Inland M1 Carbin - 6/44 D-Day

[DaveHH]

you will see a lot of personnel with 03A3s, so there were a lot of guys who run what they brung. My ex father in law was an officer in the Red Ball Express. He was issued a new carbine and it was stolen out of his truck within a few days. He just did without for the duration. He said the carbines were a hot item, everyone wanted one. Why not? If you were anywhere but up in some hole across from the Germans, who wouldn't?

[ABPOS]

Yes they did as they were not medical personnel per say. He was told it was for guard duty. He was in a normal hospital with a room he shared with another orderly. He put the carbine in his locker and it stayed there untouched. When they were told they were going home that they had one hour to pack and get all of their equipment out to the trucks to take them to the ship heading home. He forgot all about the carbine being in the bottom of his foot locker and packed all his gear in it and it went home with him. When he got to his home he found it and was afraid he would get charged with stealing it so he hid it under his cellar stairs where it stayed for 38 years. When my brother in-law bought it from his widow he got the carbine, the pouch with two magazines in it, the box of PC 43 head stamped ammo with 35 rounds in it and a baby food jar with the missing 15 rounds in that all for $25. That was all he had with him and all she wanted as she did not want it around. Of course I had to pay a lot more for it then that. But that was one exceptional carbine. As new unfired other then at Winchester and a five digit serial number.

You're pulling my leg!!!!! That's quite the deal. Great snakes. That is something.

---------- Post added at 01:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:59 PM ----------

I bet even if you weren't on the front lines, it might behoove you to be armed during all that chaos. AFAIK, Band of Brothers was based on true events. There was that one GI that stole a Jeep when they were in Austria, after all the fighting of the Germans was over, and the drunk guy shot another GI for the jeep. Crazy. In fact, I think it was after he had already killed some other men.

[emmagee1917]

Evidence?

The actual circumstances were way too complex for a generalization.

True. It is based on several first hand accounts by people who were there. However , most of those people were 1) units going in first ( 101st , 82nd , 29th , 4th ) and 2 ) units that had been in other theaters or had been in England training for some time . I am sure that units with virtually new gear was not re-issued gear , but then again , I could see them pulling new rifles from one group and switching them with another new group , just to make extra work to keep the men busy and thier minds on other things .
Chris

[ABPOS]

I'm not trying to be contrary, but I've posted pics before about this. I'm somewhat of a student of the 2nd ID in WWII because that was my Grandpa's division. I belong to a group on yahoo where there are a few remaining members of that era. We have one picture that clearly shows a couple of 03's on the back's of guys at the top of the beach in Normandy. Those guys were staged in Ireland before the invasion. So, either they were offered new gear, as you've said, and rejected them. Or it was not the case. I can find the picture if you want and post it. I have seen other guys in the two photos I have of this setting with carbines. But I wouldn't be convinced that they all got new gear right before going. You'd think the guys with the O3's would opt for a Garand. Unless they were grenade launchers. But even the Garands had those too, right? Anyways. It's not definitive and I'm not arguing. I'm just throwing it out there.

The other explanation is there is this rumor going around that the Colonel of that Division kept them all in 03's because he preferred them. And then he got relieved early in the Normandy campaign. And then they all got Garands. I don't know though.

Here is is. Those first 3 guys have 03's.

[emmagee1917]

Many units that were scattered across England were moved nearer the kick-off point for them , some as much as a week or two before D-day. Once there , they were restricted to those grounds . No leave , no nothing. They needed something to keep them sane and to help boost moral . These are the one's I recall getting the brand new rifles . Busy unpacking , degreasing , cleaning , sighting in , etc. , I'm sure it was as much busy work as replacing worn gear . I'm sure that if the commander didn't want to do this , they wouldn't .

Did the 2nd ID have to spend week(s) pinned up before the landing or did they move pretty quickly ?
The '03s here look to have front sights , so they're prob'ly not A4s . I just read the rifle grenade manual , FM 23-30 from 14 Feb 1944 . It explains that the M7 (m1 Garand ) launcher and the M15 sight was just starting to be issued around this time. Canfield's book explains that while some M7s had been made as early as mid '43 , production was very slow and did not really take off till spring of '44 . Also the sights of the M1 and 03A3 were not suited for grenade launching like the 1903's ladder sight and so the M15 sight was needed. These also were not in production till Feb '44 . So , yes , I think most units still used the '03 on D-day and a while later . It is wierd that even with the new M15 sights , the grenade charts ( even later ones ) were locked into the 30* / 45* / 60* angles that were marked by bands on the rifle sling in the early days.
Chris

[ABPOS]

I'd have to go into the book and see. I would imagine they were staged. But I don't know for sure. I can look at the Division book. It goes through a pretty good timeline on where they were and when, and for how long. Not exact, but to a degree. I DO remember reading a book that said some of the 2nd ID guys were used in the invasion because some of the units were understrength. I'm not sure if that is correct or not. If it is, I would imagine they were up with the 29th and 4th, like you suggested. But none of that is definitive.

Do you think 3 Grenade launcher guys would be right together like that? Seems odd that in the two pictures I have of those guys scaling the hills, I don't see any Garands.

[emmagee1917]

Not unheard of , grenaders could be spread among all platoons or grouped with the heavy weapons , the 1919s , 60mms , and bazookas . If the entire unit was equiped with 03s though , well , they could be just riflemen . I don't see any Grenade bags among them , though , nor any other signs of heavy weapons .
Chris

[Bizio]

I went today to the range to test the Inland M1 Carbine

These are groups at 100 meters with BPD 1957 ammo.





This is a shot of 19 over 20 at 200 meters with 10 BPD 1957 ammos and 10 S&B actual production ammos.
At 200 meters distance the target is large as the front sight of the carbine.

[ABPOS]

Not bad at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Looks like fun and your carbine seems squared away!!!! Along with your shooting.

[Bizio]

Thank you ABPOS.

An old range officer said that M1 Carbines are friendly nicknamed here as "watering cans" since they spread rounds.