M1 Garand History - It's hard to imagine now, but the US Army Old Salts were not quick to adopt the new M1 semi-automatic rifle. The first challenge for John Garand's new battle rifle was to replace a long-time legend - the M1903 Springfield rifle. The Springfield served America well before World War I, and the classic bolt-action rifle was one of the best fighting weapons of the era.
Many American soldiers believed that there was no real need to replace the M1903, and soon nervous initial evaluations of the M1 began to be heard: "It's inaccurate. It wastes ammunition. It jams. It's too big and heavy." To make matters worse, NCOs feared that the complexity of the new M1 would make them drop from the ranks of "experienced marksmen" and that the demotion would cost them a $5 monthly bonus.
M1 Garand History
American paratroopers captured a Nazi in Normandy with an M1 rifle equipped with a 10-inch M1 bayonet. Image: NARA
The M1 Garand: History & Disassembly
The negative rumors continued until the initial issues with the Garand were resolved. When World War II began in September 1939, the M1 began to take its final form, replacing the early gas trap design.
Still, America was two years away from being drawn into an expanding conflict, and production of the M1 rifle grew steadily as the clouds of war hung in the air. The M1 was quietly gaining in numbers and popularity as America's new service rifle.
Within 24 hours of the attack on US military facilities at Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces launched an invasion of the Philippines. The M1 rifle was there, albeit in small numbers, to counter them. The American and Filipino defenders established most of their defenses on the Bataan Peninsula and were able to hold out until May 8, 1942.
The Philippine Department of the US Army was reinforced from August to November 1941 and during this time new M1 rifles arrived (mixed with the M1903 rifles already in service). The initial use of the Garand in battle was fraught with confusion; in some cases, the US Army, unfamiliar with the new semi-automatic rifle, sent units equipped with the M1 five rounds of .30 caliber "stripper clip" for use with the M1903 rifles. In these harrowing situations, users of the M1 rifle had to find their discarded cartridges in the underbrush and manually reload them, which was a major challenge during firing.
Evolution Of The M1 Garand Gas Cylinder
The 32nd Infantry Division, with M1 Garand and M1903 Springfield rifles, was ready to land in Australia in November 1942. Image: NARA
Nevertheless, the Japanese troops were impressed by the heavy fire of the .30 caliber, and the invaders wondered how the Americans could afford to equip every infantryman with a "machine gun." Positive reports of the M1 returned to the US, but the Philippine campaign ended in defeat and misery. Nearly 23,000 American soldiers and more than 100,000 Filipinos were killed or captured. The M1 rifle made its way back across the Pacific and returned to the Philippines on October 20, 1944 with General MacArthur and 6 men from the US.
The M1 rifle was issued in early 1942 to many of the original US units stationed in Iceland, Ireland and England. One of these items was 1.
On August 19, 1942, fifty American Rangers took part in "Operation Jubilee", a large and particularly bloody attack on the French port of Dieppe. A large number of Rangers hit the beach with 4th Commando attacking the German "Hess" coastal battery west of Dieppe.
M1 Garand Tankers \
During this campaign, some American troops carried the M1 rifle into battle. Of the 50 rangers who went ashore that day, six were killed and four captured. Seven others were wounded but returned to England. The M1 rifle has met the axis on both sides of the globe.
On August 7, 1942, Marines landed on Guadalcanal and began a long and painful campaign to secure this pristine jungle island. For most of the campaign, the Marines carried the M1903 Springfield rifle, but as fighting resumed in early 1943, M1 rifles began to appear in some U.S.M.C. gunmen.
Even more M1s were deployed with US Army units that eventually helped secure the island. Fierce fighting followed in the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, New Britain and Bougainville. In combat alongside the M1903 rifle, the M1 earned a reputation for accuracy and reliability in the harshest jungle environments on the planet.
In November 1942, the Western Allies opened a second front against Germany with the invasion of North Africa, Operation Torch. The M1 Garand came ashore for this campaign, and is still associated with the M1903 Springfield in many units.
