U.S. Paratrooper jump weapon questions

Steve1987

Steve1987

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Hi,

While looking at photos of D-Day paratroopers I started thinking about the folding M1 Carbine and the leg bag for carrying the weapon during a jump. Makes perfect sense, an easy way to secure the weapon to the paratrooper until he lands. But how were other weapons jumped? Was there a harness or similar bag designed for the M1 Garand, tommy gun, and machine guns? Were paratroopers outfitted with a ratio of more M1 Carbines than a typical U.S. Army ground soldiers, for its ease of jumping the weapon?

Any information or photos of how the equipment was jumped on the soldier would be appreciated. I'm having difficulty finding pictures of precisely how this equipment was stored during jumps, most suggest just common slings. Might need to watch Band of Brothers again, this could be a good excuse, not that you should ever need an excuse to watch BOB.

Thanks,
-Steve
 
On BOB they just slinged the rifles. Many of those armed with carbines lost their only weapon on the jump because their leg bags fell off.
 
I left the Canadian Airborne in the 80,s and we had our weapons as a shoulder load rigged with a 16 ft strap when we jumped . The waistband of the jump harness secured the rifle with or without snowshoes:eek: to the side of your body ..At 150 ft above the ground you would undue the waistband and lower your shoulder load and then lower your rucksack that was hanging below your reserve .
 
Steve1987 said:
Hi,

While looking at photos of D-Day paratroopers I started thinking about the folding M1 Carbine and the leg bag for carrying the weapon during a jump. Makes perfect sense, an easy way to secure the weapon to the paratrooper until he lands. But how were other weapons jumped? Was there a harness or similar bag designed for the M1 Garand, tommy gun, and machine guns? Were paratroopers outfitted with a ratio of more M1 Carbines than a typical U.S. Army ground soldiers, for its ease of jumping the weapon?

Any information or photos of how the equipment was jumped on the soldier would be appreciated. I'm having difficulty finding pictures of precisely how this equipment was stored during jumps, most suggest just common slings. Might need to watch Band of Brothers again, this could be a good excuse, not that you should ever need an excuse to watch BOB.

Thanks,
-Steve
Click to expand...

The M1941 Johnson Rifle was the first full size rifle to be jumped into combat in the Pacific as it was collapsable into 3 parts - 1/3 the size, and able to be assembled very quick.

Get a copy of the Johnson Rifle by Bruce Canfield, lots of pics.
 
M1 rifles were often broken down in to the three major groups and placed in a rectangular padded case commonly referred to as a Griswold Bag. A google search will give you lots of info on them. A couple years ago I did a WW II style jump course put on by the Airborne Demonstartion Team out of Oklahoma
http://www.wwiiadt.org/ When jumping guys had the Griswolds under their reserve chute. They were a bit of a pain as they sometimes caught the wind and acted like a rudder.

I had also heard that during WW II the rifles were kept assembled at times. The US Airborne of WW II is a well researched topic and just a seach of the net will give you all the information you need.

Caje
 
Interesting stuff.

Been doing some more research myself as well. Would have been awesome to see that WW2 style jump courses. Good info about the Griswold bag.

Thanks,
-Steve
 
Coyote Ugly said:
The M1941 Johnson Rifle was the first full size rifle to be jumped into combat in the Pacific as it was collapsable into 3 parts - 1/3 the size, and able to be assembled very quick.

Get a copy of the Johnson Rifle by Bruce Canfield, lots of pics.
Click to expand...

Interestingly, the Johnson Rifle was unique in that it could fire single rounds from a closed breach . But it could also fire with from an open breach.

The Bren was a great LMG which only fired from an open breach. It was critisized for this for not being accurate for single shots. But on full auto, the open breach slowed the heat build up of the barrel. A hot barrel could be changed in seconds, allowed to cool, It could have a really hot barrel/chamber but would not 'cook off' a chambered round whereas those LMG with closed (hot!) chambers, would from the heat, fire.

The Johnson was a real ugly rifle compared to the Garand and lost out to it in the choice to replace the 1903 Springfield .30-06.

My memory is not infallible so you gurus, feel free to clarify what I have said. :redface:
 
Band of Brothers isn't exactly history. Like Caje says, W.W. II para operations are well documented by real historians and re-enactors as opposed to plagarist hacks like Ambrose.
Para operations were a brand new thing then too. U.S. Para units were still developing and trying out kit in late 1942. No pictures but read this.
http://www.qmfound.com/airborne_equipment_WWII.htm
 
sunray said:
Band of Brothers isn't exactly history. Like Caje says, W.W. II para operations are well documented by real historians and re-enactors as opposed to plagarist hacks like Ambrose.
Para operations were a brand new thing then too. U.S. Para units were still developing and trying out kit in late 1942. No pictures but read this.
http://www.qmfound.com/airborne_equipment_WWII.htm
Click to expand...

Stephen Ambrose may not be the most authentic of researchers or writers, but he paid a tremendous compliment to old men who were young, spry and exceedingly dangerous in their youth.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
Stephen Ambrose may not be the most authentic of researchers or writers, but he paid a tremendous compliment to old men who were young, spry and exceedingly dangerous in their youth.
Click to expand...

Not only that but the leg bags were mentioned by the real veterans of the 101st that are seen in the interviews before each show.
 
Sly Old Fox said:
Interestingly, the Johnson Rifle was unique in that it could fire single rounds from a closed breach . But it could also fire with from an open breach.

The Bren was a great LMG which only fired from an open breach. It was critisized for this for not being accurate for single shots. But on full auto, the open breach slowed the heat build up of the barrel. A hot barrel could be changed in seconds, allowed to cool, It could have a really hot barrel/chamber but would not 'cook off' a chambered round whereas those LMG with closed (hot!) chambers, would from the heat, fire.

The Johnson was a real ugly rifle compared to the Garand and lost out to it in the choice to replace the 1903 Springfield .30-06.

My memory is not infallible so you gurus, feel free to clarify what I have said. :redface:
Click to expand...

To add a little to the Johnson...

The Johnson was used by the Marine's in the Pacific. Lt-Col Frederick made a deal with the Marine's while he was assembling the First Special Service Force and acquired a bunch of "Johnny" guns for the force. While in Italy, the Forcemen would fire off 8 semi-automatic rounds of their Johnny gun and toss an empty M1 clip onto the rocks. The german soldier would poke his head up to fire at a reloading American only to be looking at a Johnson gun with 17 more rounds.

And same disclaimer: My memory is not infallible so you gurus, feel free to clarify what I have said.
 
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