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Sabres
Dec 22, 2019 20:01:15 GMT
Post by yanmacca on Dec 22, 2019 20:01:15 GMT
The M60 had componants copied directly from two German machine guns, the FG42 and MG42. The MG42, now there's a weapon which could bring overwhelming firepower down on any target.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Sabres
Mar 31, 2021 8:05:12 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2021 8:05:12 GMT
Coming to this discussion very late, but feel I need to make two comments:
1. Bayonets may have made a slight difference. At Rorke's Drift, many Zulu casualties were from the bayonet. Of course, the British also fired a phenomenal amount of ammunition and were behind barricades and field fortifications. In my tank companies, I issued my bayonets to the soldiers when we went to the field Never trained them in knife fighting though. Perhaps another thing I should have done along with more patrolling and paying more attention to my fire plans rather than just placing Target Reference Points. Oh well, there were no bayonet studs on M1911 pistols or M3 Grease Guns. But now they have M4 Carbines in the tanks, so they can at least take a bayonet. On the other hand, we also wore our flak jackets all the time, a trait I picked up from my B Troop Commander who made us wear them and when 2/3 of Platoon Leaders complained about how they made the men tired, the troop started doing PT in them. I never did that either. Perhaps I should have.
2. Combined Arms Battalions. They went from 3 companies to 4 and are now back to 3. I expect soon to see that they will be cone away with because "it is too hard for battalions to train both infantrymen and tankers. This has also led to the demise of the cavalry regiment. The two Stryker Regiments (2nd and 3rd Cavalry) while they may think they are cavalry are nothing more than motorized infantry. The 11th ACR is an understrength combined arms brigade optimized for training as an OPFOR Regiment and has substantial parts in the National Guard. The 278th ACR (TN ARNG) is also a combined arms brigade. This whining about training and about money has transformed cavalry squadrons, troops, and platoons from combined arms organizations into single arm organizations. A small bright spot is the ABCT's cavalry squadron now has 3 cavalry troops and a tank company. Sadly, their troops have only two platoons. For the longest time, the platoons were organized with 3 BFVs and 5 HMMWVs. Now they have platoons of 6 BFVs. Pathetic. Were I a troop or squadron commander, I would ask my commander to at least let me reorganize my troop/squadron with 3 4 vehicle platoons. Battalion Scout platoons still have 3 BFV and 5 HMMWV. I question the ethics of such a mix given the emphasis on force protection of the last 20 years. The ABCT though is Armor Heavy with 6 tank companies and 4 Infantry Companies. I think they should go back to 4 companies and they companies should be combined arms as well, probably with 4 platoons: 2 tank and 2 mech.
Dismounting soap box.
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