M1 Garand Semi-automatic rifle

Type    Semi-automatic rifle

Place of origin    United States Service history
In service  1936–1958 (as the standard U.S. service rifle)

1940s–present (other countries
Designer    John C. Garand
Designed    1928
Manufacturer  Springfield Armory

Winchester
Harrington & Richardson International Harvester
Beretta Breda[10]
F.M.A.P.
Springfield Armory, Inc. (civilian)
Unit cost        About $85 (during World War II)
$1260 current equivalent
Produced         1934—1957
No. built        5,468,772[11]
Variants         M1C, M1D

Specifications
Mass               9.5 lb (4.31 kg) to 11.6 lb (5.3 kg)
Length              43.5 in (1,100 mm)
Barrel length    24 in (609.6 mm)
Cartridge 
                       .30-06 Springfield (7.62×63mm)
                       7.62×51mm NATO (.308 Winchester) (Postwar use by U.S.Navy)
                       Action                  Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire            40–50 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity         2,800 ft/s (853 m/s)
Effective firing range  500 yd (457 m)[12]
Feed system             8-round en-bloc clip, internal magazine Sights

The M1 Garand is a .30-06 caliber semi automatic rifle that was the standard U.S.service
rifle during World War II and the Korean War and also saw limited service during the Vietnam War.

Most M1 rifles were issued to U.S. forces, though many hundreds of thousands were also provided
as foreign aid to American allies. The Garand is still used by drill teams and military honor
guards. It is also widely used by civilians for hunting, target shooting, and as a military collectible.

The M1 rifle was named after its Canadian-American designer, John Garand. It was the first standard-issue
semi-automatic military rifle. By most accounts the M1 rifle performed well. General George S. Patton
called it "the greatest battle implement ever devised". The M1 replaced the bolt action M1903 Springfield
as the standard U.S. service rifle in 1936,[16] and was itself replaced by the selective fire M14 rifle in
March 26, 1958.

Although the name "Garand" is frequently pronounced /ɡəˈrænd/, according to experts and people who knew
John Garand, the weapon's designer. Frequently referred to as the "Garand" or "M1 Garand" by civilians,
its official designation when it was the issue rifle in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps was "U.S.
Rifle, Caliber .30, M1" or just "M1" and Garand was not mentioned.

Development

French Canadian-born Garand went to work at the United States Army's Springfield Armory and began working
on a .30 caliber primer actuated blowback Model 1919 prototype. In 1924, twenty-four rifles, identified as
"M1922s", were built at Springfield. At Fort Benning during 1925, they were tested against models by Berthier,
Hatcher-Bang, Thompson, and Pedersen, the latter two being delayed blowback types.[20] This led to a further
trial of an improved "M1924" Garand against the Thompson, ultimately producing an inconclusive report.
As a result, the Ordnance Board ordered a .30-06 Garand variant.

In March 1927, the cavalry board reported trials among the Thompson, Garand, and 03 Springfield had not led to
a clear winner. This led to a gas-operated .276 (7 mm) model (patented by Garand on 12 April 1930).
In early 1928, both the infantry and cavalry boards ran trials with the .276 Pedersen T1 rifle, calling it
"highly promising" (despite its use of waxed ammunition, shared by the Thompson). On 13 August 1928, a
semiautomatic rifle board (SRB) carried out joint Army, Navy, and Marine Corps trials between the .30 Thompson,
both cavalry and infantry versions of the T1 Pedersen, "M1924" Garand, and .256 Bang, and on 21 September, the board
reported no clear winner. The .30 Garand, however, was dropped in favor of the .276.

Further tests by the SRB in July 1929, which included rifle designs by Browning, Colt–Browning, Garand, Holek,
Pedersen, Rheinmetall, Thompson, and an incomplete one by White,[nb 2] led to a recommendation that work on the
(dropped) .30 gas-operated Garand be resumed, and a T1E1 was ordered 14 November 1929.

Twenty gas-operated .276 T3E2 Garands were made and competed with T1 Pedersen rifles in early 1931.
The .276 Garand was the clear winner of these trials. The .30 caliber Garand was also tested, in the form of
a single T1E1, but was withdrawn with a cracked bolt on 9 October 1931. A 4 January 1932 meeting recommended
adoption of the .276 caliber and production of approximately 125 T3E2s. Meanwhile, Garand redesigned his bolt
and his improved T1E2 rifle was retested. The day after the successful conclusion of this test, Army Chief of
Staff General Douglas MacArthur personally disapproved any caliber change, in part because there were extensive
existing stocks of .30 M1 ball ammunition.[24] On 25 February 1932, Adjutant General John B. Shuman, speaking for the
Secretary of War, ordered work on the rifles and ammunition in .276 caliber cease immediately and completely, and all
resources be directed toward identification and correction of deficiencies in the Garand .30 caliber.[22]:111

On 3 August 1933, the T1E2 became the "semi-automatic rifle, caliber 30, M1". In May 1934, 75 M1s went to field trials; 50
went to infantry, 25 to cavalry units. :113 Numerous problems were reported, forcing the rifle to be modified, yet again,
before it could be recommended for service and cleared for procurement on 7 November 1935, then standardized 9 January 1936.

