Basic Infantry Weapons in 1941 ...
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Standard issue work horse of the Canadian, British and Indian troops, and many other allied armies in 1941. Rugged, dependable and extremely accurate, it was an infantry man's best friend. |
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A light machine gun which was another work horse of the infantry. Air cooled and gas operated, it fired a .303 bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2440 fps and was accurate to 600 yards at a rate of 500 rpm. It had the unusual 'feel' of pulling forward when fired. It was one of the finest weapons developed in WWII. A large number of these weapons fell into the hands of the Japanese after the fall of Hong Kong. |
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Made famous during the roaring days of prohibition in the U.S. It was the weapon of choice of gangsters who valued its fire-power. It weighed just over 10 pounds empty, and had either a 20 round box magazine, or a 50 round circular one. Used by both the British and the US forces in WWII. |
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A light gas operated, air cooled machine gun with a rotating 47 round, or 97 round drum. Developed in 1911 in the US for use in WWI , it was still in use in WWII. Each platoon was issued one and it provided deadly fire power. |
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The water-cooled Vickers Heavy Machine Gun fired .303 caliber bullets at 450 to 600 rounds per minute. This weapon had deadly fire-power. At 60 lbs. plus the weight of 7.5 pints of water to keep it cool it was heavy and cumbersome. It required a team of 8 men to operate the gun. According to some it was often used as a 'teapot'. A belt of ammo fired off would heat the water so that the crew could enjoy a cuppa tea ... |
The Webley Caliber .455 Revolver
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Standard issue for officers in the British, Canadian and Indian forces in Hong Kong. It kicked like a mule and was only good at close range but it was deadly. |
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