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Post by redjoshman on Feb 3, 2008 14:35:50 GMT -5
The most common shotgun used during WW2 in both the ETO and PTO was the winchester M1898 trench shotgun. They first used in large numbers during WW1 when general Pershing brought them over there supposedly to shoot down grenades like skeet (see history channels episode on shotguns). I WW2 they were used mostly by marines in combat because of their effectiveness against banzai charges and in caves. In the ETO they were mostly used by MPs but their some photos of them being used by front-line troops. The shotgun only takes the M1917 Enfield bayonet.
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finster
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Post by finster on Feb 3, 2008 15:46:13 GMT -5
The shotgun was rarely used in the ETO or the MTO. The Germans still remembered them from the Great War. Americans were told, via the grapevine I'm sure, that anyone the Germans caught with a shotgun would be executed on the spot. This was most recently told to me again by a vet from the 101st. He said before D-Day, as they were drawing new and extra gear, he was trying to get either a carbine or a thompson. He really didn't want to jump with and carry a garand. He saw a pile of shotguns on the hanger floor. He asked if he could have one. 'Sure' said the supply sgt. 'Take all you want. Nobody wants one.' When he asked why, he was told what I've already relayed. He chose to leave them too and picked up his carbine from a fallen trooper after the jump(yup, the para model I have). Like Red said, MP's found 'em most usefull. They saw a lot of service stateside too. They were highly effective in the Pacific in the close quarters of the jungle and in tunnel, cave, and dugout clearing. Another issued shotgun was the Remington 11. It is almost identicle to the Browning Light Twelve. s82.photobucket.com/albums/j261/old_soldier/stuff/weapons/?action=view¤t=shotgunsnpistols-1.jpg This was a seme-automatic 12 gage civilian weapon that was picked up by the military while looking for upgrades from the Model 97. It took no bayonet, and had a shorter magazine than the M97 holding 4 and 1 in the chamber as opposed to 5 +1 with the M97. However, there was no pump. As long as you had ammo, you could pull the trigger and shoot. Mine came from a Navy contract. Others went to the Army and Marines. You will find them re-stamped with government markings. So it isn't unusual to see the checkered grips, nice stock, and duck hunting scene on both the reciever and bolt, and the Ord. bomb and 'Military Finish' marks as many were taken from civilian production and swithched to military. IMHO a much better shotgun than the M97 since it is semi-auto. Either way, it merits mention along with it's co-worker the M97. Fins.
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Post by redjoshman on Feb 9, 2008 0:12:25 GMT -5
I thought that semi auto shotguns were only used stateside to train flyboys in areial gunnery? I know in the ETO they were mostly used by MPs but there is one picture I've found so far which shows a dogface probably in the winter 44/45 (judging from the couple feet of snow on the ground) and near or in the siegfried line (judging from the concrete bunker the german in retreating from) and he has a pump action shotgun in his hand and is capturing the above mentioned german soldier. The man is not a MP as far as I know because he has no MP brassard or MP markings on the helmet. The M97 though it was a pump action it had the ability to fire rapidly because the trigger could be held down while the pump was in action making effectively as described by some who I've talked to as making it seemingly fully automatic. The M97 was used by some Force Recon Units till the early 70s because reliable pump action. I'm sorry I didn't mention the other shotguns but as far as I know the semi-autos were only used stateside and other ones just weren't used as long and as widely as the M97.
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