This regiment was the only artillery unit in the 1st Airborne Division for Market-Garden. It consisted of three batteries each with eight 75 mm. pack howitzers. So only one battery was assigned to support each of the division's three brigades. The soldier carrying two packs on the left is Lieutenant Colonel W.F.K. Thompson.
A.L. Fransen (Sun 14 Feb 2021 06:43:19 PM EST)
How do you know the date? They all look like they enjoy peace, not wearing helmets and all. Without the date I would say this is somewhere in the interim-peace time.
DieGrosseSchlag (Tue 02 Feb 2021 10:28:36 PM EST)
This is a Japanese license produced version of the French Hotchkiss M1929 13.2 mm. machinegun. The magazine held 30 rounds.
DieGrosseSchlag (Mon 25 Jan 2021 07:49:03 AM EST)
This Jagdpanther is an early production vehicle identifiable by the single piece barrel. The middle and late production vehicles had a two piece barrel. A Jagdpanther battalion was organized similar to a Tiger I/II battalion with three companies with 14 vehicles each and 3 in the battalion headquarters.
DieGrosseSchlag (Fri 22 Jan 2021 11:43:16 AM EST)
In 1940 Britain had a severe shortage of machineguns (along with other small arms) and made urgent purchases from the US. The following shipments - all in .30 - were made in 1940:
1,157 M1917 Lewis ground guns
7,071 M1915 Vickers ground guns
2,602 M1918 Marlin tank guns
15,638 M1917 Marlin aircraft guns
5,124 Vickers aircraft guns
38,040 Lewis aircraft guns
10,000 M1917 Browning ground guns
These guns were used by the Home Guard and to some extent the Merchant Marine, who used the stripped down Lewis gun for low-level air defense.
Nickdfresh (Fri 22 Jan 2021 09:27:27 AM EST)
I don't think the British regulars and Territorial Armies had much choice. After losing hundreds of thousands of firearms and infantry support weapons by Dunkirk, they had to dust off the old stocks and even had US Enfield rifles sent that were surplus WWI vintage...
patrick.lorent (Thu 21 Jan 2021 04:46:45 PM EST)
Being a weapon that got famous in WW1 ,it's amazing that it continued service through WW2,only being outfased in 1946.The Lewis gun saw continued service as an anti-aircraft weapon during World War II; in this role it was credited by the British for bringing down more low-flying enemy aircraft than any other AA weapon.
Nickdfresh (Sun 17 Jan 2021 12:05:39 PM EST)
Interesting picture and I am not sure I ever saw a field expedient up armored German truck. Was this related to Maquis attacks?
Nickdfresh (Thu 14 Jan 2021 06:43:33 PM EST)
No Fransen it wasn't unusual for African Americans to drive vehicles in the US Army in WWII. Ignore the "great again" troll...
patrick.lorent (Thu 14 Jan 2021 02:58:46 PM EST)
Not unusual at all.Some 1,2 million black men served in the US Army during WW2, but they were often treated as second-class citizens.
While most African Americans serving at the beginning of WWII were assigned to non-combat units and relegated to service duties, such as supply, maintenance, and transportation, their work behind front lines was equally vital to the war effort.
Most African American soldiers served as service and supply troops, artillerymen, military police, and in other rear-echelon companies and battalions. However, many of these soldiers did see combat in Europe and the Pacific, particularly those in artillery batteries.
And don't forget the Red Tail Squadron pilots.There is a lot one can read about those soldiers and how the made their effort count.
This regiment was the only artillery unit in the 1st Airborne Division for Market-Garden. It consisted of three batteries each with eight 75 mm. pack howitzers. So only one battery was assigned to support each of the division's three brigades. The soldier carrying two packs on the left is Lieutenant Colonel W.F.K. Thompson.