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B.A.R. & paratrooper


artu44
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In my italian forum someone opened a worms can: Did paratroopers jump with their BARs or they picked them up from dropped containers? Someone caught veteran memories telling of the BAR tied with 15ft. rope and placed in the parachute. This way when parachute will open the BAR dropped 15 ft below and far from the para when landing. It could be probable? No pics?

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I have herd of something similar, I wouldn’t want to jump with a BAR to be honest and I can see it been placed in a drop bag or on a rope both seam like a feasible solution.

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Somewhere I read that some jumped with it, knocking their teeth out when they landed.

Maybe an improvised Griswold bag?

No idea really.

 

Erwin

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For Normandy, BARs were dropped in equipment bundles, usually two to a bundle, with the rest of the bundles being made up of ammo and land mines. Rations, grenades, and medic supplies were also tossed into many, random bundles as "crackerjack prizes". They were not assigned to any individuals, just whoever found/needed them. BTW they were each packed with a GP ammo bag crammed full of loaded mags -- IIRC 21 mags fit each very heavy bag.

 

IIRC the March 1945 para infantry TO&E shows BARs, one per squad.

 

A vet of the 511th told me that they had begun issuing BARs one per rifle squad in New Guinea, to counter the "Nambu light" MGs of the enemy. When they were faced with JUMPING with them for Tagaytay Ridge in the Philippines, most BAR men found a way to do so, placing them not behind the reserve chute but slung muzzle down with the butt riding high above the shoulder and a Griswold bag or PILLOW wrapped around the front end. They tied it in place with riser cord or rope.

 

The lowering line was intended to take a heavy WEIGHT off the body of the jumper before impact. This weight was normally a "jump valise", not an individual weapon. But that technique MIGHT make sense with a BAR....if the BAR was nicley wrapped up and padded.

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