
Weapons used by American forces in World War Two were rifles, machine guns and shotguns, and explosives. 5.5 million M1 Garand rifles were produced, making it the most popular American weapon of World War Two. The M1 Garand fires the 30-06 round, but is also able to launch the M1/A1 grenade. The M1903 Springfield rifle was used as a sniper, usually equipped with a scope. Another popular weapons was the Thompson sub-machine gun, however it was cost 450 dollars to produce.
Rifles
Rifles were a critical part of the weapons used by America in World War Two. The M1 Garand is commonly known as the greatest rifle of World War Two. (Olsen) Made in 1932, The Garand fired the 30-06 cartridge, weighed nine and a half pounds, and held eight rounds.(Olsen+Whitney+Janasik) Over 5.5 million M1 Garand’s were produced.(Janasik) General George S. Patton once stated that it (M1 Garand) was, "The greatest battle implement ever devised." (Patton 3)Another key rifle was the M1 Carbine. Made in 1938, the carbine weighed 5.47 pounds, and could hold either fifteen or thirty rounds.(Olsen+Whitney+Janasik) About 6,000,000 M1 Carbines were produced for the war.(Janasik) Also, a rifle used in World War Two was the M1903 Springfield. The Springfield was invented in 1903, fired the 30-06 round, and weighed 8.68 pounds.(Olsen+Whitney+Janasik) Often it was equipped with a scope and used as a sniper rifle because of the deadly accuracy and precision. The last rifle used by Americans in World War Two was the Browning Automatic Rifle, or B.A.R. The B.A.R. weighed twenty two pounds and was invented in 1918. (Janasik) It also fired the 30-06 round, had a twenty round magazine, and was able to be fired as a full-automatic or semi-automatic rifle, and because of that is regarded by some as a rifle machine gun hybrid. (Whitney+Janasik)



Photograph of M1 Garand Photograph of solder carrying the B.A.R Photograph of M1903 Springfield
Machine Guns and Shot Guns
American machine guns and shot guns played an important role in World War Two. The primary machine gun of America was the M2. (Whitney) The M2 machine gun, invented in 1921, fired the .50 caliber round. (Whitney+Janasik) It had a 110-round belt, and was capable of around 550 rounds per minute. (Whitney+Janasik) The M2 machine gun was effective over one mile. (Olsen) Germany invented the sub-machine gun, but America perfected it with the M1 Thompson sub-machine gun. The Thompson was altered to military standards in 1940, shot the .45 round, and had twenty or thirty round box magazines, or a fifty round drum. (Olsen+Wilkinson+Whitney+Janasik) Researchers agree, "The Thompson submachine gun is one of the most famous, most recognized guns in the world. (Janasik 7) One if the problems with the Thompson, is that it weighed 10.62 pounds, and costs over 450 dollars to produce. America’s solution was the M3 “Grease Gun.” This 3 pound sub-machine gun could easily be mass-produced, and only costs fifteen dollars to make. It too shot the .45 caliber, and had a thirty round magazine. The shot gun used by American solders was the M1897 trench gun. Invented in 1912, the trench gun held six shots, and could fire twelve gauge, sixteen gauge, twenty gauge, or twenty eight gauge. (Whitney+Janasik) Often equipped with a bayonet, and commonly used in trench warfare. (Janasik)
Explosives
Explosives were immanent to success on a battle field. Americans used the MK2 Grenade. (Whitney) This fragmentation grenade was designed in 1918, and filled with two ounces on TNT. (Janasik) Americans also used the M1/A1 Bazooka as an anti-tank weapon. (Whitney) In 1942, the bazooka was invented, and it was fifty four inches long and weighed 12.75 pounds. Experts stated, "The bazooka, as it was called, was the primary anti-tank weapon of the United Stated in World War Two." (Janasik 13) (Janasik) Also, the M2 Flamethrower came into play during World War Two. (Whitney) Build in 1940, the M2 Flamethrower weighed sixty eight pounds when filled. (Janasik) The M2 Flamethrower used two gallons of gasoline as fuel, and a nitrogen tank as a propellant. (Janasik) Other weapons like the M1 Mortar also became viable. (Whitney) The M1 Mortar could fire up to 3,300 yards, and weighed 136 pounds. (Whitney)
Referances
Clark, Jayne. "WWII Museum is going great guns." USA Today 23 Oct. 2009: n. pag.
Ebsco Host. Web. 3 May 2010. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/
detail?vid=4&hid=119&sid=eb652la2-cc4a-466b-b22c-168>.
Faxepl. 2007.07.22 Mechelinki, Polish version of Browning Automatic Rifle. July,
22, 2007. flickr. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/faxepl/
871915848/>.
Janasik, Brandon. Weapons of World War Two. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2010.
<http://historyofww2.webs.com/weaponsoftheunitedstates.htm>.
Mr. Smashy. M1903 Remington Springfield. January 3, 2010. Flickr. Web. 10 May
2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/wmode/4320034432/>.
Olsen, Chris. "Infantry Weappons of World War II." WWII Weapons. N.p., n.d. Web.
2 May 2010. <http://www.newberry.k12.sc.us/mchs/WWIIWeapons.htm>.
Simoniv. M1 Garand. January 9, 2007. flickr. Web. 10 May 2010.
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonov/351717236/>.
Whitney. World War 2 Weapons. American WW2 Weapons, n.d. Web. 10 May 2010.
<http://hubpages.com/hub/World_War_2_Weapons>.
Wilkinson, Fredrick. Guns and Rifles. New York: Optimum Books, 1079. Print.
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Comments (2)
Fred Flintstone said
at 12:26 pm on May 12, 2010
I like the pictures and facts of the weapons
Charlie Brown said
at 10:42 am on May 18, 2010
Awesome. I think. The picture with the guy with the gun is interesting. Nice. Cool. Kind of creative. Different in a good way. The text on fire hurts my eyes. Colors should be added. Better text is needed.
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