There are several Krags on the SRS serial number list that are noted as being WWII donation to US Navy.  Most were donated in 1943.  I am wondering if people had any ideas what these Krags may have been used for by the Navy?

Best regards,
Tom

Remember that M-1s went mainly to the Army and the Marines had to make do with 1903 Springfields in 1942-43. 

Four uses for Krags come to mind: 

The first being USCG beach patrols, mostly begun in 1942.  On the Outer Banks and on the remote stretches of northern California, Oregon & Washington, the beach patrols rode horses. A Krag carbine or cut-down rifle would be well suited to such activity.

The second being the arming of the YPs, but that again was mostly in 1942.  YPs were large yachts (mostly in the Atlantic) and large fishing boats (North Pacific & Alaska) used as advance warning pickets and anti-sub patrols.  The YPs went into water where sea ice (and maybe polar bears) might be encountered.  Better to have a Krag with 220 grain bullets on board than a Springfield with M-2 Ball.

The third use might be for guard duty or even for guards at industrial sites. 

A fourth use might be for drill rifles in recruit training.  In Boot Camp in early 1960, I was issued M-1903 Springfield SN 4003.

All of the above are just guesses

"Nothing useful."

Stage 1: WW1.  There weren't enough rifles.  When the National Guard was federalized they activated "State Guard" units and needed to arm them.  There are records of trapdoors being issued and the purchase of the Ross rifles was for similar causes.

Stage 2:  Dunkirk.  When the Brits were tossed out of France they had no weapons for the home guard.  Shotguns were rounded up and the NRA took donations here and shipped a bewildering array of guns to them.  The shortages of arms was a recent memory for them.

Stage 3:  "Springfield."  M-1903s were useful.  A request for donations of "Springfield Army Rifles" resulted in a lot of "Springfields" being turned in.  They held a War Bond raffle in my hometown with a Springfield musket being the prize.

Stage 4:  "Morale."  Air Raid Wardens in Kansas City?  Who's going to bomb it - Okies?  Metal drives, etc.  "Morale."  Doing something for the war effort.

They'd pretty much burned up the supply of Krag ammunition before WW1 and had to restart it for that war.  I'm unaware of them restarting it during WW2 so they'd be well oiled clubs.

Everybody points to trapdoors and claims they wanted them for line throwing guns.  I disagree.  I think those are also along the same line as the Krags as they had dedicated line throwing guns and they weren't trapdoors.  I say this as I'm sitting on a manual showing the standard line throwing kit and the gun isn't a trapdoor.

So I don't believe there was a specific purpose or need.  Simply happenstance.