The Guns That Won World War II
The United States fought in World War II from December 8, 1941 (the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor) to September 2, 1945 (the formal surrender of Japan). A total of 407,316 US military personnel died during the war; approximately 291,557 were battle deaths.
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The 48-star American flag was the official US flag from 1912 to 1959. It notably flew through World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. The Service Flag is a banner that family members of those serving in the US Armed Forces would display in their home windows. The blue star represented a living family member serving in the war; the gold star represented a family member who died during military operations.
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The M1 Garand (first in the above photo) is widely celebrated as “the gun that won World War II.” General George S. Patton famously hailed it as “the greatest battle implement ever devised.”
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The M1 Carbine (second in the above photo) is a more portable, semi-automatic rifle originally issued during WWII for rear-echelon and airborne troops. More than 6 million were manufactured between late 1941 and mid-1945, whereas a little more than 4 million M1 Garands were produced (additional M1 rifles had been made prior to the US entry into the war).
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The 9.5-pound M1 Garand is a heavy-hitting battle rifle designed for long-range engagements, firing the powerful .30-06 Springfield cartridge. In contrast, the 4.5-pound M1 Carbine is a lightweight, close-quarters weapon firing a smaller, lower-recoil .30 Carbine round, originally intended for support troops rather than frontline infantry.
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Sources differ on the pronunciation of the M1 Garand. Some say “GARR-ənd,” the pronunciation of its creator, John Garand’s last name. Others say “gə-RAND,” placing the accent on the second syllable. Both are considered acceptable.
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As the first standard-issue semi-automatic military rifle, the M1 Garand provided a decisive tactical advantage. It fired an 8-round clip, allowing a single American infantryman to fire roughly the same number of shots as three soldiers armed with older bolt-action rifles. And the gas-operated system performed well in the grueling conditions of the Pacific and European theaters.
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The M1 Garand is well known for its unique, iconic, and unmistakable “ping” sound, occurring when its internal mechanism forcefully ejects the empty spring-steel en bloc clip after the eighth and final round is fired.
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The M1 Carbine does not make the famous “ping” sound when it needs reloading. It’s fed by a traditional, detachable box magazine (typically holding 15 or 30 rounds). When the last round is fired, the bolt simply locks open—it does not eject a metal clip.
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Also see:
⇨ National Museum of American History: The Flag in WWII
⇨ National WWII Museum: The Docuseries, World War II with Tom Hanks
⇨ Wikipedia: World War II
⇨ Wikipedia: List of World War II Infantry Weapons
⇨ Wikipedia: Allied Powers of World War II
⇨ Wikipedia: Axis Powers of World War II
⇨ Wikipedia: The M1 Garand
⇨ American Rifleman: Ready For Action: The Arms of the Paramarines
⇨ Firearms News: The History Behind the Great M1A1 Carbine
⇨ Lucky Gunner: Why I Really Like The M1 Carbine
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