Last Fall, while on vacation in NH, I met Mr Arthur Jennings who served during WWII on the Minesweeper YMS-29 (136' wooden hull, crew of 32, 561 ships in class. Google "YMS-29" for info and photos). Mr Jennings talked about mine clearing operations during the invasion of North Africa and his using a Krag to shoot floating mines. This Fall I brought a Krag, some ammo and a list of questions with me - and we went to the gravel pit!!

Mr Jennings recalls the following:
He used a Springfield 03 in boot camp.
He joined the YMS-29 in the summer of 1942 in Bermuda and joined a convoy to North Africa.
The ship had four Krag Rifles (also Thompsons and .45 Colts) in the armory. The Krags were stored in a separate wooden case, originally had canvas receiver covers (not used), no bayonets, and 1901 sights (he described wind adjustment, elevation ramp and no peep).
While crossing the Atlantic the crew had "tryouts" to see who would be the ship's four sharpshooters. They fired at floating trash. Mr Jennings was one of the winners.
The ship's gunners mate had been trained in use and repair of the Krags and he trained the others. They had manuals on board. Only the Bosons Mate and Officers had keys to the magazine.
Each marksman was assigned a Krag by s/n. He had a tag that he exchanged on the storage rack when he took the rifle out of the magazine. Sometimes he kept the bolt with him. He was responcible for cleaning the outside of the rifle and the bore. The gunners mate did all inside work.
The YMS-29 sweep mines before beach invasions and did harbor clearing. During sweeping operations one sharpshooter was stationed on each side of the ship. When a mine cable was cut and it floated to the surface, the ship slowed/stoped and the mine was destroyed by direct fire. While on watch, each sharpshooter loaded his rifle's magazine and took a "handful" of cartridges with him. They were kept in a "belt pouch" (not sure if this means a pouched ammo belt or a pouch on a utility belt). No special protection from salt water/air was used as the ship only worked in calm seas, just lots of cleaning.
When the crew had liberty on shore they took the 45s but the Krags stayed on board.
Mr Jennings says he killed three mines with his Krag!
He left the YMS-29 after the North Africa invasions and joined a Cruiser going to the Pacific. He does not know what happened to the Krags when the ship was transfered to the Free French.

This may not be trench warfare, but cruising back and forth at 6-8 knots at ranges inside 500 yards from hostle shore batteries is combat in my book.


Some of Mr Jennings family went shooting with us. The occasion served to open him up to telling his family about his service during WWII. That Greatest Generation of Americans who grew up during the Depression, worked and built us out of that Depression, defended it from the likes of Hitler and Tojo and then just gave it to the rest of us as a gift were amazing people.

There are probably more questions I could have asked him. If anyone has some, I will pass them on. Also, This may open up some digging by those who have access to the DC area Navy archives.

Final thought, talk to the Greatest Generation members of your family while you still can.

Keep up the Fire.

Richard Sherman.

Thanks for sharing the story Richard. I love personal accounts .

-Randy

The gentleman I shoot with was in a military academy during WW2.  Not one of the service academies - this was teen-aged boys.  In early 1944 they received new in the chest M-1903A3s.  No, he's not confused on the type of arm as he's a collector.

After Dunkirk the bulk of the remaining M-1917s were sent to the Brits.  Between the Brits and the Philippines that consumed most of those.  M-1903s were available but M1 production hadn't hit its stride yet (roughly 350,000 by PH day).  I spoke with a gentleman assigned to Field Artillery.  In training, very early in the war, he trained on M-1917s.  That would be in the very small window between entry in the war and rifle production taking off.

The big difference in WW2 from all others can be summarized as "the M1 carbine."  Production of those started in the summer of '42 and proceeded rapidly.  6 million in no time and they actually tapered off well before the war ended as they had enough arms.  3 million M1 rifles, 6 million M1 carbines, at least 1 million M-1903s and that doesn't count sub-machine guns and the like.

The Krag donations to the Navy run into 1943.  The rifle shortage, which was never major during that war, was long past.

Did older guns soldier on in strange uses and locations?  No doubt.  In the early 1980s I was issued a WW2 paratrooper helmet.  Sometimes stuff just keeps soldiering on if it works.  This doesn't change the fact that the M1 carbines and .30-06 weapons were primary and Krags presented an ammunition problem.

Unlike the CW, SpanAm War, and WW1 they met the needs for small arms early during WW2.  I'd go further and state that they made more than they could possibly use.

This all makes me wonder where they'd get the ammo?  Commercial ammo from the 1920s and 1930s would be lead tip.  There was no production of any .30/40 that I'm aware of during the war. 

Without a picture or document I'll treat reports of use as curiosities.

waterman wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2012 at 1:38am:


Neither of which is a supply for either the War or Navy Departments.

Quote:


Ditto.

We're not speaking of WW1 vets guarding shipyards in Pennsylvania, this is the active services.  Again, there is no record of military manufacture of Krag ammunition during WW2.  Caveat the exception below.

Quote:


The only reference in volume II is page 227.  Blanks for patriotic organizations for drills and salutes.  Drawing dated November 15, 1943.

I'll repeat - there is no record of ammunition made for Krags during WW2.  Excepting those blanks and those were made after they'd already overran the need for .30/06 (check the Chief of Military History's Ordnance volumes for production of small arms ammunition - they never reached peak production at the plants as they could make more than was desired).

Without a regular supply of ammunition it's a given that any use of an arm is going to be a corner case.