Post by Phantom G3 on Sept 4, 2010 0:54:43 GMT -5
Now obviously this isn't even close to being done, about 20% done...maybe. But I wanted to get this up before I head off to bed. I will make sure to iron everything out and finish this up as soon as I can. Please do not comment about what is missing. I know what is missing and I will fix it as soon as I can. There is a lot of information that needs to be put into a quality guide and I only have so much time.
**PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A GENERAL GUIDE AND MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION WILL BE UPDATED AT A LATER TIME. THIS GIVES YOU A GENERAL IDEA OF THE ARMY UNIFORM**
This is an informative guide to another side of airsoft and/or reenacting of that matter. This guide will explain everything that goes into a WWII Army loadout.
First thing first, this time period and others close to it are very similar. WWII revolutionized the way American soldiers looked, other than branch traditions, of course. After WWII, each era war only slightly modified from it.
In 1898, during the Spanish American War, the Army adopted the "Khaki" uniform. The British were the first to adopt this new color during the Second Boer War. Before WWI, the Army didn't call this color "Khaki" anymore. This new color was designated "OD #3." Technically, no U.S. uniform during WWII was actually "Khaki."
This quote came from one of the most accurate stores for WWII (atthefront.com):
"Why does everyone call it "khaki"?
Simplicity. Although there are numerous official shades of "od" (the government numbered them 1 thru at least 33), this covers every item made for the military from socks to tents to aircraft. Most items we deal with, uniforms or field gear, were od no. 3 or od no. 7. ("no"= number). The wool service uniform was od no. 33 but that rarely comes up.
I surmise that the term "khaki" came into use sometime after the introduction of od no. 7. This shade is a distinctly dark green, where as od no. 3 is a light olive shade, sometimes approaching a golden brown. Side by side, calling one "green" and one "khaki" makes sense. Most collectors simply refer to od no.3 as "khaki" and od no. 7 as "od". This is fine when dealing with original gear and guys who have some clue as to what they are talking about. Enter the general public, who have little knowledge or experience with original militaria, add "Saving Private Ryan" and that little mini-series about how the 506th won the War we have trouble. To them, "khaki" = "Banana Republic" and the shit hits the fan.
In other words, "khaki" should not be taken literally."
-atthefront.com
In fact, there are different shades of this "OD #3" depending on what manufacturer made them. There were VERY many companies making uniforms to keep up with the demand, seeing how America was a very industrial work horse.
Where's the Khaki?
None of these are. The bottom one is an Army "summer uniform," while the others are OD #3 M42 Jump blouses.
Now then, we got by the boring technical part, now on to the part you looked at this guide for: Uniforms; what did the Army actually use? There are different uniforms depending on if it's the Armored Divisions, the Airborne, the ID (Infantry Division), or Ranger.
Instead of doing a "gear" section and "uniform" section, I'm going to do each section on the said Divisions from the text above ^.
ID
Each Division has their small differences in what they wear, but for now I will give the general seen load out of a Infantry trooper:
These pictures I specifically got because it has nice contrast and shows what you need, if it were in black and white, it would be harder to tell.
What is exactly in this?
Uniform:
Gear:
Uniform:
M1 Steel Pot "fixed-bale" helmet
This was the standard Infantry helmet. It had "bales" on the helmet where the chin straps would attach to. The brown leather strap at the front of the helmet just helped keep the liner and helmet together, but this was found that it wasn't really needed.
M41 jacket (OD 3)
The M41 jacket was actually, originally, a civilian jacket design. The Army wanted something more comfortable and something to keep a soldier warm when it came around the fall season.
M37 "mustard" wool undershirt (OD 33)
This is the standard wool undershirt that all Army service men wear under their field jackets. This combined with M37 wool pants, service shoes, and garrison cap gives you the Class B "on leave" or "on base" uniform.
HBT, second pattern (OD 7)
The Herring Bone Twill (HBT), was a fatigue design for soldiers that were occupying a base. Though they were very comfortable and cheaper, lasted longer and easier to make than the M3 mustard wool trousers, these seen some service. The 2nd Rangers used these over wool pants but most other Infantry units actually used M37 mustard wool pants.
