KG Erwin
Posts: 8981
Joined: 7/25/2000 From: Cross Lanes WV USA Status: offline
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Due to popular demand (which means I asked for them ), the US Marines have new rifle squads armed with shotguns in weapons slot 3. These were removed from the squads in an earlier OOB, and I believed they should be restored as an option. Note the following passage from "Saipan: Beginning of the End" (USMC Historical Monograph)-- "Company G, moving through the sand dunes along the beach, met strong resistance in the form of a series of mutually supporting pillboxes (normally housing 37 or 47mm guns) covered by riflemen in open trenches. Individual Japanese actually charged from foxholes with bayonet or sword to contest Company G's advance. For its task of seizing Afetna Point, this company had been supplied with weapons unusual to combat: shotguns. The reason for this becomes apparent when it is realized that the unit was attacking straight towards the 4th Marine Division's left flank, making a short-range weapon (and one with a wide dispersion pattern) desirable. The entire 8th Marines' supply of shotguns [the F series regiment had 100 12-gauge shotguns in its weapons pool--KGE] was allotted to Company G, making available about one shotgun per two Marines. Men thus armed also carried their normal weapons for later use. The shotguns, generally, worked well; particularly against sword-wielding opponents, but some difficulty was experienced because most of the cartridge jackets were made of cardboard rather than metal. The cardboard-jacketed cartridges often became misshapen in the sea air, and would not enter shotgun chambers." The shotgun-armed rifle squads will be in addition to the squads with either Thompsons or Carbines in slot 3, and the Rifle-Grenade-armed squads. Now, scenario designers and gamers have a variety of historical USMC weapons allotments to choose from. My thanks to Marauder Mel for indulging my obsession with the WWII Marine Corps, and basically giving me free reign to add formations and units, based on my research into the historical TOEs.
< Message edited by KG Erwin -- 8/31/2004 4:51:09 PM >
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