|
|
Post by lookout1234 on Sept 10, 2019 10:18:22 GMT -8
So i am reading Fighting Fox Company and just got to D-Day. I knew that the equipment they jumped with was heavy, but jumping with a machine gun or bazooka in a leg bag! HOW? Especially the bazooka did it break in to piece like the M1? Did the machine gun break in to smaller pieces to fit in the bag? Oh and since were on the subject of the leg bag why were they not issued earlier? where they made late in 44 and couldn't get them issued fast enough? FNG Austin Browar |
|
Grease
Leadership 
Platoon Sergeant
Posts: 1,216
|
Post by Grease on Sept 10, 2019 10:32:55 GMT -8
The leg bag was a British invention. It was issued right before D-day and had not been properly vetted by US Airborne troops. Hence all the lost bags on the drop. The early M1A1 bazookas did not break down until the development and issue of the M9A1 which could be taken down into two parts. The M9 was issued post Normandy.
|
|
|
|
Post by 2ndpltfoxcompany on Sept 11, 2019 5:25:56 GMT -8
One of the Fox 2 506 'troopers who kept his leg bag and contents intact was Bob Noody. Bob was a bazooka man who replaced the issued hemp rope that came with the British leg bag with some cotton rope similar to the let down rope issued to the 'troopers on the Normandy jump. He kept his leg bag attached to him while others lost theirs.
|
|
|
|
Post by keithbunger on Sept 16, 2019 6:27:54 GMT -8
Basically you put the 30 cal (1919a4) or the bazooka in with the barrel pointed up then you pack other gear or padding around it to keep it centered in the bag. If you look at the cover of fighting fox I believe there is a picture of bob noody with his bazooka leg bag. It has a sock over the end of the barrel.
British used leg bags to great effect because they only put 35 or 40 lbs of gear in them. GI's packed them full with way too much weight. That mixed with the excessive propblast of the Normandy jump let to a lot of bags being lost.
Not many leg bags were used by the US in Holland but there were a few. Dan mcbride of f company 502nd jumped one loaded with a 1919a6 machine gun with the stock and bipod.
|
|