OD 3 leggings
These are an Army tradition. These were actually very impractical. They protected your shin pretty well from debris and helped keep water out, note the word "helped." These take way too much time to put on and can be difficult. Actually for their look, they are not uncomfortable what so ever, it feels like you are wearing just a high top boot. These come in different sizes for different shin diameters.
Army service shoes
These saw service back before WWII started. These derived from the WWI shoes that soldiers wore. These look exactly like paratrooper boots other than the leather upper is removed for legging purposes. These were the most common used for soldiers in the IDs.
Field Gear:
Field gear for early war set ups were all OD 3. OD 7 actually came along during 1944 into field gear. Most field gear was already made in OD 3 from the years before that. Rangers were the first to pick at any OD 7 gear that came in.
1928 Haversack
These are a more complex backpack. It consists of a meat can pouch and the pack itself. This was the standard Infantry backpack used during WWII. Most guys hated them, they were too cumbersome and complex to hang on to. Most guys kept the meat can pouch and put it on their web belt. This is still correct to use.
1923 M1 Garand Cartridge belt
This was the standard M1 Garand ammo belt. Each pouch could hold two clips of ammo (yes clips, not magazine). So, 20 clips altogether.
M1942 First-Aid Carlisle pouch
This was widely used to put your Carlisle bandage in. You didn't want to get rid of this back then, it could have possibly saved your life. Standard issue.
M1941 Canteen Cover
This is the reinforced version of the M1910 canteen cover, as shown here:
They were both widely seen and both are standard canteen covers.
M1910 shovel entrenching tool
This was the standard early war e-tool. Most guys preferred the M1943 folding tool, but most units didn't receive those until later.
Cover for the shovel shown here.
Your whole sit up should look like this when the webgear is complete:
AIRBORNE
Airborne was first seen in WWII. It constitutes "jumping out of a perfectly good airplane." Soldiers were given $50 extra added on to a normal $50 per month pay. This area was new and soldiers were given specialized training, and they knew it. They thought of themselves as the best and most elite because of this more intense training. These troops were issued jump boots. These boots were supposed to be easier and better for jumping than the normal service shoes and leggings.
Here is what 'ya need:
Uniform:
Gear:
Because the Airborne was designed to be always surrounded (dropped behind enemy lines), they needed to have as much gear on them as possible to survive--This is where Rigger Modified gear and uniforms came from. A Rigger Modified M42 Jumpsuit took two breast pockets from the M42 and suck then on the sides of the arm (where the rank patch would be). This gives the user more cargo room. Because they jumped out of planes at relatively fast speeds, they needed more reinforcement on their uniforms. What you will see on some M42 Jumpsuits is OD 7 canvas put around the sides/bottom of the pouches to make sure that it wouldn't be ripped off. As much as you see this implemented, it actually wasn't seen often at all.
WEAPONS:
M1 Garand "The greatest battle implement ever devised" -General George S. Patton:
Caliber- .30-06
Capacity- 8 round clip
This is the iconic weapon of the American side during WWII. This is even the grandaddy of the M14 (the fully auto version of the M1 Garand). What made this rifle better than the others? Semi-Automatic and 8 rounds! While the enemy are shooting bolt actions with only a 5-round stripper clip, you're laying down heavier fire that can shoot over 1,000 yards! The Garand officially replaced the bolt-action M1903 Springfield as the standard service rifle of the United States Armed Forces in 1936 and was subsequently replaced by the M14 in 1957. However, the M1 Garand continued to be used in large numbers until 1963.
Thompson:
Caliber- .45 ACP
Capacity- 30 round "stick" mag (common magazine), 50 round drum mag
This gun was invented in 1919, not long after WWI (The Great War) ended. It used the same bullet cartridge as the Army Colt 1911A1. The design was simple, take a pistol and make it like a machine gun. These guns were not designed to be an accurate weapon as they were primarily used for CQC. These were given to Officer and NCO's only (not to all, however) and not given to Enlisted Men.
