the book by Cornelius Ryan is also well worth reading. Quote:
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#4
06-06-2011, 08:51 AM
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The sheer size of Overlord still boggles the mind.
The Allies landed the British 6th Airborne and the US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions on the night of June 5th and then landed the US 1st and 4th Infantry Divisions, two regiments of the 29th Infantry Division, dozens of attached battalions on two beachs and the British landed the 3rd and 50th Divisions, the Canadian 3rd Division, the British 79th Armoured Division as well as supporting brigades and battalions. The Royal Navy committed 3 battleships, 17 cruisers, 2 monitors, 65 destroyers, 11 frigates, 17 corvettes and 4 sloops. The United States Navy added 3 battleships, 3 heavy cruisers, 30 destroyers and 2 frigates. The Free French sent 2 light cruisers, 1 destroyer, 2 corvettes and 4 frigates. The Free Poles sent a light cruiser and 2 destroyers. Norway added 3 destroyer, Greece 2 corvettes and Holland sent 2 sloops. Not to mention 4,126 landing craft and ships, 736 ancillary ships and craft and 864 merchant ships. An armada the likes of which will never be seen again.
__________________
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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#5
06-06-2011, 09:43 AM
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I collect a wide variety of military history books and manuals. Came across this loadout for D-Day.
The assault battalions did not land their companies in their normal tactical configuration, the shortage of LCVPs required that the boats be loaded to their maximum capacity, regardless of squad/platoon TO&Es. There were two types of loads: The Assault Boat Load and the Support Boat Load. The Assault Boat Load: 30 men organized as a: A boat team leader (officer) armed with a M-1 carbine, a M1911A1 pistol and carrying 6 colored smoke grenades, a smoke grenade, a frag grenade and a SCR-537 walkie-talkie. A rifle team of 5 men. #1 & #2 each armed with a M-1 Garand, 1 smoke grenade, 2 frag grenades and a wirecutter. #3 carrys a M-1 Garand, 1 smoke grenade, 1 frag grenade, a M-7 grenade launcher and 10 smoke rifle grenades. #4 & #5 each with a M-1 Garand, 1 smoke grenade, 1 frag grenade, 1 bangalore torpedo. A wire cutting team of 4 men, each with a M-1 Garand, 1 smoke grenade, 2 bangalore torpedoes, 2 small wirecutters, 2 large wirecutters. A BAR team of 4 men, #1 & #3 with a M-1918A2 BAR (13 mags). #2 & #4 each with a M-1 Garand and 13 BAR mags. A light mortar team of 4 men; #1 with a M-1 Carbine, a M1911A1 pistol, a 60mm mortar sight, cleaning staff, binoculars, compass, flashlight and 12 60mm mortar bombs. #2 with a M1911A1 pistol, the 60mm mortar and 5 mortar bombs. #3 with M-1 Carbine, a M1911A1 pistol and 12 mortar bombs. And #4 with a M-1 Carbine, a M-1911A1 pistol and 12 mortar bombs. A bazooka team of 4 men; #1 & #3 each with a M-1 Carbine, a M1911A1 pistol, a M-1A1 Bazooka and 8 rockets. #2 & #4 each with a M-1 Garand and 12 bazooka rockets. A flamethrower team of 2 men; #1 with a M1911A1 pistol, and a M-1 flamethrower. #2 with a M-1 Garand, 4 smoke grenades, 6 frag grenades 5 gallon fuel refill, spare nitrogen tank and a set of wrenches. A demolitions team of 5 men each with M-1 Garand, 50' of primercord, 4 detonators, 6 blocks of TNT, 7 pack charges, 3 pole charges, 2 fuze lighters, a demo kit with crimpers, knife, tape and cord, 2 frag grenades and 1 smoke grenade. A assistant boat team leader (NCO) with a M-1 Garand, 2 smoke grenades and 8 frag grenades. Each man with a M-1 Garand carried 176 rounds (80 in a cartridge belt and 96 in two bandoleers). Each man with a M-1 Carbine had 5 magazines and those with a pistol carried 3 mags. The Support Boat Team consisted of 30 men, organized as follows; A boat team leader (officer) with a M-1 Carbine, a M1911A1 pistol, 6 colored smoke grenades, a smoke grenade, a frag grenade and a SCR-536 walkie-talkie. A rifle team of 5 men. #1, #2 & #3 each with a M-1 Garand, a M-7 grenade launcher, a smoke grenade, a frag grenade, 