Weapons
The overwhelming majority of the combat infantrymen deployed during the Second World War carried as their primary weapon the Garand M1 rifle. The M1 was a semi-automatic rifle, allowing its operator to fire an entire eight-round clip simply by squeezing the trigger for each shot, without having to operate the bolt manually to chamber the next round. According to General George S. Patton, the M1 was, “the greatest battle implement ever devised.” The .30 caliber M1 was designed to be easily disassembled for cleaning in the field. It featured a reduced recoil, allowing an infantryman to more readily keep it on line with the target when firing multiple shots, and offered a simple range adjustment. It was rugged, reliable, and in the hands of a marksman deadly.
An infantryman was trained to fire a full eight-round clip in battle before reloading the weapon. Although a partially discharged clip could be ejected from the rifle it was common practice not to do so. The rifle automatically ejected an exhausted clip, emitting an audible and distinctive ping. The rifle was accessorized to become a grenade launcher, firing the Mk 7 grenade with the addition of a modified sight. Cleaning tools and oil were kept in the buttstock. Infantrymen were trained to keep the rifle cleaned and well-oiled at all times, and since their lives depended on their weapon most were diligent about following this directive.
Infantrymen also carried a sidearm. During the Second World War, the US military purchased about 1.9 million Colt .45 semiautomatic pistols, manufactured by Colt Firearms and under license by the Remington Rand Typewriter Company, Singer Sewing Machine Company, and other contractors. The differing calibers of the two main weapons carried by the infantryman presented a problem. Most infantrymen did not carry additional ammunition for the .45, which was considered a defensive weapon of last resort, and those that did typically carried only one or two preloaded magazines.
Officers and sergeants frequently carried the M1 carbine, which used the same ammunition as the M1 rifle but was lighter and easier to handle in the field. The Thompson .45 caliber submachine gun was sometimes carried by a non-com to give a squad more firepower in the field, but it was not deployed as heavily as films and television depict due to its poor penetrating power and its weight. It was mostly used by specialty units rather than infantry. By February 1944 the US Army discontinued purchasing the Thompson, after approximately 1.5 million units had been obtained by the Army and Marine Corps. It was also shipped to both the UK and the Soviets as part of a lend-lease.
The Browning Automatic Rifle, of which each infantry rifle squad had one (and which was incidentally a favored weapon of Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde fame) was also a .30 caliber weapon. When US troops encountered German units with multiple automatic weapons, the US Army changed its approach, and authorized two BARs per squad, though in practice this was difficult to achieve due to the weight of additional ammunition which had to be carried by other squad members, and which led to some non-coms favoring the Thompson to counter the German automatic fire. The need for special training for BAR operators, including the proper method of cleaning it, also contributed to its being carried by only one squad member.