This gun was made famous during the Prohibition Era by Gangsters. Informally known as the "Chicago Typewritter." The Police model featured a vertical grip to hold the gun down better from vertical muzzle climb during the recoil process. It also included a 50 round drum magazine that was devastating because of the high round capacity.
(Wikipedia)The M1928A1 variant entered mass production before the attack on Pearl Harbor, as on-hand stocks ran out. Changes included a horizontal forend, in place of the distinctive vertical foregrip, and a provision for a military sling. Despite new U.S. contracts for Lend-Lease shipments abroad to China, France, and the United Kingdom, as well as the needs of American armed forces, only two factories supplied M1928A1 Thompsons during the early years of World War II. Though it could use both the 50-round drum and the 20- or 30-round magazines, active service showed the drums were more prone to jamming, rattled when moving, and were too heavy and bulky on long patrols. 562,511 were made. Wartime production variants had a fixed rear sight without the triangular sight guard wings and a non-ribbed barrel, both like those found on the M1/M1A1.(Wikipedia)
Because of these flaws that were needed for the Military, the M1A1 was released. The M1A1 is the Thompson that I'm sure you all have seen before. (Wikipedia)Responding to a request further simplification, the M1 was standardized in April 1942 as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M1. Rate of fire was reduced to approximately 600-700 rpm. First issued in 1943, the M1 uses a simple blowback operation, the charging handle was moved to the side, and the flip-up adjustable Lyman rear sight was replaced with a fixed L sight. Late M1 Thompsons had the triangular rear sight guard wings added to the L sight which was standardized on the M1A1 version. The slots adjoining the magazine well allowing use of the drum magazine were removed. The less expensive and more-easily manufactured "stick" magazines were used exclusively in the M1, with a new 30-round version joining the familiar 20-round type. The Cutts compensator, barrel cooling fins, and Blish lock were omitted while the buttstock was permanently affixed. Late production M1 stocks were fitted with reinforcing bolts and washers to prevent splitting of the stock where it attached to the receiver. The British had used improvised bolts or wood screws to reinforce M1928 stocks. The M1 reinforcing bolt and washer were carried over to the M1A1 and retrofitted to many of the M1928A1s in U.S. and British service.
The M1A1, standardized in October 1942 as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M1A1, could be produced in half the time of the M1928A1, and at a much lower cost. The main difference between the M1 and M1A1 was the bolt. The M1 bolt had a floating firing pin and hammer, the bolt of the M1A1 had the firing pin machined to the face of the bolt, eliminating unnecessary parts. Other differences were that the reinforced stock was standard, the protective ears on the sight were standard, the magazine catch was modified (the M1 model used the same catch that was on the Model 1921 and 28 which was designed to accept drums), and the fire control switches were also redesigned to ease production. The 30-round magazine became more common. In 1939, Thompsons cost the government $209 apiece. By the spring of 1942, cost reduction design changes had brought this down to $70. In February 1944, the M1A1 reached a low price of $45 each, including accessories and spare parts, however the difference in price between the M1 and M1A1 was only $0.06. By the end of the Second World War, the M1A1 was replaced with the even lower-cost M3 (commonly called "Grease Gun").(Wikipedia)
M3 "Grease Gun":
Caliber- .45 ACP
Capacity- 30 round "stick" mag
The M3 was nicknamed the "Grease Gun" because of it's similar looks to the mechanic's tool. The M3 was needed as a replacement of the M1A1 Thompson. The Thompson was too heavy and cost too much to manufacture. The Grease Gun was a simplier design that made it easier to manufacture. The M3 was lighter and more accurate than the Thompson, but why was it not seen nearly as much as the Thompson if it is better in all categories? The M3 entered into U.S. Military service in 1942 and was used to phase out the Thompson in 1944-1945. There were delays because of unforseen production issues and the gun needed approval for specifications. The M3 and it's updated version, the M3A1 saw little action during the Second World War.
