If you were a WWII infantry soldier...

[KBintheSLC]

I have always been a WWII history lover, and I just watched a bunch of Band of Brothers reruns on Memorial Day. It really got me thinking about what my favorite WWII rifle/carbine/smg is.

For me, I am split between the Thompson, and the Garand. The first option means I could carry the same ammo to use in both the SMG and my M1911. Plus, the Thompson would make a great tool for CQB detail. The Garand on the other hand offers excellent performance for mid-to-long range, controlled, precision fire. Its a tough split for me.

So if you had your pick, what weapon would you want to carry into battle and why?


...

 

[rick newland]

Capt Winters in the movie and in real life carried the M-1 Garand, he knew what worked.

 

[Uncle Mike]

There's not just one perfect rifle a independent, stand alone soldier to carry about.

This is why a squad was made up of several different weapons.
In a group, in the open or in the woods with other soldiers carrying Garands and BAR's, give me a scoped bolt gun, or the Garand.

Clearing buildings, operating in open structures, well, that calls for me to carry the Thompson or at least the 30 Carbine.

I know soldiers often swapped weapons to allow that specific individual to be the most effective...to stay alive!

So, if I had to pick just one.....what are the circumstances, am I alone, doing the mall ninja save the world super secrete operative stuff all by myself, am I in a squad or attached to a larger group, a pilot or transportation guy, in the rear peeling spuds, filling fuel drums....what?

I guess there is no, 'one' weapon I would have chosen to carry into battle, but if push came to shove, I'll take the Garand!

 

[Quoheleth]

I thought it interesting - I was up watching the episode where they cleared the three or four gun emplacements still firing on Omaha. The sniper whom they put up in the tree was using a M1 Carbine. I would have thought they would have sent a Garand-packing man up there, unless a) the man was just that good of a shot and b) the 30-round mag gave him more firepower downrange without reloading.

To answer the question, either weapon would have been a good choice. To borrow from Dirty Harry (the Clint Eastwood marathon was on another channel), "A man needs to know [his weapon's] limitations."

Q

 

[Carter]

I love the thompson, but it was a bit heavy. So I'd take the m3 grease gun, it also had a 9mm adaptor for using captured german ammo (which would come in handy). However, I don't know if the adaptor was standard issue.

For a rifle I think I would like to try the Johnson model that was fielded with the marines but not picked up. You could load it at any time without opening the bolt and it didn't go PING when you were out of ammo. But the garand would be nice too.

My grandpa used to tell me how heavy the BAR and ammo was. He never said they hated the gun, just the weight. It got passed around the squad a lot to give everyone a break.

 

[Slamfire]

For me, I am split between the Thompson, and the Garand.

Garand.

A Thompson weighs about 13 pounds.

In today's world, where we ride everywhere, it is beyond our comprehension that Infantry used to walk to location. But that’s what they used to do. They also carried everything with them, or left it behind. Their typical load was about 80 pounds of gear.

That’s why the carbine was so popular. It was light.

 

[Cosmoline]

What would I carry given the choice? Orders for some other guy to go fight!

Seriously, I would feel very under-gunned in any WWII battlefield with just a shoulder weapon. With total choice I'd have to to with the M39 or other Finn Mosin, but I really don't think there's enough difference between the various nations shoulder rifles or SMG's to mean much in combat.

 

[Maverick223]

I would choose a M1 Carbine or a BAR dependent upon the circumstances. Odd combination I know, but the best of the best IMO.

 

[jmorris]

Not that I would want to carry it but best one I have of a WWII, sort of sholder fired weapon I have, is this one. At least I'd have others supplying ammo and wouldn't have to run around or CQB with it...

 

[Matt-J2]

Whatever seems to have the most consistent supply of ammo. Though to be honest, I'm going to go with Cosmoline's first suggestion. I served, and I'd go right now if they called back, but otherwise, well, war is hell as they say, and I'm not too keen to get there any sooner.

