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As I have been searching for material I have noticed many more photo of water cooled machine guns in Korea than in WII. Why? I would think if available we would have ether used them in WWII or Lend Leased them. At the lease gotten them off the books through the aid programs.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...07/SAM18-1.jpg
The effort to dispose of, and demilitarize, surplus military equipment dates back
to the end of World War II, when the federal government decided to reduce a massive
inventory of surplus military equipment by making such equipment available to
civilians.1 Through the establishment of the defense surplus program, the public was
able to purchase military goods and supplies, as well as scrap metal. The federal
government created a program to loan and donate equipment to private organizations.
Some equipment has become part of historical collections, and/or is used for military
exhibitions and war reenactments. Before military equipment is released to
individuals or groups, it is supposed to meet certain demilitarization standards
less than 1%
of all weapons and equipment, designated
as surplus, is transferred within DOD to
other agencies or to the military services.
Approximately 50% of weapons and
equipment are designated for the foreign
military sales program, while the
remaining 50% of weapons and
equipment are designated for provisional
transfer to qualified organizations through
the DOD Surplus Equipment Program,
FMS and for public sale.11
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL31686.pdf
OK
Why does the water cooled turn up more in Korea?
The M1917's weight and bulk meant it was generally employed as a fixed defense or battalion or regimental support weapon. At the fierce battle of Momote Airstrip in the Admiralties, the US Army's 5th Cavalry machinegunners killed several hundred Japanese in one night using their M1917 Brownings; one gun was left in position after the battle as a memorial to the desperate struggle.[11]Quote:
Originally Posted by Snafu
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ma_fixed-1.jpg Iwo Jima
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...917Korea-1.jpg Korea
My speculation is that Korea was more static and lent it self to more fixed position employment of the m1917. Somebody help us out here
I was stationed about 10 miles from the DMZ in 1991. The ridges around there all have numerous defensive trenchlines and defiladed bunkers, there are range cards engraved and painted and inlaid into the stone of the trench rims. Read "This kind of war" by T R Fehrenbach. It will answer almost any kind of question on the korean war. I also found the memorial to the Commonwealth Brigade one day. Very impressive. The South Koreans, at least of our generation, are very appreciative of our and our allies' sacrifices. My houseboy (in his sixties at the time) said he carried an M1 while in the ROK army, and it was very heavy. He was very small, just over 5' and skinny. He put 3 children through college thanks to US GIs.
A great book, has always been my choice. It is the only one I know of that correctly says the Chinese were in headlong retreat after their 1951 spring offensives were crushed and we counterattacked. He says that Truman then halted our advance when it reached the approximate 38th parallel to let them save face (this was confirmed in Margaret Truman's memoirs many years later). By Fehrenbach's account, it took them three days to realize we were no longer pursuing and come back to what became the DMZ.
In later research I learned that Russia was extremely concerned that we had defeated the Chinese and would pursue them into China and reinstall the Nationalists. They let it be known that they would go to war over this, including atom bombing of Korea. Evidently Truman believed them.
I think there were more BMG M1919A6's than the water cooled M1917A1. The M1919A6 was issued one per platoon with the average being three platoons per company the Headquarters platoon did not have the M1919A6. The BMG M1917A1 was a heavy machine and used by a machine gun/heavy weapons company