1918 B.A.R.:
Caliber- .30-06
Capacity- 20 round magazine
The Browning Automatic Rifle has had a very rich history. April 6th, 1917, outbreak of war with Imperial Germany set America into the Great War. Light equipped with adequate weaponry for Trench Warfare, American Troops needed something that was better than the "shitty" French Machine Guns that were sub-par. They had the French M1909 Benet-Mercies that shot the 8mm Lebel. This gave problems as the U.S. Army had British weapons along with their own weapons that shot different caliber sizes. The Americans needed something with a little more "bang" for their buck. John Browning went up to the Brass in D.C. and requested for a live-fire demonstration of his new design for a new machine gun. The gun that he showed was the Browning Machine Rifle (BMR) and belt-fed 1917 machine gun. The U.S. Brass was impressed with his design so much that they ordered an immediate contract with Browning for the design. Avoiding any kind of confusion with his other model, the shoulder-fired machine gun was named the M1918 Browning. This gun shot the U.S. Standard .30-06 caliber bullet which made it a true favorite amung American Troops.
The Army wanted this rifle so bad that Colt, the original contractor to produce the gun, was at full capacity with the British Vickers Machine Gun it was not able to produce it. The Army then asked the Winchester Repeating Arms Company to produce this. The ejection port for the 1918 was originally on the top of the gun and Windchester changed this to have the port spew casings on the right for mass production reasons (and who wants spent casings going in their face?). Production started in February of 1918--The Army rushed Winchester so much to rush this gun to Europe that parts didn't interchange between each other and production was halted after over 1,000 rifles made it over there. After the gun was in full production status, it didn't get to France until July of 1918. The U.S. 79th Infantry Division first received these models and used them for the first time in September of 1918.
Other versions of the B.A.R. were made throughout the years before WWII. The 1918A2 was the end version of the B.A.R.
This will be even more informative on each particle of clothing as well once it is all finished.
**PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A GENERAL GUIDE AND MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION WILL BE UPDATED AT A LATER TIME. THIS GIVES YOU A GENERAL IDEA OF THE ARMY UNIFORM**
This is an informative guide to another side of airsoft and/or reenacting of that matter. This guide will explain everything that goes into a WWII Army loadout.
First thing first, this time period and others close to it are very similar. WWII revolutionized the way American soldiers looked, other than branch traditions, of course. After WWII, each era war only slightly modified from it.
In 1898, during the Spanish American War, the Army adopted the "Khaki" uniform. The British were the first to adopt this new color during the Second Boer War. Before WWI, the Army didn't call this color "Khaki" anymore. This new color was designated "OD #3." Technically, no U.S. uniform during WWII was actually "Khaki."
This quote came from one of the most accurate stores for WWII (atthefront.com):
"Why does everyone call it "khaki"?
Simplicity. Although there are numerous official shades of "od" (the government numbered them 1 thru at least 33), this covers every item made for the military from socks to tents to aircraft. Most items we deal with, uniforms or field gear, were od no. 3 or od no. 7. ("no"= number). The wool service uniform was od no. 33 but that rarely comes up.
I surmise that the term "khaki" came into use sometime after the introduction of od no. 7. This shade is a distinctly dark green, where as od no. 3 is a light olive shade, sometimes approaching a golden brown. Side by side, calling one "green" and one "khaki" makes sense. Most collectors simply refer to od no.3 as "khaki" and od no. 7 as "od". This is fine when dealing with original gear and guys who have some clue as to what they are talking about. Enter the general public, who have little knowledge or experience with original militaria, add "Saving Private Ryan" and that little mini-series about how the 506th won the War we have trouble. To them, "khaki" = "Banana Republic" and the shit hits the fan.
In other words, "khaki" should not be taken literally."
-atthefront.com
In fact, there are different shades of this "OD #3" depending on what manufacturer made them. There were VERY many companies making uniforms to keep up with the demand, seeing how America was a very industrial work horse.
Where's the Khaki?
None of these are. The bottom one is an Army "summer uniform," while the others are OD #3 M42 Jump blouses.