3 smoke rifle grenades and 12 AT rifle grenades. #4 & #5 each with a M-1 Garand, 2 smoke grenades, 5 frag grenades and a pair of wirecutters. A machine gun team of 6 men. #1 with a M1911A1 pistol and a tripod. #2 with either a M-1919A4 or a M-1917A1 machine gun and a M-1 carbine. #3 with a M-1 carbine, spare parts box and a 250rd ammo box (and water chest if the M1917A1 is present). #4 & #5 each with a M-1 carbine and 2 250-rd ammo boxes. #6 with a M-1 carbine, 2 250-rd ammo boxes and a pair of binoculars. A wire cutting team of 4 men; each with a M-1 Garand, a smoke grenade, 2 bangalore torpedoes, 2 small wirecutters and 2 large wirecutters. A 81mm mortar team of 8 men: #1 with a M-1 carbine, mortar sight, compass, flashlight, sound-powered telephone and 5 mortar bombs. #2 with a M-1 carbine, mortar bipod and a sound-powered telephone. #3 with a M-1 carbine, mortar tube with aiming stakes carried inside it. #4 with the mortar baseplate and a M-1 carbine. #5 with a M-1 carbine, 7 mortar bombs and a wire reel with 400 yards of ammo wire. # 6, #7 & #8, each with a M-1 Garand and 7 mortar bombs. A demolition team of 5 men, each with a M-1 Garand, 50' primercord, 4 detonators, 6 blocks of TNT, 7 pack charges, 3 pole charges, 2 fuze lighters,a demo kit with crimpers, knife, tape and cord, 2 frag grenades, 1 smoke grenade. A assistant boat team leader (NCO) with a M-1 Garand, 2 smoke grenades and 8 frag grenades. Small arms loadout as for the the assault boat team. In addition, each landing craft carried 6 bandoleers of rifle ammunition, 6 frag and 2 smoke grenades, 1,500 rds of machine gun ammo, 72 rounds of 60mm mortar bombs or 24 rounds of 81mm mortar bombs, 10 bazooka rockets, 2 pole charges, 3 pack charges, 560 rds per BAR and 12 AT rifle grenades. These cases would often have inflated life belts attached to insure that they would float in, just in case the landing craft sank. Each soldier was also supposed to carry the following: web waist belt; wool drawers; helmet with liner; 2 handkerchiefs; M1941 field jacket; leggings and service shoes; impregnated wool socks; impregnated flannel shirt; impregnated wool trousers; wool undershirt; M1928 haversack; canteen with cup and cover; spoon; first aid pouch with bandage; ID tags; entrenching tool with cover; cartridge belt and M-1 bayonet for riflemen OR BAR magazine belt and M-3 combat knife OR pistol belt with ammo pouch and M-3 combat knife. *Note, the Allies were terrifed that the Germans would launch chemical attacks, the outer clothing was impregnated with a anti-mustard gas compound that left the clothing with a white, dusty layer, as well as leaving the wool with a foul smell and with a oily feel. Each soldier had to have a blanket roll ready to be landed later that day, it contains: 1 pair cotton drawers; 2 handkerchiefs; 1 pair service shoes; 2 pairs wool socks; 1 cotton undershirt; 2 wool blankets; 1 bath towel; 1 suit HBT (either shirt and pants or coveralls); shelter half with pole, rope and 5 stakes; mess kit with fork and knife. Also carried by each soldier were: PX rations consisting of 7 packs of cigarettes (or 1/2oz of pipe tobacco); 1 razor blade; 7 packs of gum; 7 boxes of matches. The M-5 assault gas mask with a tube of prootective ointment; a anti-dim cloth to keep the eyepieces clear; 2 sleeve gas detectors; a 8oz can of shoe impregnite, a individual protective cloth (gas suit); and 2 plastic eyeshields. A pack of seasickness pills and "2, bags, vomit". A Armed Forces Service Edition paperback. Three K-rations and three D-rations. A inflatable life belt; a raincoat (ponchos were not issued at this time); 4 1/2oz sterno heating units; a bottle of water purificationtablets; 3 pairs of wool socks; 1 pair of impregnated protective socks; a 2oz can of insect powder; 3 prophylactics (condoms); a pilofilm bag (to protect the weapon from sea water and sand); a copy of Eisenhower's message to the troops and 200 francs in invasion currency. It was estimated that each soldier in the assault waves had to carry between 70-90 pounds of equipment. And now you know why photos of D-Day often show heaps of equipment, abandoned by the troops......
