World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
15 Sep 2011 09:58:25 AM

THE FIFTY CALIBER M-2 MACHINE GUN, IS THE WEAPON TO USE WHEN YOU WANT TO REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE! THE.50 IS BIG, REALLY BIG...

2.  Bill says:
15 Sep 2011 05:07:43 PM

The people in this village, look like they are having a Religious service maybe for the first time outdoors, and not in hiding.
The GIs are going to make sure nothing is gonna happen that day, or any other day around the village.

3.  Bill says:
16 Sep 2011 01:31:35 PM

I remember going into Vietnamese villages to buy fresh eggs and bread. In the village was an orphanage before leaving we would give out candy and c-rations, the medic would provide any medical aid.
I have photos of myself giving out candy to the kids in 1969 I was the old man a 22 year old Sergeant, on my second tour in Vietnam most of the other guys were between 19 and 20. The unit had other men that were older the career soldiers, and a few others, that were on their second and third tours in Vietnam.

4.  Bill says:
26 Nov 2011 01:27:27 PM

ABOVE PHOTO: LIFE GOES ON

Photo of a marriage ceremony in a French village summer 1944. M2HB .50, is mounted on MI-AA extension fitted to M3 tripod, note early slotted barrel sleeves still in use this late in the war. The .50 was fed by a 100rd. ammo can fitted to mount bracket.

In Vietnam the need for a larger supply of ammunition was a necessity. Larger ammo cans were fabricated from two ammo cans welded together holding over 200rounds.
In a fixed positon as a bunker the supply of ammo would be increase, not being fed from a 100round can, but with a large ammo crate placed on a stand or on the floor.

5. Bill says:
26 Nov 2011 01:49:17 PM

A water-cooled version of the fifty caliber
machine gun was the M1921. The weapon was fed by a 200round magazine, and had a crew of three, gunner, assistant gunner and the
water chest operator (the guy who kept the barrel cool)
The water-cooled M1921 was used early in WWII
it had a 36inch barrel the weapon was phased out for the M2HB air-cooled fifty. The M1921 was still used for training and second-line duties.

In 1941 a fifty caliber machine gun cost the
US taxpayer $700 dollars, by 1944 the M2HB cost was cut to $200 dollars.
Cost of carrying all that ammo did you know, for every 100rounds of fifty caliber ammo, you could carry about 400rounds of thirty caliber ammo.