"Hitting" is an American thing. Part of the whole "rifleman" doctrine going all the way back to the revolution.
Hah. "The myth of the American rifleman", it's called. Yes,
some US troops could shoot. Yes, many could not.
I've owned variants of all three weapons systems (M16, AK47, FAL).
If I was doing CQB,
despite problems I had with numerous malfs in my M16A4 in Basic (while crawling through sand), I'd take an M4. It's lightweight, I'm quick with it, and I have more trigger time with an M4 than any firearm.
If I rode to battle, and never went far from a vehicle, and fought in the desert, I'd take an FAL.
If I marched, and believed I might be low or commando crawling through sand, I'd take an AK.
See? Something for everyone.
---
gs, since a
Bren gun is a machine gun, it's kind of hard to imagine many folks being able to swim with it. Maybe you mean a
Sten gun?
Even then, honestly, that sounds like a legend, not real history. Stuff happens. More stuff happens in combat. Even more stuff happens when combat is mixed with water assaults under fire.
Sure, they hung poor saps who assaulted the beach and lost a 4$ bullet hose while taking fire from arty, mortars and MGs...
John