__________________
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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#7
06-06-2011, 10:40 AM
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Quote:
 Quote:
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#8
06-06-2011, 10:53 AM
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"Up the Ox and Bucks!"
It's a shame the Ox and Bucks light infantry got almagamated into the Rifles. Allot of venerable units have lost their identity this way.
__________________
Better to reign in hell, than to serve in heaven.
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#9
06-06-2011, 01:45 PM
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I could be wrong here, but I think Richard Todd was offered the chance to play himself in the film but declined.
Also IIRC Todd's Para Battalion was commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel Pine-Coffin. Quality name!
__________________
Author of the unofficial and strictly non canon Alternative Survivor’s Guide to the United Kingdom
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#10
06-06-2011, 05:06 PM
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Quote:
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#11
06-06-2011, 07:29 PM
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Just watched the film again- the other great quote is:
Pvt Clough: "You know Flanagan, there are some very peculiar people on this beach!" Apologies for taking the thread toward the film and away from the real event- the achievement was so great, it still amazes me.
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#12
06-07-2011, 06:38 AM
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When I received my medical discharge from the Army, my first civilian boss was a veteran of D-Day. Didn't know it until I was in his office and framed over his desk was a battered piece of paper, Eisenhower's Message to the troops. In faded ink and pencil were the signatures of the men of his platoon. They were part of Company A, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division and they were part of the Third Wave into Omaha Beach.
He never would talk about his experiences on Bloody Omaha, but from research, I found out that his platoon went into action with 45 men assigned to it, by the end of the Longest Day, 21 men were left. By the time the 1st Division broke out of the bocage, there were only 7 men remaining out of thise who had landed on D-Day. He served with the 1st Infantry Division, somehow remaining untouched until the fighting in the Ardennes, where he lost his left arm. By that time, he was the only man remaining from the D-Day platoon. Corporal Joe Sheridan died on March 3rd, 2005. Another member of the Greatest Generation reporting for duty Saint Peter; I've served my time in hell!
__________________
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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#13
06-07-2011, 07:40 AM
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Quote:
The main difference between the two battles is that the Japanese didn't contest the landings, in contrast to how bloody Omaha beach was (and, to a lesser extent, the other four zones). And the D-Day invasion, as you pointed out, represented more nations than just the US and British Commonwealth.
__________________
If you find yourself in a fair fight you didn't plan your mission properly! Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who don't.
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#14
06-07-2011, 08:18 AM
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Given the English channel is a bit of a tight area to begin with, I'm guessing that the Allies probably couldn't have fit more vessels in there even if they'd wanted to.
Okinawa on the other hand, being an island and not opposite another entire country, allowed the fleet to spread out a bit more, and slot in a few more ships here and there too. It's probably also worth noting that nearly EVERYTHING had to be carried in the fleet where as on D-Day, vessels could ferry several loads from the UK in a day (all going well).
