WW2 US Army small arms question?

Rebel_James

I've noticed in movies that are supposed to be accurate, like 'Saving Private Ryan', and 'Band of Brothers', what seems to me something strange in the USA's small arms used. I've also seen the same thing in old 'Newsreels' so I know it took place.

Most of the soldiers used the great M1 Garand. However, soldiers in the same units were also used Thompson 45 submachine guns, M1 Carbines, and even the .45 cal. Grease guns.

What was the reason soldiers in the same units used such different weapons?



"If they won't give us good terms, come back and we'll fight it out."
-- Gen. James Longstreet

roboman

I always thought the higher ranking soliders were given Thompsons, squad leaders and what-not. I'm probably wrong but it's what I've always thought. No idea on the carbine on grease gun distribution though. [:(]

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"The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long..."

pack rat633

Same in all wars(at least in mine, VietNam) everyone is issued their T/O weapon, but during the course of combat you pick what you really want to use, find one, and use it till something better comes along. No big deal usually, the brass knows that if you are confidant in your weapon, you'll fight better.

SEMPER FI MAC, SEMPER FI

ElMuertoMonkey

It may be a Hollywood artifact to differentiate the characters because in "The Thin Red Line" everyone carried the same weapon (the M1 Garand) and, subsequently, everyone got confused as to who was who.

matwor

I've always thought that everybody carried something different to be diversified. You know, so the group would always have something with them for different situations. I'm sure the military guys and gals on her will chime in and set us straight.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Edmund Burke

DancesWithSheep

In both my line company tours in Vietnam we carried TO weapons only. We could not just pick up and use whatever we wanted; we could not even carry a 1911 unless it was specifically assigned. Of course, for enough Salem cigarettes you could get anything from a Swedish-K to a Thompson, but these weapons stayed behind when you went into the field.

p3skyking

We (in the USN)had a stardard billet description of what an ashore party would carry in wartime. It was an assortment of weapons designed to allow the maximum defence or offence. Don't remember the exact breakdown, but it went something like (for WWII);

1 BAR
4 Rifles
2 Sidearms (.38, .45)
2 2 Carbines
1 Submachinegun

This would have been a good mix to engage at any range. I think the senior man and the corpsman would have the pistols, radioman a carbine, the coxswain a carbine, etc.