The first production model was successfully proof-fired, function-fired, and fired for accuracy on July 21, 1937.

Production difficulties delayed deliveries to the Army until September 1937. Machine production began at Springfield Armory
that month at a rate of ten rifles per day, and reached an output of 100 per day within two years. Despite going into
production status, design issues were not at an end. The barrel, gas cylinder, and front sight assembly were redesigned
and entered production in early 1940. Existing "gas-trap" rifles were recalled and retrofitted, mirroring problems with
the earlier M1903 Springfield rifle that also had to be recalled and reworked approximately three years into production
and foreshadowing rework of the M16 rifle at a similar point in its development. Production of the Garand increased in 1
940 despite these difficulties, reaching 600 a day by 10 January 1941, and the Army was fully equipped by the end of 1941.
Following the outbreak of World War II in Europe, Winchester was awarded an "educational" production contract for 65,000 rifles,
with deliveries beginning in 1943

Service use

The M1 Garand was made in large numbers during World War II; approximately 5.4 million were made. They were used by
every branch of the United States military. The rifle generally performed well. General George S.Patton called it "the
greatest battle implement ever devised." The impact of faster-firing infantry small arms in general soon stimulated
both Allied and Axis forces to greatly increase their issue of semi- and fully automatic firearms then in production,
as well as to develop new types of infantry firearms.

Many M1s were repaired or rebuilt after World War II. While U.S. forces were still engaged in the Korean War, the
Department of Defense decided more were needed. Springfield Armory ramped up production, but two new contracts were
awarded. During 1953–56, M1s were produced by International Harvester and Harrington & Richardson in which International
Harvester alone produced a total of 337,623 M1 Garands. A final, very small lot of M1s was produced by Springfield
Armory in early 1957, using finished components already on hand. Beretta also produced Garands using Winchester tooling.


The British Army looked at the M1 as a possible replacement for its bolt-action Lee–Enfield No.1 Mk III, but it was
rejected when rigorous testing suggested that it was an unreliable weapon in muddy conditions.[citation needed] However,
surplus M1 rifles were provided as foreign aid to American allies, including South Korea, West Germany, Italy, Japan, Denmark,
Greece, Turkey, Iran, South Vietnam, the Philippines, etc. Most Garands shipped to allied nations were predominantly
manufactured by International Harvester Corporation during the period of 1953–56, and second from Springfield Armory from
all periods.

Features

The M1 Garand with important parts labeled
The M1 rifle is a .30 caliber, gas-operated, 8 shot clip-fed, semi-automatic rifle.[34] It is 43.6 inches (1,107 mm)
long and it weighs about 9.5 pounds (4.31 kg).

The M1's safety catch is located at the front of the trigger guard. It is engaged when it is pressed rearward into
the trigger guard, and disengaged when it is pushed forward and is protruding outside of the trigger guard.
The M1 Garand was designed for simple assembly and disassembly to facilitate field maintenance. It can be field stripped
(broken down) without tools in just a few seconds.

The rifle had an iron sight line consisting of rear receiver aperture sight protected by sturdy "ears" calibrated for 100–1,200 yd
(91–1,097 m) in 100 yd (91 m) increments. The bullet drop compensation was set by turning the range knob to the appropriate range
setting. The bullet drop compensation/range knob can be fine adjusted by setting the rear sight elevation pinion. The elevation
pinion can be fine adjusted in approximately 1 MOA increments. The aperture sight was also able to correct for wind drift operated
by turning a windage knob that moved the sight in approximately 1 MOA increments. The windage lines on the receiver to indicate the
windage setting were 4 MOA apart. The front sighting element consisted of a wing guards protected front post.

During World War II the M1 rifle's semiautomatic operation gave United States infantrymen a significant advantage in firepower and
shot-to-shot recovery time over enemy infantrymen armed primarily with bolt-action rifles. The semi-automatic operation and reduced
recoil allowed soldiers to fire 8 rounds as quickly as they could pull the trigger, without having to move their hands on the rifle
and therefore disrupt their firing position and point of aim.[38] The Garand's fire rate, in the hands of a trained soldier, averaged
40–50 accurate shots per minute at a range of 300 yards (270 m). "At ranges over 500 yards (460 m), a battlefield target is hard for
the average rifleman to hit. Therefore, 500 yards (460 m) is considered the maximum effective range, even though the rifle is accurate
at much greater ranges."

Some Garands were still being used by the United States into the Vietnam War in 1963; despite the M14's official adoption in 1958,
it was not until 1965 that the changeover from the M1 Garand was fully completed in the active-duty component of the Army (with

the exception of the sniper variants, which were introduced in World War II and saw action in Korea and Vietnam). The Garand remained in
service with the Army Reserve, Army National Guard and the Navy into the early 1970s. The South Korean Army was using M1 Garands in the
Vietnam War as late as 1966.


