Wow, History Channel?

[OutlawJoseyWales]

Just watched an episode of "Battlefield Detectives" about the Battle of the Bulge made in 2005.

Among the things they discovered:
That the German mp 44 sturmgewehr was "light weight."
That the word "sturmgewehr" is German for assault rifle.

And that the B.A.R. was very unpopular with American troops, was unreliable and prone to jamming.

Now, that's some things that I didn't know right there.
Hmmm.

 

[Scout]

All of the old troopers I ever knew loved the BAR. They're all gone now, so you'll have to take my word for it.

 

[Philo]

I'm surprised that they are still running programs attempting to be about history.

All I usually see on History Channel lately are dumb shows about swamp loggers, fishermen, ice road truckers, fishermen on logs, swamp people, swamp fishermen, loggers, ice road truckers hauling logs on swamp boats, Area 51 documentaries, ice road truckers on jungle mountain roads, swamp loggers, ancient astronaut conspiricy theories, and loggers on dry land.

Oh, yeah. And the only thing I can stand watching on that channel... Top Shot.

 

[Scorch]

Yes, sturmgewehr means assault rifle in German. MP44s were lightweight compared to earlier weapons of the type like the MKb42 and the MP43.

US troops had a love/hate relationship with BARs. BARs were actually very reliable, one of the issues they had was barrel damage. They loved them for close-in automatic fire support. They hated them because BAR automatic rifleman crews would often receive heavy concentrated fire from the Germans because BAR crews were considered so dangerous (like any machinegun). They hated being assigned to man a BAR because BAR automatic riflemen were seldom taken alive by the Germans, and because a BAR could go through a lot of ammo and no one wants to hump ammo cans all over the hills of Europe.

 

[Willie Lowman]

Philo, you forgot about the pawnshop and junk merchants. They are on sometime between the swamp log truckers and the ice truck swampers.

 

[Mike38]

That the word "sturmgewehr" is German for assault rifle

I thought it meant storm rifle?

Either way, it's made it's place in history.

 

[rickyrick]

I spotted a mini 14 on a history channel documentary that had D-day re-enactments.

 

[Kayser]

All I usually see on History Channel lately are dumb shows about swamp loggers, fishermen, ice road truckers, fishermen on logs, swamp people, swamp fishermen, loggers, ice road truckers hauling logs on swamp boats, Area 51 documentaries, ice road truckers on jungle mountain roads, swamp loggers, ancient astronaut conspiricy theories, and loggers on dry land.

Don't forget ancient alien loggers, and Ancient Swamp Logging Alien Ghosts on The World's Most Dangerous Ice Road Restorations.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I thought it meant storm rifle?

As a direct translation, it does mean storm rifle. Direct translations don't always fully apply unless you consider "storm" in regard to "storming a castle" much like "assaulting a castle."

I spotted a mini 14 on a history channel documentary that had D-day re-enactments.

Blame the re-enactors for that one. THC often uses re-enactor groups for their re-enactments and the participants are supposed to have chronologically proper gear.

Often if you look carefully, you will catch a variety of minor issues that range from simple uniform issues, weaponry, even tires on vehicles.

 

[tahunua001]

I always understood that the BAR was very reliable and was quite feared by the germans but a lot of guys didn't like them just because of the weight and the recoil. as a whole, troops felt a lot more at ease having a bar in their squad.

 

[dahermit]

The soldiers that were in wars after WWII, and were issued a BAR and then a selective fire M14 always seemed to bemoan the loss of the BAR and would state that the BAR was very much more controllable in standing automatic fire, where as the M14 was too light and could not be fired in the automatic mode as accurately. In short, they wished that they had the option of going back to the BAR.

 

[Shooter 973]

BAR....

My Father carried a BAR in the Marines during WWII...other than being heavy, he liked it. He said he dragged it more than carried it. Wore the heel of the stock off of it.

 

[Hunter Customs]

From the stories I've heard from WWII vets the BAR was an excellent weapon.
It was heavy but they sure liked it's fire power.

Also I believe Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde was very fond of the BAR.
However he was known to chop the length of some of the ones he used.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

 

[Auto426]

I believe the STG-44 weight around 10 lbs, which puts it right up there with the standard issue service rifles used by the various forces of WWII. However, compared to the BAR which was almost 16 lbs, it is light.

As I understand it the literal translation of "Sturmgewehr" is "storm rifle", which can be taken as storming a position. Over the years that developed into the common term we all know today: assault rifle.

 

[titanicslim]

Yes, that model was revolutionary- literally the first "assault rifle" and the daddy of all the ones we've been lugging around ever since. It was made fairly heavy- that was the way a weapon felt if it was any good, right? It took a generation or two to develop the type into the flexible, accurate and lightweight workhorse that is the AR.

I'll just say I am glad and grateful for the work of Stoner and others who provided my generation with, finally, a very effective weapon, a dozen of which could be slung on both shoulders, if need be.

I just wish the filmmakers had let go at a concrete wall with the StG and then the BAR. Guess who would have won that one! Plenty of guys will always be glad to trade a grease gun for a Browning.

Dave

 

[TNT]

BAR Cons- heavy, required lots of ammo, long weapon made for difficulty in jungle environments
Pros- extremely controllable in fully auto (excellent for suppression), excellent knock down power, and very reliable (contradictory to the history channel's beliefs) used the same ammo as the Garand so ammo access for logistics was not a problem,

my dad was in the Marines during the transition from the BAR to the M60's It was always spoken of to highly in every regard except for weight but its weight was also its biggest advantage. Would you rather have a 8mm Kurtz or the legendary 30.06 doing your business.

 

[Carne Frio]

I knew three men who carried and used the BAR for the entire WW2
and two from Korea. All of them loved everything about the BAR,
except one thing. That was the weight, when carrying it. The weight
when actually operating it was welcomed. The BAR man in any squad
usually had a buddy or two carrying more ammo. I also saw a few very
light weight VN Army soldiers carrying the BAR. I don't know how they
like it. These guys only weighed in at about 120 pounds.

 

[30-30remchester]

I have to agree, the history channel is a joke. Very little research is done, and many times the research is flawed by the opinion of one "expert". I recall one episode inwhich the hired "expert" fired a few different revelutionary war guns and assertained that the war was lost because one rifle shot low and to the left at 15 yards off hand, WOW, what great research. As big a joke as MYTHBUSTERS, in my opinion.

 

[mapsjanhere]

in regards to the Sturmgewehr question, just as in the English language, Sturm refers to both the weather event and the military action. Assault might be translated as Sturmangriff (storm attack); but in any case the question is reverse afaik, assault rifle is a sloppy translation of Sturmgewehr, as the German was first.
Have fun storming the castle.

 

[Hog Buster]

The BAR was a great rifle. I carried one in the Marine Corps. The one I had was manufactured in 1918, never had a jam, and could really spit out rounds accurately. They were two members in a BAR team. A BAR man and assistant BAR man. The Bar man ran the weapon, the assistant humped extra ammo for it.

Nobody wanted to carry one because it was heavy, 20+ pounds, always needed more ammo, and in a fire fight your life expectancy was just over a minute. Still one of the best weapons ever made.