Posted: 8/19/2007 3:27:33 PM EDT
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You are the Chief of Staff of a small Middle Eastern country in 1946. Oil has been discovered under your little, sandy, paradise-on-earth. The local ruler has instructed you to purchase new small arms for your army. Your current inventory is: worn, WWI Enfield rifles(SMLE), Lewis light machine-guns, and officers buy their own pistols. The war reserve of ammunition(303) is so low that it is not a factor. Remember, it is 1946. THEIR ARE NO AK-47s, M-16s, FALs or M-14s. Your troops are poorly trainned, small of stature(110 pounds on average) and technologically challenged. Their is no Cold War but there will be one soon. Your local ruler has already invested in a small arms ammunition factory. Your borders are full of unfriendly countries. Your country is full of sandy desert. What will you buy? How will you organize your forces? This is primarily supposed to be an excersise in historical small arms allocations. |
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JusAdBellum, the last line in my thread suggested small arms only. This would imply organizations no larger than platoon. O.K., I should have done better. Feel free to go above company(approx. 160 men) if you wish to. Assume the country has a Brigade sized regular army(about 3,000 men), three seperate Battalions(800 men) of reservists, and a national police force/border patrol of 1,200 men all told. Or, just don't detail the equipment above platoon(about 50 men) or company level. This would hopefully include only one type of infantry rilfe, pistol, light machine-gun/or automatic rifle, a possible carbine, a submachine-gun type, infantry anti-tank weapon and maybe a light mortar(50 to 60mm). Most low-tech types have major problems with indirect fire plots. Note: an FAL prototype exists, but it probably isn't in 7.62x51mm. |
What is the budget? Do I have a working relationship with any other countries not in the area? would advisers be allowed? Am I landlocked? any access to ports? |
IF Advisers are a viable option, I would go for: M1 normal infantryman M2 Officers, Remfs 1911's officers, crewmen, NCO's Stens for SMG's: NCO's, crewmen Bren for SAW Browning family of MG's Mortars are so easily produced those could be locally grown 2 batteries (12 tubes) 105's 1 battery 155 Long toms lets make sure we have a complete compliment of armor 2 companies M24 Chaffees 1 company M26 Pershing 1 company M4A3(76)W HVSS Sherman 1 Company M36B2 TD's 1 company of Greyhounds for Recon hmm, thats all I can think of for now You may notice it is heavily American, and it is, as Chief of Staff, I would be aware of how industrialized America had become, and would be sure that support would be practically non-stop. I would make sure I paid off the Americans to also ensure upgrades when available. I would also enquirer about Military advisers for training. I would also go so far as to make sure the Americans were supplied with oil, and any kind of desalination's programs my country came up with. |
Nope, the originals were in 7.92kurtz and later in the British (EM2) .280 round. If your hypothetical was 1948-9, you might be able to change the history of small arms by ordering a quantity of FALs in the .280 EM2 round at the right time. |
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c350z: When you decided to use 110rr, did you mean 106mm M40 recoiless rifle? That piece of equipment comes out in the late 1950s. In 1946 the 57mm and the 75mm recoiless weapons are avilable. There are also tons of anti-tank guns left over from WWII. I am partial to the British 17pound AT gun, but the U.S. 76mm and the Soviet 100mm work well also. Barcephus: When you said your infantry rifle would be the M-1, did you mean the Garand or the Carbine? The rest of your equipment list makes since, but you would only get the M-26 if you supplied the U.S. with an obscene quantity of oil! The advisor idea is excellent. Improving the quality of your troops is critical. Just hope the Air Force guys are thinking the same way. Gamma762: you could have asked the designer for an FAL in 280 British or 276 Pedersen, or 7.92x33, or... well you get the idea. My idea of an infantry rifle for small low tech guys would be an SKS chambered in an intermediate round. The Czech 7.62x45 comes to mind. A bore size of 7mm(.284), 6.8mm(.277) or 6.5mm(264) would extend the new rifle's range. |
Of course I meant the Garand...silly...  I didn't even go into air, or naval forces. Probably Mustangs, (If available) and small harbor, gun-boats, with a tin can or 4 for defense of harbors |
I disagree...so there.  ETI: and of course you missed this regarding technologically challenged "IF Advisers are a viable option" |
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For an air force, I might prefer P47s over P51s, just for the rough-field capability. Perhaps enough for 3-4 squadrons. And I would certainly want some C47s; at least a squadron worth. If I am expecting invasion, I would want some A26s to help strafe invading columns; if I am expecting that I might be the invader I might want some B26s for bombing purposes (both rough-field capable). Definitely would want to keep my ground vehicles from the same source as much as possible - all American if at all available. M26s and M4s mostly, enough to equip an armored regiment and some cavalry squadrons. Enough half tracks to equip one of the infantry brigades if I am defensive; enough for all if I am offensive. And some self-propelled artillery would be in order; some M7s would be nice. Finally, at least 3 platoons of the M16 AA verison of the halftack, for both AA cover and anti-personnell fun. For small arms - American is good. I would like Garands expect for the small stature of my troops, but I think even with that smallness a Garand would be a better choice than the M1 Carbine. I wonder if there were available stocks of Stg44s in '46? The Bren or the shoulder-fired variant of the .30 browning as a squad-level support weapon; .30 brownings for the hvy weapons platoons, and .50s for vehicle weapons and heavy support. And some bazookas for the weapons platoons as well for some native anti-tank firepower. Carbines and M1911s for crew, officers and technicians. Thompsons and shotguns for the MPs. Artillery - Some batteries of 105s, and maybe some 75s organic to the infantry battalions. I think I would emphasize mortars more for fire support just becuase they are simpler to use and maintain. But some tube arty is a must. And certainy some tube anti-tank guns - there should be some nice US 75mm or 90mm guns left over that I could use. Figure each infantry brigade is based around an infantry regiment, plus a supporting artillery battalion and a cavalry squadron. Add to that a single armored brigade based around a tank regiment, with an armored infantry battalion an AT battalion, and an SP arty battalion. And of course, in third world shithole tradition, I would need a fourth brigade of 'Palace Guards", with its own dedicated tank battalion on top of the normal brigade forces (and all infantry in half tracks in that brigade). The militia would probably get the same small arms. Being spread out in smaller units, they would probably not have dedicated artillery but would have organic mortar support. Might consider creating militia artillery units for larger towns - make them into bastions/hardpoints to slow down any invasion. Again, same US artillery as the regular army. |
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Since I started this thread, I will list my preferences. For an issue pistol: the Browning Hi-Power(9mm), still a popular pistol in the Middle East. Easy to field strip, thirteen rounds in the magazine, reliable. For an infantry rifle: the SKS(7.62x39) easy to field strip(take apart), short stock, low recoil, no magazine to fool with(uses stripper clips). It is short on range for a desert country, but the infantry that use it will be short ranged anyway. Very reliable. For a submachine gun: the Karl Gustaf m/45(9mm) simple, very reliable. For general purpose machine gun: the MG-42(7.92x57mm), still a world class gun, reliable, easy to change barrel, light for its purpose. For a heavy machine gun: the Browning M-2(12.7mm or 50 caliber) interrupted thread barrel, easier to change, no head space and timing issues. |