24 Aug 2024 Garand Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

Army Maneuvers, Ft. Houston, Texas
Date taken: June 1939
Photographer: Thomas Mcavoy

[browningautorifle]

Top pic center right, note the very seldom seen 1918A1 BARs with the intermediate bipod on the gas cylinder. Not on the muzzle as later... Also, bottom pic is the anti aircraft drill. We had similar, never understood why you'd want to encourage an aircraft to engage you with 20mm from a mile away... Love the early gear...

[RCS]

The new bipod was adopted in 1937 and used into WW2 by the US military.

Credit the late Billy Pyle with the 1942 photo of an army post showing the Model 1918A1 in the rack.

These are really quite rare to find when you consider they were done away with during the war,

[eb in oregon]

We had similar, never understood why you'd want to encourage an aircraft to engage you with 20mm from a mile away... Love the early gear...

There were few aircraft with 20mm cannon in 1939. Most had rifle caliber machine guns and the US was the only one at the time to use .50 caliber guns.

[Bob Womack]

There were few aircraft with 20mm cannon in 1939. Most had rifle caliber machine guns and the US was the only one at the time to use .50 caliber guns.

The Messerschmitt BF-109 was designed around a centrally-mounted 20mm "motorkanone" that fired through the propeller hub and a pair of cowl-mounted, synchronized machine guns. Some later versions went to two wing-mounted canons canons and the tow machine guns. It was regular practice for the pilots to fire the MGs first, "walk" the tracers onto the target, then fire the canon(s).

Bob

[eb in oregon]

The Messerschmitt BF-109 was designed around a centrally-mounted 20mm "motorkanone" that fired through the propeller hub

I did say "few." The P-39 had a 37mm cannon firing through the propeller hub, so that's two in 1939. And we knew nothing of the "Zero" at the time.

[browningautorifle]

There were few aircraft with 20mm cannon in 1939.

Yes but it was still in our FMs when we adapted the C6-(MAG58) in '87 and still when I last saw the books in '08.

[FlightRN]

Good Day,
Great prewar pictures. It's a bit difficult to tell, but the front sights indeed have the silhouette of gastrap era M1s. From the buildings in the background, it looks like the "maneuvers" were conducted on the Calvalry and Light Artillery parade field. If you have a chance to go to the Fort Sam Houston Quadrangle museum in San Antonio, it's a must see!

[RCS]

the gas port M1 rifles did not enter service until June/July 1940

[browningautorifle]

the front sights indeed have the silhouette of gastrap era M1s.

Yes. All brand new gastraps...imagine the value there today? I would think the whole idea of this pic was to show off brand new equipment.