16-189 M14 Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

RECORDS OF THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY : Records of the Research and Engineering Division
Quabbin Pictures - T44 Rifle, Caliber .30, T44 with Gunner (Majewski) Firing M9A1 Grenade

Information

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[Bill Hollinger]

Mechanic's coveralls it looks like. May not even be Army personnel in those clothes. His shoes look to be just that, shoes. Odd :/

[Bob Womack]

Springfield had a number of civilian employees, one of whom designed that rifle. It all make sense: coveralls to protect shop clothes, helmet in case of premature detonation of grenade.

Bob

[browningautorifle]

helmet in case of premature detonation of grenade.

That'll help...

[Flying10uk]

I seem to recall hearing or seeing something somewhere about the U.S. Army in WW2 being instructed not to use/do up the chin strap to their helmet or have I misunderstood or got this wrong?

[fjruple]

I seem to recall hearing or seeing something somewhere about the U.S. Army in WW2 being instructed not to use/do up the chin strap to their helmet or have I misunderstood or got this wrong?

Early M1 helmets did not have a break away chin strap. In hand to hand combat one of the ways to get at the enemy was to grab your enemy's helmet and use the chin strap to choke the enemy to death with his own helmet. The US military developed a break away chin strap on later helmets to preclude their use as a "weapon". The break away chin strap was strong enough to keep the helmet on your head but loose enough to come off if an enemy soldier grabbed it to choke you to death. The break away chin was also design to keep your helmet from taking your head off if a shell exploded near you. I believe early helmets were retro fitted with the break away chin strap. At least a lot of the early M1 helmet that I have seen were retro fitted either during the war or post war.

--fjruple

[RCS]

Question: did anyone who underwent basic training with the M14 rifle - ever fire a dummy or real rifle grenade using the M76 launcher on a M14 rifle ?

[Sentryduty]

The US military developed a break away chin strap on later helmets to preclude their use as a "weapon".

Interesting bit but it's only a single minded solution from that angle, it has been at least a decade since my last hand to hand fighting course, but I still recall the following:

While attempting the takedown of a sentry from behind, and you have lost your bayonet, knife, garrote, pointed stick, the enemy soldier's helmet is a viable option to target. Upon grasping the helmet and it comes away in your hands, due to a undone chinstrap etc, the very next action to strike the now bareheaded enemy about the skull with their own helmet. Most helmets are between 3-5 lbs and make an excellent bludgeoning instrument, they are best suited to stay on your head for best results.

The current Canadian issue CG634 (French Mle-78/Gallet TC-3 cousin) does not have a break away strap and the SOP is to have chinstraps done up always.

I recall a situation from one of the Canadian journalism outfits that ran a photo of a soldier I knew, he was snapped with his chinstrap "John Wayne" during deployment, based on the evidence he was charged and fined by the CSM in theatre.

[Flying10uk]

I've heard the myth about forcing a German's soldier's helmet sharply back, numerous times, to break their neck but never really believed it especially as I own a WW2 German helmet and looking at the chin strap it's a fairly flimsy affair. With the German helmet which I have about the only thing which you would accomplish by pushing it sharply back would be a helmet on the floor and one very angry German. Thanks fjruple for explains it- it makes sense now it wasn't to break the enemy's neck just to choke them.