American uniform

the laffete is a ground fire tripod mate, it turns the MG34&42 from LMGs that can fire about 1500 rpm into devastatingly accurate Heavy Machine Guns

Oddball had the mg42 set up in his conservatory as an ornament last time I saw it on the tripod, looked pretty scarey, very heavy,

Ste.D

Hey I don't mind people talking about all my crap just don't mention the AA gun in the shed them engineers at John Lennon airport still cant work out where all those 88mm holes are coming from every bomb fire night.

As for the Spiers/ Speirs thats my fault I set the account up I don't know if you can change the name now!
http://www.101airborneww2.com/bandofbrothers.html

http://www.101airborneww2.com/bandofbrothers5.html

And the MG42 is just on a bipod don't think he's got the huge antiaircraft tripod...but I could be wrong.

I ran roun all day with a '42 and enough link to feed the beast and it wasnt that heavy, but then I am weird, ever tryed firing 1 from the hip? feeding with your hand and holding it single handed? Iv got a video of one of my mates doing it, Ill try and post it if you want a laff.

I have a video of a 30cal being fired from the hip I may put it on google video later.

I don't think we can get to much historical accuracy at the site, has anyone found a river or a bridge?

If you have I can ask Spiers if he will come back next month and swim it!

Good thread by the way guys loads of info!

Hey I'm up for swimming it, I do a 75 lengths (approx a mile) everytime I go swimming haha bit cold. I'll put the wetsuit on under my battledress. How wide is the Rhine? If the rivers not wide enough do you want me to do lengths until I've swam the correct distance? For historical authenticity and all that haha

If this is a body of water that's anywhere near the Phoenix site, I'll need to prep the crash cart, antivirals, antibiotics, quarantine station, HAZMAT response and biological control lockdown.

That doesnt sounds very period, how about a cold shower, a smoke, some k rations and a cup of kraut coffee.

Hey I'm up for swimming it, I do a 75 lengths (approx a mile) everytime I go swimming haha bit cold. I'll put the wetsuit on under my battledress. How wide is the Rhine? If the rivers not wide enough do you want me to do lengths until I've swam the correct distance? For historical authenticity and all that haha

The neader rhine is aprox 2 miles across and extremly fast currents, untill recently people were swimming it on the aniversery and about 2 a year died.

Anybody know the name of the Para who swam the Rhine? I think I'll pass on the dip anyway, damp, sodden, smelly woollen clothing isn't my idea of fun.

Lots of them did, give me till I get home and Ill tell you a ferw of the more famouse pics.

As an incidental piece of information, the first American soldier known to cross the Neder Rhine to the enemy shore in this sector, was Lt Ronald Speirs. He was still a member of Dog Company at the time (10 October, 1944.) The fearless lieutenant swam to the German side of the river and later returned the same way, with an enemy bullet in his butt. This legendary officer was awarded the Silver Star for this action in 101st Airborne General Orders #11, dated 12 April, 1945.

Hence my post http://www.101airborneww2.com/bandofbrothers5.html

Typical Germans shot him in the butt

Did anybody read the copy I posted??

Yes I did I just forgot you put the last part, and while I read all the pages on that site found it again hence the re-post.

Did anybody read the copy I posted??

No mate, I dont like all the hype over the Yanks. Yes their timley arival into the war on our side made a significant differense and they may have saved the free world, But they are a little bit too quick in reminding everybody, IMHO.

my dad was in the royal engineers ( mine clearance, but it was so dangerous they did it on a company/ squadron rota, so he also did other stuff but his "job" was ordinance disposal) during marked garden , he found himself attached to the us airbourne occupying a small island where the maas, the waal and the rhine meet, as the US paratroopers moved out, one gave him a sleeping bag with the words" keep a tight ass fella, its dangerous around here" to witch cpl cheetham replied" what the fuck would you know about dangerous yank? we been doing this for 4 years, not four months like you lot" lol lol lol true story.

Do you know which Airborne unit it was? Very possibly the 506th, according to the book Parachute infantry they were on that island.

i dont mate, all i know is they were yank airbourne, and my dads unit was attached to them for mine clearing ,but how cool would it be if they were 506th,,,,,,, i have their load out .

I just know that it is mentioned in David Websters book Parachute Infantry that they were on that peninsula, on an island...I'll reread the book and check but I'm fairly sure it was the 506th.

sweet lol , shame dads not around to see me in my US gear, he could have bollocked me too, lol lol lol