11-191 Garand Picture of the Day

[Snafu]

On December 18,1944 three men dressed in G.I clothes and driving a US jeep,were stopped at an American road block.When they couldn't say the password,G.I's investigated and discovered that they were Officer cadet Gunther Billing,Corporal Wilhelm Schmidt and Private Manfred Pernass.One of nine teams sent to spread confusion in American rear areas.The price for getting caught in American uniforms,to be executed as spies.(rudeerude)

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[browningautorifle]

I thought the pic portrayed MPs using 1903 rifles...

[Snafu]

You got me on that one
I think they are 03s

[browningautorifle]

It's OK, it's the thought that counts...

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Here are a couple more depicting the same incident from a Time-Life book






Close-up of the firing squad-



I think I read somewhere they used bolt action rifles because someone else loaded the rifles and they loaded one with blanks so each man in the firing squad wouldn't know for certain if he fired a live round or not. Does anyone know if this is true?

[Bob Womack]

I'm noticing the lefty MP right up front to us in the picture.

Bob

[browningautorifle]

That's what I understood too Harlan. Also there's a story that if a man's wearing one piece of his own country's uniform, he can't be shot for spying. So, I guess that's not true. Bob, I had a good friend in the sniper groups that shot Parker Hale C3 rifle. He shot left handed and his rapid shoot was as fast and as good as the right handers. Used his left thumb to open the bolt.

[Snafu]

In the Execution of Private Slovik (the book) they said they used M1s. The guys talked about the reason for the rifles being loaded by others was one is loaded with a blank. That way the is some chance your rifle has the blank. When they fired the M1s he was not killed by 1st volly. They collected the rifles for loading and he died whle they were reloading them.