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US 43 Rifle Squad and 42 Rifle Company Headquarters Squad


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In the US 43 rifle squad. What is up with the Springfield rifle? Not there in the 42 squad. Why did they have a bolt-action rifle in the squads in the middle of the war, not before and not after?

In the US 42 rifle company. The six man headquarters squad. What was that for? Are those the cooks and such? They have a two man headquarters section, and a bazooka team as part of that ‘platoon’.

[ September 02, 2004, 05:09 PM: Message edited by: superdreadnought2001 ]

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The standard US rifle grenade could not be fired from the M1 rifle. So some Springfields were re-issued to enable squads to fire off rifle grenades. Later, in 1944, a new adapter was made for the rifle grenade that plugged the gas return line in the M1 (used for its semi-auto action normally, to reset the bolt). This allowed the rifle grenade to be fired by a standard M1, and the need for the Springfield went away.

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The Headquarters Squad is not a command unit. It is a part of the compnay level command 'group'. In the US 42 Rifle Company list in the unit editor you will have:

Company Headquarters

Section Headquarters

Headquarters Squad

Bazooka Team

... then the rest of the company...

I am just wondering what that Headquarters Squad was for in the real world?

It has 4 rifles, 1 carbine, and 1 BAR. Was it the staff officers and other support people, cooks, drivers, etc? A recon unit?

In addition, what are a few good books that have information like this?

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US Army Handbook 1939-45 is a very good reference for US Army org and doctrine. As for the HQ squad, I dont think you will find much in the way of doctrine pertaining to its use. It was simply theCO/clerk/radio operator/1st Sgt/drivers with their personal weapons and a few weapons (the bazooka)to provide a mosdest defense capability for the company HQ>

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