Sidearms for the sniper

[jdmcomp]

Since the A4 did not have open sights, and the scopes sometimes failed, what side arms were issued to the sniper if any? Was this an official issue or just a local decision?

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[Jim Tarleton]

He usually carried a 45, and operated within a squad. He did what everyone else did, he got a replacement.

Jim

[firstflabn]

TO&E 7-17 (26 Feb 44) shows one M1904A4 per rifle platoon with zero pistols. Per this revision only mortar gunners, machine gunners, and their assistant were authorized pistols - a total of 10 in the rifle company.

[Jim Tarleton]

Sorry, I was speaking for Marine snipers and the question was about A4's. I know zip about Army regulations. I might add that my statement was based on known Marine sniper statements and not regulations.

Jim

[firstflabn]

Good point, Jim. I'm starting to get the feeling that the difference between authorized weapons and in-use weapons was even greater than I had previously thought. If you go by this after action report, the USMC had no M1903A4's at Iwo - and even if they had, the number of 1911's wouldn't even cover field officers, mortarmen, and machine gunners. Wonder how they managed to do such a widespread end run around authorized levels?

[Jim Tarleton]

I suspect they bought, sold, and traded weapons as fast as they could. Like you, I am surprised by that AAR. Where did you find that?

Jim

[firstflabn]

This related document explains the 127 M1903 entry in the earlier posted document. Looks like they forgot to append the scope comment in the first report. Same totals, so same story. Not very many sniper rifles - but at least we know they were 1903's instead of M1903A4's. Quite a difference among divisions - only 20 in the 5th MARDIV? That's only about two per rifle battalion - and no other type units in the division get any? This is outside my area of interest, but are these low quantities related to Brophy's discussion starting on p. 517? I think the date in the heading is wrong - surely meant to be December '45 (after Iwo).

Have another document that I don't fully understand. It is a stock report for M1C Garands as of December '45. I know zero about these - to include their adoption and issue dates. But this 12-45 report shows several thousand available to US forces worldwide- so does that mean the low number of sniper rifles shown above isn't because they had been supplanted by M1C's?

I know just enough now to be dangerous.

One more tidbit - the 12-45 stock report shows 10 M1C's in use in "Canning Operations Experiment." My previous knowledge of the canning business is with M1 Garands and M1 Carbines. Looks like the same time frame.

[Jim Tarleton]

That is fewer 03 sniper rifles than I expected. Bear in mind there was a huge attrition rate for the Marines, including snipers who are usually in harms way to a large degree. Still, we know way more rifles than that survived the war, so where were they? Darned interesting document to be sure. I wonder how many of those 03's counted had the old Winchester A5 or Lyman 5A scopes on them? We do know for certain they were used on Guadacanal, after that action the info gets a bit fuzzy.

Jim