Wwii U.s. Army Uniform Set
The M1 saw its first significant action against German forces during Operation Torch, the French invasion of North Africa. Image: NARA
In North Africa, the M1 fired furiously at Vichy French, Italian and German forces, adding another inhospitable climate to its growing list of combat achievements. In July 1943, the Allies invaded Sicily, and by September, American troops equipped with the M1 rifle were fighting on Italian soil.
Supply of the M1 rifle took some time to catch up with demand, and many units in Italy were not fully equipped with the Garanda until mid-1944, while the rifle continued to prove itself in the harsh conditions of rain, snow and mud. in the mountainous Italian countryside.
Remembrance of the fallen: the men of the 1st Special Unit (Devil's Brigade) go to the grave of one of their friends. Anzio, February 1944.
M1 Garand ( Us Rifle, Caliber .30, M1)
By 1945, the issue of the M1 rifle was finally widespread in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), and photographs even show the new M1C sniper rifle in Italy (although there is no record of wartime use of the M1 sniper rifle there).
During World War II, the distribution of the M1 rifle between combat and training units appears to have been a strange and complicated process. In 1942-43, many military units in the United States trained with the M1 rifle, although the Army's combat units carried the M1 and M1903 rifles in combat.
As the war progressed, more soldiers received initial training with M1903 rifles and then advanced training (sometimes in theater) with the M1 Garand. The painfully bruised toe that accompanies the M1 thumb has become a standard insignia for new recruits.
G.I.s complained about the weight of the M1 (11.2 pounds loaded, bayonet and sling) compared to the bolt-action Springfield rifle (8.7 pounds). But soldiers always have their grumbles and any gear is too heavy when you spend your life walking around in the open. A new generation of Americans were training as marksmen, and by the end of 1944 their rifle was undoubtedly the M1 Garand.
Unexpected Longevity: Foreign Use Of The M1 Garand
From the beaches of Normandy to the final collapse of the Third Reich, battle footage from Western Europe cemented the M1 rifle as one of the legendary weapons of World War II.
G.I. of the 69th Infantry Division, battle-hardened after only a few days of combat. March 1945. Picture: NARA
But at the beginning of the campaign in Normandy, the "younger brother" M1 Carbine enjoyed great popularity among soldiers due to its light weight. The number of M1 carbines in use in France by August 1944 was almost equal to the number of M1 rifles. However, as the battle progressed into France, the .30 Carbine cartridge was found to lack the range and especially the penetrating power needed by infantry.
By the late summer of 1944, many noncommissioned officers and field officers had traded their M1 carbines for Garand rifles in favor of the high-resistance .30-06 round, which could blast through doors and walls in urban combat or cover brush and logs. . forests.
M1 Garand Rifle, Usa 1932
This G.I. With the 79th ID, in the summer of 1944, he launched a fragmentation grenade into the hedgerows in Normandy. Image: NARA
The M1 was accurate enough to be used as a sniper rifle without a scope. Combined with the Browning automatic rifle, the M1 gave American infantry groups critical advantages in range and firepower over their German counterparts.
Even when the Germans introduced their Sturmgewehr StG44 (7.92x33mm Kurz) assault rifle, the US military remained committed to John Garand's winning design as US forces defeated and defeated the Germans no matter what they carried, including on their home ground. .
Marines were required to fully equip their rifles with M1 rifles. Also at the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943 several Marines can be seen carrying the M1903 Springfield. However, following the invasion of Saipan in June 1944, the M1 rifle was widely issued throughout the United States.
Know Your Firearms History: M1 Garand Successfully Tested By The U.s. Military
As Japanese tactics changed to a "dig in and hold to the last man" approach, the M1 proved to be an anti-sniper and suppressive fire against a fanatical enemy dug in between bunkers and caves.
Similar to the combat experience of the Army's infantry in France, Belgium, and Germany, the Marines replaced many of the M1 carbines in their combat units.
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