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FN C2

WRT the Brits

I am now going to revert to "Tales My Father Told Me" - Mileage May Vary.

Circa 1947 the standard was 3 Bren Mags in one pouch.  One 2" Mortar Bomb in the second pouch.  Those were put in the tops of the pouches so that they could be hauled out quickly and deposited on the section Bren position or platoon Mortar position while at the run to take up personal positions.  Rifle rounds and grenades were in the bottoms of the pouches.

Also, stuffed ammo pouches and haversacks were key to the assault.  First man at the barbed wire entanglement jumped on the barbed wire.  Section mates stepped on his haversack and used him as a stepping stone to jump over the wire.


 
According to the precis handout (dated Jun 83) from Phase III, in the Inf School SOP for fighting order, the ammo load for C2 gunners was five (5) loaded 30 rd mags and a bandolier of 60 rds.

Though in typical fashion, the numbers (in attached copy) don't always add up.
 

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  • Fighting order as per Inf School Jun 83.jpg
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Blackadder1916 said:
According to the precis handout (dated Jun 83) from Phase III, in the Inf School SOP for fighting order, the ammo load for C2 gunners was five (5) loaded 30 rd mags and a bandolier of 60 rds.

Though in typical fashion, the numbers (in attached copy) don't always add up.

You're right.  I remember that precis.  On the other hand I "remembered" my previous post. Just goes to show how reliable memory is.

Cheers.
 
Chris Pook said:
You're right.  I remember that precis.  On the other hand I "remembered" my previous post. Just goes to show how reliable memory is.

Cheers.

I don't see any inconsistency between your two posts. The precis is for Cdn C2 equipped section while your recollection of your dad's experience is clearly in line with what I found earlier about the Brit section where there were 25 magazines for the Bren distributed throughout the section.

Here's an article about WW2 Brit org which shows ammo distribution slightly down (and slightly different from the Pam 4 quote above and your dad's recollection but still supportive of the fact that virtually everyone in the section carried around a hundred rounds for the Bren in magazines and clips).

https://www.battleorder.org/uk-rifle-co-1944

:cheers:
 
FJAG said:
I don't see any inconsistency between your two posts. The precis is for Cdn C2 equipped section while your recollection of your dad's experience is clearly in line with what I found earlier about the Brit section where there were 25 magazines for the Bren distributed throughout the section.

Here's an article about WW2 Brit org which shows ammo distribution slightly down (and slightly different from the Pam 4 quote above and your dad's recollection but still supportive of the fact that virtually everyone in the section carried around a hundred rounds for the Bren in magazines and clips).

https://www.battleorder.org/uk-rifle-co-1944

:cheers:

Thanks FJAG, but I forgot about the mag on the gun with the C2
 
Slight tanget.... Bren Gun vs. BAR c/o R. Lee Ermey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKj1W91cB9M
 
Something to remember in the firepower comparison of the C2 vs Bren; when the FNs were adopted by the Canadian Army, it wasn't a one for one replacement of the Bren in the infantry platoon organization.  Previously, there was one Bren per section while afterward there were two C2s per section as well as a GPMG (see attached photo) in the pl wpns det.

Attached is suggested platoon organization from "CAMT 7-45, Canadian Army Manual of Training: Infantry Section Leading and Platoon Tactics, 1954"
 

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  • GPMG.jpg
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