Friday, October 26, 2012

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

American forces on Cape Gloucester, New Britain in January, 1944. New Britain is between New Ireland and New Guinea in the South Pacific. Cape Gloucester is on the western end of the island and the by-passed Japanese fortress/base at Rabaul is on the eastern tip. The island was probably named New Britain because it rains there all the time. The soldier in the background has the M-1 carbine, an underpowered mini rifle I never cared for. The two soldiers in the middle man the M1917 Browning .30 machine gun (water cooled) which would fire at 500 to 600 rpm as long as the cloth belt lasted and the water jacket held some liquid. The nearest guy has the Thompson sub-machine gun in its military version, the M1928A1--blunt, utilitarian, but deadly, despite the pistol round it fired. I wouldn't want to bayonet charge this line. I don't think the Japanese did either.

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# posted by Roger Fraley @ 8:23 PM
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