BAR M1918A2 for Paras? (Operation Overlord)

PoiluRifleman

PoiluRifleman

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Hi I have a question, hope you fellows with background (or even better, experience) in WWII can help me out. I'm wondering if you can tell me if there were actually paratroopers (not glider troops) who carried and fought with the BAR M1918A2s on D-Day, Operation Overlord? Now I know I know... no paratroopers jumped with the BARs, or the Cal.30 LMGs even; these were dropped in canisters (with parachutes) along with the troops, and were to be retrieved by the latter once they hit the ground. I know that, I just want to know if it's historically accurate to have a paratrooper from the 101st with a BAR in the first few days of the operation. Reason being I'm joining an reenactment group in my university, and don't want to make a fool of myself... Like carrying a MG42 in a 1939 invasion of Poland reenactment, know what I mean? :) I also saw a pic a few years back on the internet, of a private from the 101st with a BAR in his hand, just landed on Normandy with his chutes still attached to his back. So... Can anyone clarify?
 
Obviously?,, not.

Anyway, I don't think it would be correct to have a BAR. I don't even think the US Airborne used the BAR. They used the LMG down to squad level, where as regular infantry had to make do with the BAR in the squad.

Wpns they dropped with were the M1 Rifle, M1 Carbine, Thompson Machine Gun, 1911 pistol, 1903 Rifle, Grenades, Rocket Launcher, 60mm Mortor, 81mm Mortor, 1919-A4 LMG.

So,, you would be out of place carrying a BAR.
 
If you watch "Band of Brothers",..none of the paratroopers in Easy Company were issued a BAR ,M1918A2....as mentioed in prevoius post ,..the para's used the 1919 A4 .30 CAL ...and after watching this series ,i always wondered why the BAR was not issued .

The BAR M1918 A2 was well thought of by the USMC in the Pacific war,...though it must have been a heavy bast**d to lug in the hot humid jungle,..and the 20 rd mag was a disadvantage .

The Marines loved the way a BAR loaded with A/P .30 cal rds could chew through Japanese bunkers and armour plate .

I
 
Have you ever seen a picture of 5'2" Vietnamese lugging a BAR in the steamy Nam jungle? Just the weight and heat stroke would have killed him without anyone firing a shot.
 
"...They used the LMG down to squad level..." A BAR isan LMG. A 1919 .30 Browning is a 31 pound, medium, MG. Add 10 lbs for the tripod.
"Band of Brothers" isn't history. It's a movie about historical events.
 
sunray said:
"...They used the LMG down to squad level..." A BAR isan LMG. A 1919 .30 Browning is a 31 pound, medium, MG. Add 10 lbs for the tripod.
"Band of Brothers" isn't history. It's a movie about historical events.
Click to expand...

I was using the lingo of the time. The US Airborne referred to the 1919 as an LMG, even though it fit the overall category of Medium or GPMG. In the squad it fullfilled the role of the LMG,, in the weapons platoon it fullfiled the role of medium or GPMG.

By the time of Market Garden they had adopted the 1919 with the shoulder stock and the front bipod, even though many at the squad level ditched it and went back to the normal tripod.

I believe it is generally regarded that the 101st never used the BAR at all. There is some photographic evidence of it being used by the 82nd, but that is explained as "trading". The smal unit tactics of the US Airborne of the time was all based on the 1919 LMG doing the covering fire.

The TO&E has never listed the BAR until after the war, when they figured out a safe way of jumping with it strapped to a leg (it couldn't be broken down in parts like the Garand, etc).
 
I'll have to review the series to confirm, I recall one of the soldiers in Band Of Brothers had a BAR... Let you know what I find out....

Ok Just checked the ep I thought it was in: not there. I must have been mixing it up with scenes from SPR.
 
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September 19, 1941 - The M1941 Johnson LMG - The first machine gun of rifle caliber (.30-06) to be jumped with by a paratrooper. USMC Test.
 
actually, if you look in the us elite forces in the squadron /signal books, page 11 under project leaping lena, left column, at the bottom of the page, you'll see a picture of a group of mike forces returning to base- the fellow 4th from the front is carring a BAR, and the captioning says that he might either be laotian or a montagard, but there is no appreciable skeletel difference between them
 
On the secondary subject I haven't seen any pictures of Vietnamese carrying BAR's.I have seen them carrying and using BAR's.They didn't have any problems with them.For longer range shooting in swamp or paddy terrain they rested the weapon over another man's shoulder for support.They had no real problem with the weight.
 
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