In the First World War the Canadians were known as Great Britain's shock troops. Even the Germans recognized the Canadians as the best the Allies had to offer. Many in Canada today who view Canadians as mild and peaceful would be shocked if they read some history.
Opinion on French rifles
- Thread starter Alfonso
- Start date
Actually France suffered 92,000 KIA in the battle of France and 132,437 KIA in the entire war. Terrible but not excessive for a nation almost four times as populous as Canada. Some casualty figures include civilian deaths and people killed as resistance fighters which is not what I was talking about.
For those who enjoy slagging the French Army, I recommend a visit to the monumental WW1 battlefield at Verdun where the scale of casualties dwarfs Vimy or any other battle that Canada has ever been involved in. The French Army remained steadfast in the face of German attacks over an extended period of time and still held their positions at the end. The Douaumont Ossuary is especially impressive and sobering to see. It's lower level contains the jumbled bones of an estimated 130,000 unidentified French and German dead.
After you visit Verdun you get some insight into why it was so spiritually devastating for them and why they became wedded to the defensive, Maginot Line, mentality which led to their early collapse in WW2.
I've had a number of contacts with the French Army of today and always found them to be capable and professional. They maintain some unique customs, incl wine on their ration scale. Not great wine, but adequate nonetheless.
After you visit Verdun you get some insight into why it was so spiritually devastating for them and why they became wedded to the defensive, Maginot Line, mentality which led to their early collapse in WW2.
I've had a number of contacts with the French Army of today and always found them to be capable and professional. They maintain some unique customs, incl wine on their ration scale. Not great wine, but adequate nonetheless.
This sums up the French experience in WWI quite well:
Only Russia had a similar casualty rate of over 75%.
The British Empire casualty rate was about 35%.
There are many reasons for that: poor tactics and strategy, inadequate support services, medical care and hygiene in the trenches etc.
Verdun was a piece of insanity the like of which the world has never seen. A hunded men dead per square meter.
Only Russia had a similar casualty rate of over 75%.
The British Empire casualty rate was about 35%.
There are many reasons for that: poor tactics and strategy, inadequate support services, medical care and hygiene in the trenches etc.
Verdun was a piece of insanity the like of which the world has never seen. A hunded men dead per square meter.
Because of the French Army's legendary history in WW1, I think their rifles are imminently collectible, and somewhat overlooked. If you want a gun that has "been there", they are a pretty good option. On the other side of the coin, because of their routing in WW2, French rifles are also imminently collectible, because you are not going to find many milsurps so well made, or in such good condition (unless you get one that was on the Maginot line, which were often recovered hot and empty). I find mine very pleasant to shoot, accurate, and always a conversation starter at the range.
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
Well, both the char and souma had heavier and better placed armour, and at the time of the french invasion there where a hundred or more of each of these designs to each of the few and scarce panzer 4's. If the french had had the time to finish re-orginizing their armour into units rather then leaving it in penny packets with infantry units, they had the material to each the german's for breakfast. Unfortunatley the best weapons in the world are no good if you have no doctrine to use them. Where they had position and some leadership they did well.
Over 15,000 French soldiers were taken prisoner, and over 5000 died fighting the rearguard action that led to the successful mass evacuation of the BEF at Dunkirk in 1940. They were not all the 'cheese-eating surrender monkeys' of urban myth.
That is because in France it is very difficult of obtain a permit to own a military calibre firearm, hence the shortage of military surplus ammunition.
tac
I had a cosmetically well worn MAS36 that was mostly matching (only the floorplate m/m) made in 1945 and it could still shoot the sweat off a dog's ear despite the wear on the exterior.
I've never shot a MAS36 with a decent bore that could not cloverleaf at 100 meters. The biggest issue is if it does not shoot to POA, then finding the replacement rear sight apertures made to correct POI is near impossible these days.
I'm also quite partial to a decent Berthier
I've never shot a MAS36 with a decent bore that could not cloverleaf at 100 meters. The biggest issue is if it does not shoot to POA, then finding the replacement rear sight apertures made to correct POI is near impossible these days.
I'm also quite partial to a decent Berthier
I'm sure today's French soldiers are professional. I'm sure the French soldiers in WWI were brave. What I would question isn't the individual soldier but the French, themselves. Aside from terrible leadership (and a little mutiny in the ranks), the facts are clear that the French are lousy allies and untrustworthy. Putting WW1 aside, in WWII the French surrendered despite the fact that most of France was still free, and they betrayed their British Allies who were still in the field fighting. They then collaborated with the Nazis in both the war effort and in the extermination of Jews. They fired on American troops in Africa, for Christ sake. The Free French were a small, frankly inconsequential force used mainly for propaganda purposes. The famed French resistance is another overblown myth to make the French feel better about themselves after 5 years of collaboration. Postwar the French were absolutely rewarded for their despicable actions in the war, and they repaid their allies by pulling out of NATO. Thank god their military got their asses handed to them in every battle since, they deserve it. And the absolute topper is that ungrateful bastard De Gaulle's "Vive le Quebec Libre!". He shat upon the graves of thousands of Canadian soldiers in favour of a province, French though it may be, that called the war an "English" war, enlisted at less than half the rate of English Canada, and rioted at the thought of the draft or actually helping out their lingual compatriots. So sorry guys, the jokes may not be accurate but I will happily denigrate every cheese-eating surrender monkey who pops his head up because my family and the family of every soldier who shed blood for France deserved better from that nation of self-absorbed assh*les.
NO INSULTS
NO INSULTS
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Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
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PerversPépère
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Shawinigan (Quebec)
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You know rattus, if you remove the word "English" from that sentence, your post would be slightly more worth reading.
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Re. French rifles: they have to be interesting in any milsurp collection, for one I think there aren't a bunch around in my neck of the woods!
