Unfortunately there are no examples of weapons used by the US Airborne in the museum at this time. In the future, we hope to add the following pieces
Personal Weapons:
M1 Garand - The standard rifle for the US forces. This .30-06 weapon was used from 1936 through the Korean conflict. It was a very accurate and reliable rifle that was fed by an 8 round magazine. Like most weapons it need regular service, but most veterans were very happy with it's performance. Unfortunately it was the smoke from our ammunition that everyone complained about.
M1 Carbine - Actually designed to replace the pistol, this .30 calibre weapon was just a little shorter than the Garand. Unfortunately due to the shorter barrel and smaller ammunition, it did not have the accuracy or power of the standard issue rifle. Like the regular M1 carbine, the M1A1 was fed by a 15 round clip.
M1A1 Carbine - A modified version of the M1 Carbine, this example included a metal folding stock. This modification made it much easier for Airborne troops to pack and carry this weapon amongst all the other gear they had strapped to themselves.
M3 Sub-machine Gun - Also known as a "grease gun", this .45 calibre weapon was typically issued to officers only and was therefore not seen as much in the field.
M1911 A1 Pistol - Standard issue weapon for officers. This .45 calibre pistol remained as the standard sidearm for the US military for many years.
M3 Fighting Knife - This is the large knife that is typically seen strapped to the leg of the Airborne soldier. It was usually carried in the leather M6 scabbard or the fiberglass M6 scabbard.
Light Infantry Weapons:
M1918 A2 Automatic Rifle - Better known as the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), this weapon was actually first used towards the end of WWI. A light automatic weapon, it fired .30 calibre ammunition fed by a 20 round magazine and could fire as many as 500 rounds per minute. During WWII, it was probably the US weapon most feared by the enemy forces.
M1A1 Rocket Launcher - Better known as the "Bazooka", this anti-tank weapon was inspired by the German Panzerfaust (armored fist). It's 59mm round could penetrate a 120mm armor plate at a range of 230 feet. Although inspired by the enemy weapon, the Germans actually changed their anti-tank arsenal to include a weapon more like our Bazooka. They called their new weapon a Panzerschreck (tank terrorizer).
M1919A4 Machine Gun - The standard infantry light machine gun, this .30 calibre weapon was issued to all infantry battalions. Typically mounted on a tripod, it was operated by a 3 man squad. The main gunner carried and fired the weapon, the assistant gunner carried the tripod and fed the ammunition, and the ammunition carrier kep the squad supplied and assisted with targeting.
M2 Machine Gun - Basically a .50 calibre version of the M1919A4, this weapon was typically mounted on a vehicle or a large anti-aircraft mount. Since it was a heavier gun, it was brought in by the glider troops. It's large calibre gave it quite a punch, both on the ground, or in the air as an AA weapon.
M2 Mortar - This 60mm light mortar was carried in by the paratroopers in two parts, the tube, and the base-plate. Operated by a squad of men, the ammunition was also spread out amongst the regular airborne infantry soldier to bring it in. This mortar had a range of about a mile.
M1 Mortar - This heavier 81mm mortar was typically brought in by the glider troops and operated by their Heavy Weapons Company. It had a range of 2,750 to 3,300 yards.
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