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Here you go Jim (BAR) ----> The F-series Marine Rifle Squad. This organization proved to be extremely flexible and possessed outstanding firepower. The squad is now made of three fireteams, each with four Marines. An automatic rifleman is assigned to each team and the squad is built around the firepower of the BARs.
They weren't the only ones. I think the Rangers used something similar. The Raiders went down one man I think. One rifle, one Thompson and one BAR... Makes me want to wring one out again. Problem is you want a range with at least 400 yds. That's almost a start point...they work out from there.
Is this quote correct from a few Raiders ?
In combat, the Reising gun quickly developed a reputation for failing at the worst moments. Some outfits simply threw away their Reisings into the rivers and streams on Guadalcanal and issued rifles in their place. Many Gyrenes simply replaced their Reisings by 'moonlight requisitioning,' especially after M1-equipped Army units began arriving on the island. In the story of the 1st Raider Battalion in World War II, historian Joseph Alexander noted some of the Reising gun's issues
Jim, Have you seen or heard this before ?
I have to add that being trained with a BAR they were expected to reach out to 600 yards to qualify.
Yup. And you hear nothing about the Johnston rifle. Except from those that think it was a Godsend. The reising is neatish as a shooter...but I wouldn't want one full time.
I don't remember where I heard about three man teams, it may have been an arrangement for an operation and not and SOP...long time back.
So, Could the Bar use ammo from the M1919A4 and the M1917A1, if it did the guy had plenty ammo sources to use if he ran low, correct ?
30 cal was 30 cal...
I saw eight round clips broken-down to load 20 round BAR magazines with 16 rounds tooAttachment 66734Attachment 66735
photos shows a magazine loader - if you have cartridges on five round clips !
other photo shows the WW1 belt with metal cup for the BAR butt stock for advancing fire
The first use of a bipod used on the M1918A1 in 1937 and into WW2
I had the mag loader, it resembled the one I used for the FN mags but was twice as solid. Looked like you could walk on it and never bend it. I kept my ammo in Springfield clips so I could load quickly. Seems the troops were issued mostly boxed and had to clip it up or load mags. I had one of the butt pocket belts but it wasn't much use to me so I preferred the 6 pocket...I had about 12 mags at a time. You sure can go through lots of ammo in 15 minutes.
Jim, How much weight you were carrying around with the BAR and 12 Mags ? It also seems awhile back we were talking about who got to carry the BAR. The picture shows some guys look small holding that nice piece of Wood and Metal. I remember someone did mentioned a small guy would actually carry it.
It was my BAR Frank. I had three of them through time. Didn't carry them far. Now the 1919A4 on the other hand, that I carried day after day after day...we were short handed so we only had a two man crew. Me and a guy I went to high school with...
Yes, the fourth rank, shortest man carried the BAR apparently.