__________________
If it moves, shoot it, if not push it, if it still doesn't move, use explosives. Nothing happens in isolation - it's called "the butterfly effect" Mors ante pudorem
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#15
06-07-2011, 09:24 AM
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The invasion fleet on D-day was just under 7000 ships and no aircraft carriers. Why would you risk them when the biggest and only unsinkable aircraft carrier was just at hand (UK)? Both incredible military achievements which can hardly be compared except by the bravery common to these men and to those facing them. Last edited by Mohoender; 06-07-2011 at 11:37 AM.
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#16
06-07-2011, 11:49 AM
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Airforce strength D-Day
Did some reading on the D-Day operation. As we have seen the land and sea forces were extrordinary.
The Allied Air Forces did their part as well: 11,590 Aircraft used in support of D-Day, 14,674 sorties being flown. As part of the Airborne Assault: 2395 aircraft and 867 gliders. Thank God for the unsinkable Aircraft Carrier "H.M.S. United Kingdom". Mike
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#17
06-07-2011, 12:03 PM
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Your post about the about the air forces reminded me that the Discovery Channel recently aired an excellent 2 hour show titled "Surviving D-Day" that detailed why so many men died on Omaha. Every bomb dropped by the allied air in the early morning behind the beach with the intent to destroy the German arty missed. Then there was the matter of 27 out of 29 Sherman DDs sinking, leaving the troops with no gunnery support against the pillboxes. The list of problems goes on and on. It was a miracle that any GIs survived at all.
__________________
If you find yourself in a fair fight you didn't plan your mission properly! Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who don't.
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#18
06-07-2011, 02:55 PM
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The reason why the bombers missed their targets is so simple its stupid.
The Eighth Air Force was requested to fly along the coast, dropping their bomb loads, if the bombers missed their primary targets, the bombs would still hit the beach, creating craters that could be used for cover and still have a good chance of damaging obstacles and rattling the beach defenders. Eighth Air Force decided WITHOUT CONSULTING ANYONE ELSE that this would involve too high a risk to the troops, they made the decision to fly over the beaches and delay 1-2 seconds in order to hit their targets. The bombadiers, afraid of hitting the ships in the Channel, delayed a further 2-3 seconds. Talk about missing the target by a country mile! After action reports with the ground troops cited the medium bombers of the Ninth Air Force with providing better and closer support.
__________________
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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#19
06-07-2011, 03:01 PM
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Don't forget that major elements of the fleet were conducting raids on Japan and providing distance cover in case of any sortie by the remains of the Imperial Navy. That removes the fleet carriers, the fast battleships and their escorts and support ships. The real heros of the Okinawa naval battle was the gun line of old battleships; the escort carriers providing CAS and their escorts. They were tied to a certain distance from the island and had to bear some of the heaviest kamikaze attacks of the war. Its also worth noting that the Battle of Okinawa resulted in the heaviest losses of WWII for the USN.
__________________
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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#20
06-14-2011, 11:13 AM
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For the Normandy Campaign; the allies committed a total of 39 divisions broken down as follows:
INFANTRY: 13 US, 8 British and 2 Canadian ARMORED: 6 US, 4 British, 1 Canadian, 1 French and 1 Pole. AIRBORNE: 2 US and 2 British The Allied Air Forces fielded: 8th Air Force: 1,947 heavy bombers and 961 fighters 9th Air Force: 467 medium and 156 light bombers and 1,123 fighters Bomber Command: 1,183 heavy and 97 light bombers 2nd Tactical Air Force: 67 medium and 146 light bombers and 831 fighters Air Defense of Great Britain: 796 fighters a grand total of 3,130 heavy bombers; 534 medium bombers; 399 light bombers and 3,711 fighters. The Allied Navies committed a total of 7 battleships, 2 monitors, 23 heavy and light cruisers, 93 destroyers, 15 sloops and 142 escorts as well as 4,308 landing ships and craft, 514 DD tanks and 2,583 DUKWs. The Germans opposed this force with 5 SS Panzer and 5 Panzer Divisions; 1 SS and 2 army Panzergrenadier Divisions; 35 Infantry Divisions, 2 Parachute Divisions and a Luftwaffe Field Division.