 

[ArmedBear]

I'd like to be in an M1A2 Abrams tank, about 100 miles inside friendly lines, with fighters patrolling the skies so thick that they darken the sun.

WW II infantry seems to be all about feeding humans to the meat grinder of mechanized warfare, carrying weapons that would have given them a fighting chance -- 100 years earlier.

There's just no way to imagine being an infantry soldier in WW II, that sounds remotely like a good thing.

 

[jmorris]

This just looks like a better place to be than CQB but there is no "good" place to be in a fight.

 

[aka108]

I would have never found out. Would have enlisted, as I did at a later date, in the Navy.

 

[garyhan]

Marine Corps "03 sniper with 8x Unertl.

gary

 

[Big_E]

I watched the Clint Eastwood marathon too as well as "The Dirty Dozen" on another channel. I too would opt for the M3 Grease gun. But it really depends on the situation at hand since I love nearly all WWII weapons.

I would have to side with not being put into the combat scenario as my first choice though. It's one thing to enjoy shooting these tools in a tranquil secluded spot, rather than having a few hundred German or Japanese soldiers advancing on your position.

 

[Maverick223]

This just looks like a better place to be than CQB but there is no "good" place to be in a fight.

Doesn't look like a good place to me...who wants to be left with a muzzle capped, unloaded, belt fed LMG?

 

[ArmedBear]

I can only stand in awe and bow in gratitude to those who served then and there. I can't come close to imagining walking straight into that kind of combat.

 

[gunnie]

in the jungle, M3 and 1911

1-300 yds intermittent clearings, garand, and 1911

wide open country, above mentioned 03 sniper, and 1911

gunnie

 

[GunsBeerFreedom]

BAR. Sure it'd be heavy, but I wouldn't mind. Or sit me down behind a 50.

 

[Sebastian the Ibis]

So if you had your pick, what weapon would you want to carry into battle and why?

A potato peeler and a job that required me to make use of it.

 

[jmorris]

Doesn't look like a good place to me...who wants to be left with a muzzle capped, unloaded, belt fed LMG?

Clean shaven, well fed, in the States on a photo op not good enough for you? Wow, talk about hard to please.

 

[Maverick223]

Wow, talk about hard to please.

That's what she said.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Fighting the Germans... easy. M1 Garand and 1911A1 for backup.

Fighting the Japanse... easy. M1 Carbine and 1911A1 for backup (it has more to do with the shorter ranges common to fighting the Japanse.)

But guys, at the first of WW2 there were FEW M1 Garands and NO M1 Carbines. 03A3 Springfield, Thompson, BAR yes. Garand and Carbine, no. You only get to pick what they have at the time.

Do note... in both cases the 1911A1. I can shoot the 1911A1 quite well and while it's not a rifle, it can do to at least 50 yards. Unlike what most people think, the WW2 1911s were not 'rattle guns', that came later as they were close to being worn out.

Deaf

 

[Pilot]

Captured German MP-40 and LOTS of ammo.

 

[walleyealx]

I thought it interesting - I was up watching the episode where they cleared the three or four gun emplacements still firing on Omaha. The sniper whom they put up in the tree was using a M1 Carbine. I would have thought they would have sent a Garand-packing man up there, unless a) the man was just that good of a shot and b) the 30-round mag gave him more firepower downrange without reloading.

To answer the question, either weapon would have been a good choice. To borrow from Dirty Harry (the Clint Eastwood marathon was on another channel), "A man needs to know [his weapon's] limitations."

Q

The guy was Carwood Lipton, a good friend of my gpa's until he died a couple years ago.

He told my gpa that he climbed up that tree to get a better view of the nests. He wasn't a sniper (thought he was a decent shot) and he had a carbine because that's the gun he had found (a lot of them lost their guns when they jumped out of the C47's).

I have never met a WW2 or Korea vet that had anything good to say about the carbines. Because of this I would have to say BAR or Garand, in that order.