Now then, we got by the boring technical part, now on to the part you looked at this guide for: Uniforms; what did the Army actually use? There are different uniforms depending on if it's the Armored Divisions, the Airborne, the ID (Infantry Division
Instead of doing a "gear" section and "uniform" section, I'm going to do each section on the said Divisions from the text above ^.
ID
Each Division has their small differences in what they wear, but for now I will give the general seen load out of a Infantry trooper:
These pictures I specifically got because it has nice contrast and shows what you need, if it were in black and white, it would be harder to tell.
What is exactly in this?
Uniform:
- M41 Jacket
- M37 wool shirt
- M1 steel helmet
- M37 wool pants or HBT pants
- Leggings
- Service shoes
Gear:
- 1928 Haversack
- 1923 Cartiridge belt
- M1942 or 1910 canteen and cover
- M1910 "T" Handle e-tool
- M1942 first-aid pouch
Uniform:
M1 Steel Pot "fixed-bale" helmet
This was the standard Infantry helmet. It had "bales" on the helmet where the chin straps would attach to. The brown leather strap at the front of the helmet just helped keep the liner and helmet together, but this was found that it wasn't really needed.
M41 jacket (OD 3)
The M41 jacket was actually, originally, a civilian jacket design. The Army wanted something more comfortable and something to keep a soldier warm when it came around the fall season.
M37 "mustard" wool undershirt (OD 33)
This is the standard wool undershirt that all Army service men wear under their field jackets. This combined with M37 wool pants, service shoes, and garrison cap gives you the Class B "on leave" or "on base" uniform.
HBT, second pattern (OD 7)
The Herring Bone Twill (HBT), was a fatigue design for soldiers that were occupying a base. Though they were very comfortable and cheaper, lasted longer and easier to make than the M3 mustard wool trousers, these seen some service. The 2nd Rangers used these over wool pants but most other Infantry units actually used M37 mustard wool pants.
OD 3 leggings
These are an Army tradition. These were actually very impractical. They protected your shin pretty well from debris and helped keep water out, note the word "helped." These take way too much time to put on and can be difficult. Actually for their look, they are not uncomfortable what so ever, it feels like you are wearing just a high top boot. These come in different sizes for different shin diameters.
Army service shoes
These saw service back before WWII started. These derived from the WWI shoes that soldiers wore. These look exactly like paratrooper boots other than the leather upper is removed for legging purposes. These were the most common used for soldiers in the IDs.
Field Gear:
Field gear for early war set ups were all OD 3. OD 7 actually came along during 1944 into field gear. Most field gear was already made in OD 3 from the years before that. Rangers were the first to pick at any OD 7 gear that came in.
1928 Haversack
These are a more complex backpack. It consists of a meat can pouch and the pack itself. This was the standard Infantry backpack used during WWII. Most guys hated them, they were too cumbersome and complex to hang on to. Most guys kept the meat can pouch and put it on their web belt. This is still correct to use.
1923 M1 Garand Cartridge belt
This was the standard M1 Garand ammo belt. Each pouch could hold two clips of ammo (yes clips, not magazine). So, 20 clips altogether.
M1942 First-Aid Carlisle pouch
This was widely used to put your Carlisle bandage in. You didn't want to get rid of this back then, it could have possibly saved your life. Standard issue.
M1941 Canteen Cover
This is the reinforced version of the M1910 canteen cover, as shown here:
They were both widely seen and both are standard canteen covers.
M1910 shovel entrenching tool
This was the standard early war e-tool. Most guys preferred the M1943 folding tool, but most units didn't receive those until later.
Cover for the shovel shown here.
Your whole sit up should look like this when the webgear is complete:
AIRBORNE
Airborne was first seen in WWII. It constitutes "jumping out of a perfectly good airplane." Soldiers were given $50 extra added on to a normal $50 per month pay. This area was new and soldiers were given specialized training, and they knew it. They thought of themselves as the best and most elite because of this more intense training. These troops were issued jump boots. These boots were supposed to be easier and better for jumping than the normal service shoes and leggings.