__________________
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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#21
06-14-2011, 11:19 AM
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Quote:
__________________
If you find yourself in a fair fight you didn't plan your mission properly! Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who don't.
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#22
06-14-2011, 12:24 PM
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The Divisions that served in the Normandy Campaign were
Panzer: 1st SS, 2nd SS, 2nd, 9th, 9th SS, 10th SS, 12th SS, 21st, 116th and Panzer Lehr. Panzergrenadier: 3rd, 15th and 17th SS Infantry: 2nd, 3rd, 16th, 17th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 77th, 84th, 85th, 89th, 91st Airlanding, 226th, 243rd, 245th, 265th, 266th, 271st, 272nd, 275th, 276th, 277th, 326th, 331st, 343rd, 344th, 346th, 348th, 352nd, 353rd, 363rd, 708th, 709th, 711th and 716th Parachute: 5th and 6th Luftwaffe Field: 18th Of the 35 infantry divisions, five were still using the old nine battalion/3 regiment TO&E, the rest had been converted to the new six battalion TO&E.
__________________
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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#23
06-15-2011, 05:20 AM
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Well, I still chuckle at this, I am not 100% certain of its authenticity, but that during the invasion itself, the Luftwaffe only fielded 2 ME-109's.
If anyone can check that for me. But yes, I was actually working on doing some 1/72 scale Normandy battle scenes a few years ago, but financials put a stop to that.
__________________
Newbie DM/PM/GM Semi-experienced player Mostly a sci-fi nut, who plays a few PC games. I do some technical and vehicle drawings in my native M20 scale. - http://braden1986.deviantart.com/
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#24
06-15-2011, 07:06 AM
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By June 6, the Luftwaffe had been shattered by Allied airpower, losses were so high that the decision had been made to consolidate its remaining strength to defend the Reich. Daylight operation was limited to attacking the daily bombing runs of the 8th Air Force.
During D-Day two and only two Fw-190s made an attack on the British beaches. According to reports the two pilots hedge-hopped, made a single strafing run destroying (reports vary) from 3-9 trucks and then fled the beach area. Luftwaffe operations against the beaches took the form of night-time harrasement raids conducted by Ju-88s. Several ships were damaged with at least three being sunk. Extremely heavy Allied flak as well as night fighters were credited with preventing more intense attacks, that as well as murderous low-level fighter sweeps on any German airfield within range of Normandy. The Kriegsmarine also provided a dismal performance on D-Day, an early morning sweep by S-Boats (torpedo boats) resulted in the sinking of a Norwegian destroyer. U-Boats made several attacks in the weeks following, but intensive ASW efforts kept them from any major success during the critical build-up period. They were able to sink some cargo ships and one transport. Compared to the heavy resistance put up by the Heer, the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine's efforts were simply too little, too late.
__________________
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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#25
06-28-2011, 12:34 PM
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A German Infantry Battalion, 1944 Infantry Division was organized and equipped as follows: 15 officers and 693 Enlisted. Armed with 122 pistols, 127 SMGs, 477 Rifles, 43 LMGs, 12 HMGs, 6 81mm mortars and 4 120mm mortars. Transported by 5 motorcycles, 8 trucks, 17 bicycles, 165 horses, 92 horse-drawn carts and 57 trailers.
