Stripped & Scrapped - What Happened to WW2 German Armor

[1srelluc]

I found it interesting that at :30 a USGI was still toting a M1903 Springfield rifle.

 

[odanny]

That Tiger in Bovington is the only still running Tiger in the world, it even made a cameo in 'Fury'.

 

[Mushroom]

I found it interesting that at :30 a USGI was still toting a M1903 Springfield rifle.

The Army used the Springfield throughout the war. It was simply not their main battle rifle anymore. Odds are that is a sniper.

 

[1srelluc]

The Army used the Springfield throughout the war. It was simply not their main battle rifle anymore. Odds are that is a sniper.

Most likely a member of some sort of rear echelon MP, support, or recovery outfit. They were issued 03s, same as stateside war plant/port/train guards and the like.

 

[martybegan]

The Army used the Springfield throughout the war. It was simply not their main battle rifle anymore. Odds are that is a sniper.

From what I read at D-Day only the first few waves were all equipped with Garands, the follow ups still had their Springfields with them.

 

[1srelluc]

From what I read at D-Day only the first few waves were all equipped with Garands, the follow ups still had their Springfields with them.

Like this one I picked-up last week....1929 receiver that was rebarreled in 1942. It ended-up in Greece killin' Commies then it was returned and sold through the CMP program around 2002.

They were sent from both stateside and ETO stockpiles begining in 1946.

 

[martybegan]

Like this one I picked-up last week....1929 receiver that was rebarreled in 1942. It ended-up in Greece killin' Commies then it was returned and sold through the CMP program around 2002.

They were sent from both stateside and ETO stockpiles begining in 1946.

View attachment 759009

Very cool.

In the Pacific my Grandfather was issued a Springfield, but as time went on he got a M1 Carbine. He was a wireman for an artillery unit and thus not an infantryman, and found the Carbine easier to carry and use due to his small stature.

 

[westwall]

I found it interesting that at :30 a USGI was still toting a M1903 Springfield rifle.

The 1903 was used in the Pacific, and the Italian battlefields extensively.

The units fighting in Normandy got the Garand issued to them as a higher percentage.

 

[whitehall]

They made patriotic tokens and medals out of melted captured enemy cannons after WW1. Maybe not so much after WW2.

 

[Mushroom]

The 1903 was used in the Pacific

Because that was the primary battle rifle of the Marines until very late in the war. They were still in the process of transitioning when the war ended.

 

[westwall]

Because that was the primary battle rifle of the Marines until very late in the war. They were still in the process of transitioning when the war ended.

Army too. The Pacific theater was last in line.

 

[Mushroom]

Army too. The Pacific theater was last in line.

Oh, the Army had already transitioned all of their front line troops before the war ended.

But relatively few Marines had been issued the M1 even as the war ended. And it was not all about supply, but training. Being the most conservative of the land forces, they were the most resistant to changing battle rifles during a conflict. Fresh forces from the states would use the M1, and many units were "integrated" with the infantry having both Springfield and Garand. The old salts with the 03, the new boots with the M1.

And a lot of that was simply down to the time needed to train them in the new rifle. Most of the Marine units just did not have the time to have their Marines spend a month or more in training. They generally came off the line long enough to recover and refit, then it was onto another ship and back into the grinder again.

 

[DudleySmith]

Marines were issued a variety of weapons.

Marines in WWII’s Pacific Theater Got Stuck With These Weapons

Today’s Marine Corps may be on the bleeding edge of military rifles, optics, and sound suppression devices, but in the Pacific theater of World War II, many Marines were forced to rely on dated or unique weapons unlike any you’d find in its sister branches. In recent years the Corps has...

coffeeordie.com

The M1941 Johnson Rifle offered a semi-automatic weapon that utilized a short recoil system in which the barrel and bolt move rearward together. It’s an odd but effective setup. It was so effective, in fact, that while the M1941 Johnson Rifle may have been a stand-in for the M1 Garand, some actually considered it to be the better rifle all around.