Here is what 'ya need:
Uniform:
- M42 Jump jacket
- M37 wool undershirt
- M42 Jump trousers
- Brown Corcoran Jump boots
- M1C Para "D-Bale" Steel pot helmet
Gear:
- 1923 cartridge belt (M1 Garand)
- M36 field suspenders
- M36 rubberized, or not rubberized, Mussette bag
- M1942 or 1910 canteen and cover
- M1942 first aid pouch
- M1943 folding e-tool and cover
Because the Airborne was designed to be always surrounded (dropped behind enemy lines), they needed to have as much gear on them as possible to survive--This is where Rigger Modified gear and uniforms came from. A Rigger Modified M42 Jumpsuit took two breast pockets from the M42 and suck then on the sides of the arm (where the rank patch would be). This gives the user more cargo room. Because they jumped out of planes at relatively fast speeds, they needed more reinforcement on their uniforms. What you will see on some M42 Jumpsuits is OD 7 canvas put around the sides/bottom of the pouches to make sure that it wouldn't be ripped off. As much as you see this implemented, it actually wasn't seen often at all.
WEAPONS:
M1 Garand "The greatest battle implement ever devised" -General George S. Patton:
Caliber- .30-06
Capacity- 8 round clip
This is the iconic weapon of the American side during WWII. This is even the grandaddy of the M14 (the fully auto version of the M1 Garand). What made this rifle better than the others? Semi-Automatic and 8 rounds! While the enemy are shooting bolt actions with only a 5-round stripper clip, you're laying down heavier fire that can shoot over 1,000 yards! The Garand officially replaced the bolt-action M1903 Springfield as the standard service rifle of the United States Armed Forces in 1936 and was subsequently replaced by the M14 in 1957. However, the M1 Garand continued to be used in large numbers until 1963.
Thompson:
Caliber- .45 ACP
Capacity- 30 round "stick" mag (common magazine), 50 round drum mag
This gun was invented in 1919, not long after WWI (The Great War) ended. It used the same bullet cartridge as the Army Colt 1911A1. The design was simple, take a pistol and make it like a machine gun. These guns were not designed to be an accurate weapon as they were primarily used for CQC. These were given to Officer and NCO's only (not to all, however) and not given to Enlisted Men.
This gun was made famous during the Prohibition Era by Gangsters. Informally known as the "Chicago Typewritter." The Police model featured a vertical grip to hold the gun down better from vertical muzzle climb during the recoil process. It also included a 50 round drum magazine that was devastating because of the high round capacity.
(Wikipedia)The M1928A1 variant entered mass production before the attack on Pearl Harbor, as on-hand stocks ran out. Changes included a horizontal forend, in place of the distinctive vertical foregrip, and a provision for a military sling. Despite new U.S. contracts for Lend-Lease shipments abroad to China, France, and the United Kingdom, as well as the needs of American armed forces, only two factories supplied M1928A1 Thompsons during the early years of World War II. Though it could use both the 50-round drum and the 20- or 30-round magazines, active service showed the drums were more prone to jamming, rattled when moving, and were too heavy and bulky on long patrols. 562,511 were made. Wartime production variants had a fixed rear sight without the triangular sight guard wings and a non-ribbed barrel, both like those found on the M1/M1A1.(Wikipedia)
Because of these flaws that were needed for the Military, the M1A1 was released. The M1A1 is the Thompson that I'm sure you all have seen before. (Wikipedia)Responding to a request further simplification, the M1 was standardized in April 1942 as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M1. Rate of fire was reduced to approximately 600-700 rpm. First issued in 1943, the M1 uses a simple blowback operation, the charging handle was moved to the side, and the flip-up adjustable Lyman rear sight was replaced with a fixed L sight. Late M1 Thompsons had the triangular rear sight guard wings added to the L sight which was standardized on the M1A1 version. The slots adjoining the magazine well allowing use of the drum magazine were removed. The less expensive and more-easily manufactured "stick" magazines were used exclusively in the M1, with a new 30-round version joining the familiar 20-round type. The Cutts compensator, barrel cooling fins, and Blish lock were omitted while the buttstock was permanently affixed. Late production M1 stocks were fitted with reinforcing bolts and washers to prevent splitting of the stock where it attached to the receiver. The British had used improvised bolts or wood screws to reinforce M1928 stocks. The M1 reinforcing bolt and washer were carried over to the M1A1 and retrofitted to many of the M1928A1s in U.S. and British service.