A US Infantry Battalion, 26 Feb 44 TO&E: would have 35 officers and 836 Enlisted. Armed with 81 pistols, 219 carbines, 544 rifles, 27 .30-cal BARs, 6 .30-cal LMGs, 8 .30-cal HMGs, 6 .50-cal HMGs, 3 57mm towed antitank guns, 29 bazookas, 9 60mm mortars and 6 81mm mortars. Transport was provided by 34 jeeps, 2 3/4-ton weapons carriers, 4 1 1/2-ton trucks and 30 trailers. As you can see, while smaller overall, the Germans had more automatic weapons as well as heavy mortars for support. You may also notice that the German battalion does not have integral antitank support, this was provided by the issue of Panzerfausts as a round of ammunition, rather than as a dedicated weapon like the antitank guns and bazookas of the Yanks. Contary to Hollywood depictions, SMGs were not normally issued to the infantry, they were more commonly issued to the armored and armored infantry units. In the German Army, they were primarily squad leader weapons (this allowed the squad leader to control his weapons rather than joining in on the fighting, at least until things got up close and personal).
__________________
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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#26
06-28-2011, 12:58 PM
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During the War, the Germans issued three types of combat rations to their troops:
Marschverpflegung or March Rations: this was a cold ration issued for not more than 3-4 consecutive days to units in transit either by carriers or by foot. It contained about 700gms of bread, 200gms of cold meat or cheese, 60gms of bread spreads, 9gms of coffee or 4gms of tea, 10gms of surgar and six cigarettes, total weight was about 980gms. Eiserne Portion or Iron Ration: This consisted of 250gms of biscuits, 200gms of cold meat, 150gms of preserved vegatables, 25gm of coffee and 25gms of salt. Total weight was about 825gms. Grosskampfpacken or Combat Package: A simple ration issued to front line troops engaged in combat. It consists of chocolate bars, fruit bars, hard candies, cigarettes and biscuits. Total weight is about 650gms. The US also issued three types of combat rations to its troops: C-Ration: This consisted to two M (Meat) cans and two B (Bread) cans. There was not a wide selection in the meat, basically corned beef hash, meat and beans, meat and vegatables and meat and noodles, all were throughly hated by the troops. The Bread Ration was a dozen or so crackers, a fudge or cookie disc, a powdered drink (grape, orange, lemon or cocoa) or premixed cereal. Also issued was an accessory pack that contained several sheets of toilet paper, salt, sugar, powdered coffee, chocolate-covered peanuts or hard candy and a wooden spoon. D-Rations: The so-called Logan Bar (also referred to as Hitler's Secret Weapon), is a small highly concentrated chocolate bar containing cocoa, oat flour and skim milk powder. It weighs 4oz, but provides 600 calories. Normally packaged in 4-bar packs, it is an emergency ration not a treat! K-Rations: The most widely issued and best known ration of the war. This was packaged in three meals, labeled breakfast, lunch or supper. Breakfast consisted of a fruit bar, powdered coffee, sugar, crackers, a premixed cereal bar and a small can of ham and eggs. Lunch contained a small can of cheese (American, Swiss or American with bacon), crackers, orange or lemon drink powder, sugar, chocolate or other candy and chewing gum, Supper was a small can of potted meat or Spam, crackers, powdered coffee, sugar, chocolate or other candy and chewing gum. All three had an accessory pack that held 9 cigarettes, a book of matches, a pack of toilet paper and a wooden spoon. And now you know why Germans and GIs would go out of their way to forage any kind of food other than the issue crap!
__________________
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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#27
06-28-2011, 02:37 PM
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Quote:
__________________
My Twilight claim to fame: I ran "Allegheny Uprising" at Allegheny College, spring of 1988.
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#28
06-29-2011, 09:46 AM
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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!!!
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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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#29
06-29-2011, 10:06 AM
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My Twilight claim to fame: I ran "Allegheny Uprising" at Allegheny College, spring of 1988.
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#30
06-29-2011, 12:06 PM
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But since the SL was almost always near the LMG...simply turning and yelling "American soldiers at two o'clock, behind the stone wall!" would certainly be much easier, not to mention faster. Now there was a GAME!
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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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