Due to widespread United States military assistance as well their durability, M1 Garands have also been found in use in recent conflicts
such as with the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some military drill teams still use the M1 rifle, including the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Team, the United States Air Force
Academy Cadet Honor Guard, the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, almost all Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and some Junior Reserve
Officer Training Corps (JROTC) teams of all branches of the U.S. military.[citation needed]

World War 2 Fact Double-O-Who? Jon Pertwee's.

Double-O-Who? Jon Pertwee's secret life as a wartime agent... years before he did battle with the Daleks 

He was best known for battling the Daleks as one of the best-loved Doctor Whos.
But now it has been revealed that Jon Pertwee was a real-life secret agent years before he donned the Time Lord’s cape.
The actor, who died in 1996 aged 76, was a senior intelligence agent during the Second World War and reported directly to Winston Churchill.
He was also recommended for another role by James Bond creator Ian Fleming – and proved to be an expert in using a range of 007-like gadgets, including a smoking pipe that fired bullets and handkerchiefs containing secret maps.

Actor Jon Pertwee, pictured left in the Navy, was a senior secret intelligence agent during World War II before he became well-known for playing Doctor Who, pictured right

The revelations – in a long-lost tape-recorded interview – confirm that Pertwee’s wartime activities were as remarkable as his acting career, which saw him play the third incarnation of the Doctor between 1970 and 1974.

Pertwee said he kept silent about the nature of his covert role with the Naval Intelligence Division for decades for fear of breaching the Official Secrets Act.
On the tape he says: ‘The team I worked with, the brothers in intelligence, were an amazing  collection of characters.

TV favourite: Jon Pertwee battled Daleks and aliens as Doctor Who for four years

‘There was a huge range of talents all being used to better protect the security of the nation, often in very surprising ways.
‘I did all sorts. Teaching commandos how to use escapology equipment, compasses in brass buttons, secret maps in white cotton handkerchiefs, pipes you could smoke that also fired a .22 bullet. All sorts of incredible things. It suited me perfectly as  I have always loved gadgets.
‘I used to attend meetings where Churchill would be at the end of the table and he would be smoking his cigars. At the end of the meeting, I used to collect the butts and sell them on to the Americans for a few dollars.
‘I don’t remember much of  my first meeting with Churchill except he gave me some priceless advice. He told me to always watch people, that there was a lot you could learn about someone’s character from the little actions they make – which was great advice for an actor.’
Pertwee also worked alongside Ian Fleming during his spell with Naval Intelligence. He recalled: ‘One day Fleming sent me for an interview for a job. They wanted a good French speaker.
‘I thought the job was going to be liaison with the Free French. I did not fancy that at all, so I deliberately messed up the interview, pretending I could not understand what they were saying at times and throwing in the most  inappropriate answers.
‘Afterwards, when Fleming got the report back, he said they did not want me and how badly I had done. I confessed I had done it on purpose because I did not want to work with de Gaulle’s mob.
‘He told me I was a blithering idiot because the interview was a chance to be our man in Tahiti.’
Before taking up his clandestine role, Pertwee narrowly avoided death on the battlecruiser Hood, sunk by the Bismarck in 1941.

Jon Pertwee, pictured as Doctor Who with Nicholas Courtney who played Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, made the revelations in a long-lost interview

He recalled: ‘I was on HMS Hood and I got called to the  captain’s cabin. I was told I had passed the captain’s test and I was now a fully fledged officer cadet. I had 20 minutes to pack before being transferred back to Pompey barracks for training.
‘It saved my life. Of the 1,418 crew, only three survived.’
Pertwee’s many obituaries all referred to his wartime service in the Navy, but made no mention of his top-secret role.
He gave the interview in 1994 to two young reporters, Matt Adams and David Southwell. They are lifelong Doctor Who fans – and decided this year’s 50th anniversary of the show was the ideal time to publish his revelations in Doctor Who Magazine.
Mr Southwell, now an author, said: ‘Eighteen years ago the opportunity arose to exploit our positions with a local paper to wangle an interview at the home of one of our childhood heroes.
‘We have gone on to quiz Oscar-winners and meet Prime Ministers, but no interview was ever more demanding than coming face-to-face with our Doctor.’

Book Review A History of the Second World War B. H. Liddell Hart

First published in the year after his death in 1970, Liddell Hart's History of the Second World War is a classic military tome from one of the best military strategists of his generation. With his distinctive voice, he covers the most famous of all wars with seering insight and authorative knowledge of tactics and strategy. Few have attempted to condense those six bloody years into one volumne, and Liddell's Hart's achievement is a true classic now republished in the Pan Military Strategy Series.

'It is a work of great length and great learning, illuminated by flashes of insight ... full of brilliant strategic analysis' A.J.P. Taylor

'A work of art ... Liddell Hart is not simply a prophet and a critic but a historian of great rank' Economist