BoB-inspired trivia question

[Bruegger]

The Band of Brothers thread got me thinking about paratroopers in WW II and what weapons I would have wanted to carry if I had jumped into Normandy. One of my Uncles was a WW II combat vet with the 82nd; if I went in with his stick, I’d have wanted a Thompson and a 1911A1, probably, given the close-in fighting of hedgerow combat. I'm assuming here that I'd be a small unit leader; if I was a snuffy, I'd be happy with whatever was assigned me. Though if I was assigned to a crew-served weapon, I'd definitely want an M-1 Carbine for backup so I wouldn't be stuck with nothing but a baseplate or tripod until I got together with my buddies.


Trivial pursuit time: what was the first US parachute unit to go into combat? When and where? I’ll post the answer in a little bit…


And to tie in a firearms theme: if the A-bomb hadn’t been invented and you had to jump into the Japanese mainland in the invasion, what weapons would you have wanted to carry (WW II era weapons only, please) and why?

Semper fi,
Bruegger out.

 

[Bruegger]

what was the first US parachute unit to go into combat? When and where?

No takers? Wow, given the breadth and depth of historical knowledge on TFL, I surprised no one had the answer.

OK, I'll give you a hint. It was in the PACIFIC theatre of the War.

Here's an easier question: what was (were) the name(s) of the operation(s) for the invasion of Japan that we never lauched in WW II?

 

[ZekeLuvs1911]

Hi, it was Operation Olympic and Coronet. The invasion of the island of Kyushu and the Mainland. Was the Parachute unit the 175th????????

 

[Ceol Mhor]

Would the first paratroop drop have been the guys who landed on Corregidor? I'm not sure which unit it was...

 

[Bruegger]

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Quote:
ZekeLuvs1911: Hi, it was Operation Olympic and Coronet. The invasion of the island of Kyushu and the Mainland.
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Give that man a ceee-gar. Correct.

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Quote:
ZekeLuvs1911: Was the Parachute unit the 175th????????
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Negative.

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Ceol Mhor: Would the first paratroop drop have been the guys who landed on Corregidor? I'm not sure which unit it was...
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No, but good guess.



Hint #2: look closely at the question - the first US parachute unit to go into combat? Doesn’t say “jump” into combat…



First combat JUMP was November 8, 1942 into North Africa by the Army’s 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion (not PIR). Bonus question: And the first American casualties in a combat JUMP were from soldiers of what nationality?

Bruegger out.

 

[Ceol Mhor]

My Magic 8-Ball says the casualties were from French troops...

 

[Stephen Ewing]

Off the top of my head, how about the para-Marines that went into the Solomons? Amphibious assault, IIRC.

Weapons for Japan? Give me firepower. Lots of firepower. More Firepower. Ummmm. MG-42 would be a good place to start. Man-portable American gear? What the heck, a Thompson and a flamethrower.

Steve

 

[Bruegger]

WE HAVE A WINNER!

the first US parachute unit to go into combat? Doesn’t say “jump” into combat…
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Quote:
Stephen Ewing: Off the top of my head, how about the para-Marines that went into the Solomons? Amphibious assault, IIRC.
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BING! BING! BING! WE HAVE A WINNER

The 337 men of the Marine First Parachute Battalion, in their August 8, 1942 assault on Tulagi. They then were ferried over to a little-known place called Guadalcanal and fought alongside Edson’s Raiders at Bloody Nose Ridge, saving Henderson Field from being overrun by the Japanese.

The three Marine Parachute Battalions never did get to jump into combat, and were disbanded in 1944. Top Marine brass thought it was too expensive to support airborne operations in the Pacific (too few C47s – they were all being used for the North African, Italian and, later, European campaigns).



Bonus question: And the first American casualties in a combat JUMP were from soldiers of what nationality?
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Quote:
Ceol Mhor: My Magic 8-Ball says the casualties were from French troops...
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BING! BING! BING! WE HAVE ANOTHER WINNER

First combat JUMP was November 8, 1942 into North Africa by the Army’s 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion (not PIR). The 509th took casualties from the Vichy French troops ordered by Marshal Petain to “resist the invaders.” French fighters strafed some of the C47s on the ground, killing a small number of the paratroopers.


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Quote:
Weapons for Japan? Give me firepower. Lots of firepower. More Firepower. Ummmm. MG-42 would be a good place to start. Man-portable American gear? What the heck, a Thompson and a flamethrower.
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Firepower would be the key, indeed. IIRC, US planners expected casualties in the 100,000s. Would have make Okinawa look like Sesame Street.

Bruegger out.