[War Angel]

Is that ever stated in the 4th? From what I recall it applies only to civilians.

3rd, 4th, I don't remember. It's somewhere there with how to deal with non-combatants and prisoners.

No it's not just a technicality, you tried to make your argument out of that non-fact.

I was merely following a legal track.

It's always been allowed.

I'm pretty sure it's frowned upon today... not that drops like these occur over hostile territory anymore.

[Douglas]

I could be the 3rd but that is more in reference to the treatment of POWs. So I really doubt it's part of any GC.

I was merely following a legal track.

A very poor one based on very poor information I'm sure you'll concede.

[War Angel]

I could be the 3rd but that is more in reference to the treatment of POWs. So I really doubt it's part of any GC.

Downed aircrew members are on the fast track to becoming POWs.

[Zerogouki]

Excuse me, but isn't this thread supposed to be about American infantry weapons?

The M1 Garand was a great weapon for its time, though clearly inferior to the Sturmgewehr. The M1 Carbine sucked ass. The Tommygun was great, and is arguably what should have been issued to our troops instead of carbines. The BAR kicks epic amounts of ass in Medal of Honor, though its bulk underlines one of the major differences between computer games and reality. The Colt M1911 is the best sidearm in American history.

[Huntster]

The M1 Garand was a great weapon for its time, though clearly inferior to the Sturmgewehr. The M1 Carbine sucked ass. The Tommygun was great, and is arguably what should have been issued to our troops instead of carbines. The BAR kicks epic amounts of ass in Medal of Honor, though its bulk underlines one of the major differences between computer games and reality. The Colt M1911 is the best sidearm in American history.

QFT. The M1 Garand was the premier infantry rifle. No other nation issued anything close to it. The Thompson was the premier submachine gun, the 1911 the premier sidearm, and the BAR the premier light machine gun of the war.

[Zerogouki]

The M1 Garand was the premier infantry rifle. No other nation issued anything close to it.

Ummm... did you miss my comment about the Sturmgewehr?

the BAR the premier light machine gun of the war.

Medium machine gun, really. There was nothing "light" about it. But yeah, it was the top SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) of its era.

[Huntster]

Ummm... did you miss my comment about the Sturmgewehr?

No. The Sturmgewehr was a completely different type of weapon than the infantry rifles that most WWII soldiers carried. It was the first of today's "assault rifles", and it was deployed too late in the war to have been widely distributed.

Today's armies, of course, have adopted assault rifles as the primary infantry rifle issued to their troops, but not then. Most German troops were carrying Mauser bolt action rifles.

the BAR the premier light machine gun of the war.

Medium machine gun, really. There was nothing "light" about it. But yeah, it was the top SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) of its era.

Nothing was "light" back then. My Garand is a tanker version, and it's still heavier than all of my other rifles (except one heavy barreled rifle).

[Zerogouki]

The Sturmgewehr was a completely different type of weapon than the infantry rifles that most WWII soldiers carried. It was the first of today's "assault rifles", and it was deployed too late in the war to have been widely distributed.

So? It was still the best main infantry rifle of the war.

My Garand is a tanker version, and it's still heavier than all of my other rifles

Is it heavier than the BAR?

[Brio]

and the BAR the premier light machine gun of the war.

In my opinion the MG42 was the premier SAW of the war, although the BAR was a fine weapon.

[Huntster]

The Sturmgewehr was a completely different type of weapon than the infantry rifles that most WWII soldiers carried. It was the first of today's "assault rifles", and it was deployed too late in the war to have been widely distributed.

So? It was still the best main infantry rifle of the war.

That's just it. It wasn't the "main" infantry rifle for the German military. The 98 Mauser was. The Sturmgewehr was a late comer. Had it been the standard issue, things might have turned out quite differently.

My Garand is a tanker version, and it's still heavier than all of my other rifles

Is it heavier than the BAR?

No way. My Garand, even in tanker version, is about 10 lbs. I think standard versions are a tad over 11 (depending on the wood used for the stock).

BARs are about 20 lbs.

[Huntster]

Huntster wrote:
and the BAR the premier light machine gun of the war.

In my opinion the MG42 was the premier SAW of the war, although the BAR was a fine weapon.

I believe since the MG42 was a belt-feed general purpose machine gun, it is considered a crew served weapon. The BAR (despite it's weight), being magazine fed, was considered a "light" machine gun.

No doubt about it, the MG42 was the best GP machine gun in WWII.

[Brio]

The BAR (despite it's weight), being magazine fed, was considered a "light" machine gun.

Ah I see. Could the BAR with its small 20 round magazine really be used effectively in a LMG role though?

[Huntster]

Could the BAR with its small 20 round magazine really be used effectively in a LMG role though?

You bet, especially supporting a moving platoon full of semi-automatic Garands with a Thompson and M1 Carbine in the mix. The BAR saw service in WWI first before being brought back in WWII, and it's role was primarily as support for platoon or squad riflemen on the move. It also fired the same round as both the Springfield and the Garand.

[Zerogouki]

That's just it. It wasn't the "main" infantry rifle for the German military.

It was the main rifle in the units that it was issued to, though, as opposed to filling a support role.

No way. My Garand, even in tanker version, is about 10 lbs. I think standard versions are a tad over 11 (depending on the wood used for the stock).

BARs are about 20 lbs.

I rest my case.