The M1A1, standardized in October 1942 as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M1A1, could be produced in half the time of the M1928A1, and at a much lower cost. The main difference between the M1 and M1A1 was the bolt. The M1 bolt had a floating firing pin and hammer, the bolt of the M1A1 had the firing pin machined to the face of the bolt, eliminating unnecessary parts. Other differences were that the reinforced stock was standard, the protective ears on the sight were standard, the magazine catch was modified (the M1 model used the same catch that was on the Model 1921 and 28 which was designed to accept drums), and the fire control switches were also redesigned to ease production. The 30-round magazine became more common. In 1939, Thompsons cost the government $209 apiece. By the spring of 1942, cost reduction design changes had brought this down to $70. In February 1944, the M1A1 reached a low price of $45 each, including accessories and spare parts, however the difference in price between the M1 and M1A1 was only $0.06. By the end of the Second World War, the M1A1 was replaced with the even lower-cost M3 (commonly called "Grease Gun").(Wikipedia)
M3 "Grease Gun":
Caliber- .45 ACP
Capacity- 30 round "stick" mag
The M3 was nicknamed the "Grease Gun" because of it's similar looks to the mechanic's tool. The M3 was needed as a replacement of the M1A1 Thompson. The Thompson was too heavy and cost too much to manufacture. The Grease Gun was a simplier design that made it easier to manufacture. The M3 was lighter and more accurate than the Thompson, but why was it not seen nearly as much as the Thompson if it is better in all categories? The M3 entered into U.S. Military service in 1942 and was used to phase out the Thompson in 1944-1945. There were delays because of unforseen production issues and the gun needed approval for specifications. The M3 and it's updated version, the M3A1 saw little action during the Second World War.
1918 B.A.R.:
Caliber- .30-06
Capacity- 20 round magazine
The Browning Automatic Rifle has had a very rich history. April 6th, 1917, outbreak of war with Imperial Germany set America into the Great War. Light equipped with adequate weaponry for Trench Warfare, American Troops needed something that was better than the "shitty" French Machine Guns that were sub-par. They had the French M1909 Benet-Mercies that shot the 8mm Lebel. This gave problems as the U.S. Army had British weapons along with their own weapons that shot different caliber sizes. The Americans needed something with a little more "bang" for their buck. John Browning went up to the Brass in D.C. and requested for a live-fire demonstration of his new design for a new machine gun. The gun that he showed was the Browning Machine Rifle (BMR) and belt-fed 1917 machine gun. The U.S. Brass was impressed with his design so much that they ordered an immediate contract with Browning for the design. Avoiding any kind of confusion with his other model, the shoulder-fired machine gun was named the M1918 Browning. This gun shot the U.S. Standard .30-06 caliber bullet which made it a true favorite amung American Troops.
The Army wanted this rifle so bad that Colt, the original contractor to produce the gun, was at full capacity with the British Vickers Machine Gun it was not able to produce it. The Army then asked the Winchester Repeating Arms Company to produce this. The ejection port for the 1918 was originally on the top of the gun and Windchester changed this to have the port spew casings on the right for mass production reasons (and who wants spent casings going in their face?). Production started in February of 1918--The Army rushed Winchester so much to rush this gun to Europe that parts didn't interchange between each other and production was halted after over 1,000 rifles made it over there. After the gun was in full production status, it didn't get to France until July of 1918. The U.S. 79th Infantry Division first received these models and used them for the first time in September of 1918.
Other versions of the B.A.R. were made throughout the years before WWII. The 1918A2 was the end version of the B.A.R.
This will be even more informative on each particle of clothing as well once it is all finished.