The weapon featured a 10 round rotary magazine that could be reloaded with 5 round M1903 stripper clips. Unlike the M1 Garand, the fixed magazine could be topped off and refilled at any time. Even when a round is chambered and loaded. However, downsides included the short recoil operation that could cause malfunctions with a mounted bayonet, as well as increased muzzle rise.


The M1941 Johnson rifle served with Raiders, ParaMarines, and in the hands of Medal of Honor recipient Robert Hugo Dunlap for his actions on Iwo Jima. The M1941 Johnson Rifle served its country well but never became a mainstream service rifle. As far as these unique weapons go, the Johnson made a big impression.

 

[Mac-7]

Like this one I picked-up last week....1929 receiver that was rebarreled in 1942. It ended-up in Greece killin' Commies then it was returned and sold through the CMP program around 2002.

They were sent from both stateside and ETO stockpiles begining in 1946.

View attachment 759009

The ‘03 is a very good copy of the m98 mauser

 

[DudleySmith]

The ‘03 is a very good copy of the m98 mauser

It is also a very good rifle; my brother and me still go out and shoot our grandfather's .30.40 Springfield version of the Krag. He wasn't a front line soldier but in supply, so that is what he was issued in France.

The Krag was phased out of service with the regular Army by 1907, as M1903 Springfields became available; however, the Krag was issued for many more years with the National Guard and the Army Reserve, including service in World War I with rear-echelon U.S. troops in France and as training arms at various Stateside bases. Phased out Krag rifles and carbines were also used by law enforcement agency such as the U.S Marshals, Texas Rangers Division, and even bounty hunters and local town sheriffs and deputies in the American frontier. Later, many were issued to veterans' organizations such as the American Legion, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars for use in military ceremonies. Still others were sold to civilians through the Civilian Marksmanship Program, and American Krag rifles are a popular and common military surplus collectible.

Springfield Model 1892–99 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[1srelluc]

It is also a very good rifle; my brother and me still go out and shoot our grandfather's .30.40 Springfield version of the Krag. He wasn't a front line soldier but in supply, so that is what he was issued in France.

The Krag was phased out of service with the regular Army by 1907, as M1903 Springfields became available; however, the Krag was issued for many more years with the National Guard and the Army Reserve, including service in World War I with rear-echelon U.S. troops in France and as training arms at various Stateside bases. Phased out Krag rifles and carbines were also used by law enforcement agency such as the U.S Marshals, Texas Rangers Division, and even bounty hunters and local town sheriffs and deputies in the American frontier. Later, many were issued to veterans' organizations such as the American Legion, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars for use in military ceremonies. Still others were sold to civilians through the Civilian Marksmanship Program, and American Krag rifles are a popular and common military surplus collectible.

Springfield Model 1892–99 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

My 1902 made one shoots great.

 

[DudleySmith]

My 1902 made one shoots great.

My issue is that I'm left handed and the old rifle throws out powder and sparks into my face when fired, so I don't shoot it much. I also don't like ejected shells burning my right arm from most rifles.

 

[Zincwarrior]

I found it interesting that at :30 a USGI was still toting a M1903 Springfield rifle.

Most of it went boom from 1938-1945.
The Wallies carted some off for testing. The Soviets also.
The French actually sucked up a fair number of surviging Panther tanks until they got their industry restarted.
A fair bit of the remainder ended up in the ME, where it ended up going boom again, this time thanks to the Israelis. (interesting note, at one point Israel was flying a few ME 109s).

 

[westwall]

Most of it went boom from 1938-1945.
The Wallies carted some off for testing. The Soviets also.
The French actually sucked up a fair number of surviging Panther tanks until they got their industry restarted.
A fair bit of the remainder ended up in the ME, where it ended up going boom again, this time thanks to the Israelis. (interesting note, at one point Israel was flying a few ME 109s).

Actually, Israel bought Avia S-199's from the Czech Republic. They were built in 1947 and used a Junkers engine instead of the DB605.

 

[Flash]

The Army used the Springfield throughout the war. It was simply not their main battle rifle anymore. Odds are that is a sniper.

Or a rear support troop that was not issued a Garand.