Help with WWII firearms information

[schafe]

What was the likely standard issue firearm(s) for a forward observer in the infantry in the European theatre during WWII ? The wife and I are discussing the possibility of owning a firearm which probably would have been used by my father (104th infantry) in Belgum, France, Germany,and The battle of the Bulge. So far my search says that the M1 Garand was probably the standard issue for front line soldiers, and maybe some 1911 version pistol for officers, but I don't find any references to what someone in an observers position might have carried. I'm continuing to search. Any tips where to Google?

 

[xring62]

Most probably carried what the individual preffered,mostly M1 garand , some M1 carbines,Tommy gun. There really isnt a bound 'rule' of what they HAD to carry.Not once your in battle .

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Good question!!!

My maternal grandfather was an F.O. at the Battle of the Bulge. It WOULD be neat to have the same kind of weapon he might've had.

-J-

 

[SKSnut]

Educated guess- M-1 carbine. But could have been Garrand,thompson .45or even just a pistol(m1911 .45)

 

[snapping turtle]

Most likely he had at least a sidearm.
like this one.

Maybe even a bolt action rifle if sniper forward observer. I still think the m1 carbine and the handgun is the most likely. Light and easy to get back when all HELL broke out.

 

[indybrad]

Looks like you'll have to get all of them

 

[Colt556]

I would think an M1 Carbine and 1911 Pistol.

 

[madeuce50]

My father was a scout for the 1st Army at the Bulge. He carried a Garand but also had a Luger as a belly gun. He said that the C/O's warned about having anything other the general issue

 

[jblomenberg16]

My father was a scout for the 1st Army at the Bulge. He carried a Garand but also had a Luger as a belly gun. He said that the C/O's warned about having anything other the general issue

I'm assuming the Luger was picked up off a German officer?

 

[madeuce50]

I believe the Luger was a bartered deal. Those were prized by our troops as a backup and could always be "dropped" if need be. If you had something that was not issue,you could be held as a looter and court marshalled. He brought home the Luger and 2 Mauser rifles. He said he left a Walther P38 and a MP40 at the dock for fear of being caught over the limit on trophy's.

 

[IndyMonkey]

I believe the Luger was a bartered deal. Those were prized by our troops as a backup and could always be "dropped" if need be. If you had something that was not issue,you could be held as a looter and court marshalled. He brought home the Luger and 2 Mauser rifles. He said he left a Walther P38 and a MP40 at the dock for fear of being caught over the limit on trophy's.

too bad he didnt bring back the mp40

 

[SmileDocHill]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the m1 carbine intended/designed to be an alternative to a pistol? Would someone have been issued both?

 

[IndyMonkey]

For many specialist soldiers serving in the rapidly evolving modern U.S. Army just prior to World War II, the full-size infantry rifle as an individual weapon had proved unworkable. This included an increasing proportion of service troops (truck drivers, supply personnel, radiomen, and linemen) as well as some specialist frontline troops who might need a handier weapon (paratroopers, officers, forward observers, medics, engineers and mortar crews). During prewar and early war field exercises, it was noticed that these troops, when issued the rifle, often found their individual weapon too heavy and cumbersome. In addition to impeding the soldier's mobility, a slung rifle would frequently catch on brush, bang the helmet, or tilt it over the eyes. Many soldiers found the rifle slid off the shoulder unless slung diagonally across the back, where it prevented the wearing of standard field packs and haversacks. Alternate weapons such as the M1911 pistol and M1917 revolver, while undeniably convenient, were often insufficiently accurate or powerful. The Thompson submachine gun was very effective in close-range combat but nonetheless heavy, limited in effective range (50-75 meters) and penetration, and not significantly easier to carry or maintain than the service rifle.
U.S. Army Ordnance decided that a new weapon was needed for these other roles but determined that a weapon for non-combat soldiers should add no more than five pounds to their existing equipment load.[3] The requirement for the new firearm called for a defensive weapon with an effective range of 300 yards, much lighter and handier than the rifle, with greater range, firepower, and accuracy than the pistol, while weighing half as much as the submachine gun.

M1 carbine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Expat]

Some of them also got the 03 or 03-A3 Springfield also.

 

[kedie]

Or an M3 Grease Gun.

