Quick post on progress of Dog Coy which is the Weapons Company (or Support Company to us colonials). Progress has been slow here due to the weekend's adventures so I hope to correct this with a quick spurt tonight...however I seem to be missing some gunners for the MMG's.
Um.....you also have a Browning M1919A4 LMG there, but that weapon was never issued to Dog or the other two battalion support companies (How and Mike). The air cooled 1919's were only found in the weapons platoon of the rifle company, three of them that were frequently assigned to one rifle platoon each.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it was not fired from the kneeling position - the low tripod was designed for use while prone or standing in a gun pit. This is a very common error with a lot of WWII US sets; you cannot use the sights or the T&E gear from a kneeling position and it makes you a bigger target (MG's tend to attract a LOT of incoming fire, none of it friendly)
As a company or battalion support weapon, the M1919 required at least a two-man machine gun team, but in practice, four men were normally involved; the gunner (who fired the gun and when advancing carried the tripod and box of ammo), the assistant gunner (who helped feed the gun and carried the gun, and box of spare parts/tools), and two ammunition carriers.[1] The original idea was to allow the gun to be more easily packed for transport, and featured a light barrel and bipod when first introduced as the M1919A1. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that the gun was too heavy to be easily moved, while at the same time too light for sustained fire. This led to the M1919A2, which included a heavier barrel and tripod, and could be continuously fired for longer durations.
ReplyDeleteThe M1919A4 weighed about 31 lb (14 kg), and was ordinarily mounted on a lightweight, low-slung tripod for infantry use. Fixed vehicle mounts were also employed. It saw wide use in World War II mounted on jeeps, armored personnel carriers, tanks, and amphibious vehicles. The M1919A4 played a key role in the firepower of the World War II US Army infantry company, which unlike other armies, normally had a weapons platoon in addition to its other organic units. The presence of M1919A4 weapons in the weapons platoon gave company commanders additional automatic fire support at the company level, whether in the assault or on defense.[2]
[1]Garrison, Gene, Unless Victory Comes, NAI Press (2004), ISBN 9780451222244, 1932033300, p. 8
[2]Weeks, John, World War II Small Arms, New York:Galahad Books (1979), p.123
Gee thanks for the heads up on the gun thingy, while I agree about the tripod setting, I tend to work with what I got and what the good people (in this case ESCI or Revell) supply.
Mmmm now that I think about it I may have placed a .50 cal gunner on it...whoops my mistake!!!
While we all love a rivet counter 'S', please publicly share your Profile:0)
Rivet counter? You flatter me! Unfortunately I am a real blacksmith at this 'pooter stuff and it's as much as I can do to read messages and post comments, so if I have a one of those profile thingy's then I have no clue how I would publicly share it. (which also explains one I don't have one of these blog site myself LOL)
ReplyDeleteApologies for being a dinosaur ;~)