 

[schafe]

For many specialist soldiers serving in the rapidly evolving modern U.S. Army just prior to World War II, the full-size infantry rifle as an individual weapon had proved unworkable. This included an increasing proportion of service troops (truck drivers, supply personnel, radiomen, and linemen) as well as some specialist frontline troops who might need a handier weapon (paratroopers, officers, forward observers, medics, engineers and mortar crews). During prewar and early war field exercises, it was noticed that these troops, when issued the rifle, often found their individual weapon too heavy and cumbersome. In addition to impeding the soldier's mobility, a slung rifle would frequently catch on brush, bang the helmet, or tilt it over the eyes. Many soldiers found the rifle slid off the shoulder unless slung diagonally across the back, where it prevented the wearing of standard field packs and haversacks. Alternate weapons such as the M1911 pistol and M1917 revolver, while undeniably convenient, were often insufficiently accurate or powerful. The Thompson submachine gun was very effective in close-range combat but nonetheless heavy, limited in effective range (50-75 meters) and penetration, and not significantly easier to carry or maintain than the service rifle.
U.S. Army Ordnance decided that a new weapon was needed for these other roles but determined that a weapon for non-combat soldiers should add no more than five pounds to their existing equipment load.[3] The requirement for the new firearm called for a defensive weapon with an effective range of 300 yards, much lighter and handier than the rifle, with greater range, firepower, and accuracy than the pistol, while weighing half as much as the submachine gun.

M1 carbine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I somehow missed that Wikipedia entry..... Thanks!

 

[jblomenberg16]

For many specialist soldiers serving in the rapidly evolving modern U.S. Army just prior to World War II, the full-size infantry rifle as an individual weapon had proved unworkable. This included an increasing proportion of service troops (truck drivers, supply personnel, radiomen, and linemen) as well as some specialist frontline troops who might need a handier weapon (paratroopers, officers, forward observers, medics, engineers and mortar crews). During prewar and early war field exercises, it was noticed that these troops, when issued the rifle, often found their individual weapon too heavy and cumbersome. In addition to impeding the soldier's mobility, a slung rifle would frequently catch on brush, bang the helmet, or tilt it over the eyes. Many soldiers found the rifle slid off the shoulder unless slung diagonally across the back, where it prevented the wearing of standard field packs and haversacks. Alternate weapons such as the M1911 pistol and M1917 revolver, while undeniably convenient, were often insufficiently accurate or powerful. The Thompson submachine gun was very effective in close-range combat but nonetheless heavy, limited in effective range (50-75 meters) and penetration, and not significantly easier to carry or maintain than the service rifle.
U.S. Army Ordnance decided that a new weapon was needed for these other roles but determined that a weapon for non-combat soldiers should add no more than five pounds to their existing equipment load.[3] The requirement for the new firearm called for a defensive weapon with an effective range of 300 yards, much lighter and handier than the rifle, with greater range, firepower, and accuracy than the pistol, while weighing half as much as the submachine gun.

M1 carbine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My grandfather carried an M1 carbine, and spent a good portion of the war in LeHavre, France. His company came in and opened up the port for use by the allies, and then remained there to support supply operations and also defend it. Many of them were issued the Carbine, both due to its light weight and good fit to their mission, and to allow the Garands, BAR's, etc. to be used on the front lines.

I don't know the details of who he was attached too, but am doing some research into it. He is talking about it more an more as he's getting older, but still many of the details are "omited."

One thing he has been very clear on is that he loved his M1-Carbine. He calls it "the best gun he's ever shot." I bought one for my father a few years ago for father's day. He took it up and let my grandpa handle it (approximately 60 years after the war) and he took right too it and had that smile of two old friends getting re-united.

 

[schafe]

My grandfather carried an M1 carbine, and spent a good portion of the war in LeHavre, France. His company came in and opened up the port for use by the allies, and then remained there to support supply operations and also defend it. Many of them were issued the Carbine, both due to its light weight and good fit to their mission, and to allow the Garands, BAR's, etc. to be used on the front lines.

I don't know the details of who he was attached too, but am doing some research into it. He is talking about it more an more as he's getting older, but still many of the details are "omited."

One thing he has been very clear on is that he loved his M1-Carbine. He calls it "the best gun he's ever shot." I bought one for my father a few years ago for father's day. He took it up and let my grandpa handle it (approximately 60 years after the war) and he took right too it and had that smile of two old friends getting re-united.

That is a neat story! My father also didn't speak much of his war experience, untill after a couple of strokes. By that time, he was in the veterans home, and his communication skills were very poor, and could only communicate on a very basic level. I was able to glean from him that he was proud of his work as a forward observer, and really loved the guys in his outfit. I never could get from him any info about his firearms though, since detailed speech was all but impossible. My wife and I found his stash of memorabilia as we were preparing his house for sale, and learned a lot about those times. We put it all in a shadow box and hung it in his room at the home. Honestly, I think he showed off that shadow box to every person he came in contact with. After his death last year, it proudly resides on my living room wall. Now I'm hoping to add that one last piece to the puzzle.

 

[.452browning]

My grandfather landed on Utah beach june 10, 1944 as a 1st Lt. and platoon leader of a rifle platoon in the 90th infantry division. he was issued the M1 Carbine. About 2 weeks later he started carrying the M1 Garand instead. He carried the garand until around march of '45 and he switched to the thompson sub-machinegun. veterans from his unit stated he switched to the thompson in '45 because they were spending a lot more time in city streets and tight quarters rather than the normandy hedgerows and frozen forests during the bulge