Today, he stood by to watch the Americans as his top sergeant, First Sgt. Clarence Todd, instructed the class. There were the five Americans and the regular twelve trainees in this class. All the instruction classes were designed to be smaller than found in regular army training because of the intensity. The other reason for small classes was the need to identify those who did not meet the exacting standards set for the commandos. Few people made it to this point in the program. Most failed to meet the physical standards of the training so that a starting class of sixty would be down to twenty-five in two weeks. By the end of training, only eight to ten would pass muster and become commandos.
Sergeant Todd casually introduced himself because these men had made it to this point and most would probably finish the program. Each man had demonstrated the physical strength and mental acuity to do the job. There was no need to harangue men when they got to this level. If they could not handle a weapon, it was an immediate drop from training. This training along with hand-to-hand combat was the last major hurdle for the men to pass.
“Gentlemen, I call you that because of the Yanks in our midst. I would not call you what you probably are because our Allies are not familiar with coarse language.” Sergeant Todd looked at the men seated on the ground around him as he stood in front of a large table loaded with weapons. Everyone laughed, especially the Marines who had already provided the Brits with a few new colorful words to add to their vocabulary.
“We are going to spend time today on your marksmanship with a group of light weapons and one heavy weapon. First, there is the standard rifle, Number 4, Mark 1 which uses the .303 caliber round loaded in a ten-round detachable-box magazine.” He held the rifle high above his head and looked at each of the men.
“You have all qualified with this weapon in your previous assignments and will be certified again during this training. This is the standard issue weapon, and we will be proficient in its use above all else. It is dependable, it does not jam, it has an impressive range, and it is strong.” He put it down and picked up another weapon.
“This is the Bren gun.” He held up a larger weapon which weighed twice as much as the rifle he had shown previously. “It also uses the .303 caliber round and loads from the top in a thirty-round magazine.”
He picked up the magazine and installed it in the top of the Bren. He held it close to his body at waist height showing how it could be easily used while walking. “This is a wonderful weapon. You will know this weapon well by the end of this training. It may be heavier than the Mark 1 but will keep the bloody Germans’ heads down for quite a long time.”
Picking up a smaller weapon this time, he turned to the men. “This is the Sten Gun, which is quite small as you can see, but packs quite a punch. It uses the nine-millimeter cartridge in a thirty-two-round magazine. It is a good weapon for close range work. If you see an enemy one hundred yards away, use the rifle. If he is in the next room, spray him with this. This weapon is being produced in greater numbers, so you will probably be using this in many of your operations. Just remember, it is a close-range weapon only so do not sit on the trigger. Later I will show you what not to do with the Sten.”
He turned again, but this time picked up a weapon familiar to the Americans. “You Yanks brought some of these with you to the training class, and I assume you know how to use them. I will see if you do later. For the rest of you men, this is the American Thompson, Model 1928 submachine gun. It uses the American .45 caliber cartridge in a thirty round capacity box. Again, this is a close-in weapon, but it has superior stopping power when compared to the Sten. It has a habit of jamming if you are not kind to it, but it is a fine weapon. Perhaps I can get the Yanks to give me one as a going away present.” More laughs came especially from the Americans.
The sergeant took something big from the table, something the Americans had never seen. “This, gentlemen, is the Boy’s anti-tank rifle. It is heavy, weighing in at thirty-five pounds before you load it with ten rounds of .55 caliber armor-piercing rounds. It is a bolt action weapon and requires the use of the bipod on the front end to steady it. It is not that effective, trust me, in stopping a bloody German tank. It will hurt a truck or maybe a small armored car, but it will not penetrate the armor on the newest German tanks we see in North Africa. You will still train with this, but a new weapon called the PIAT is being rushed into production that will be far superior to this weapon. But we go to war with what we have, right?”
“Yes, Sergeant!” The yell came from everyone sitting on the ground.
Flannigan took note of the sergeant’s comment concerning the ineffectiveness of the Boy’s anti-tank rifle and wondered what else the British had learned about the weapons of war that worked or didn’t work against the Germans, or for that matter, the Japanese. His conversation with Captain Atwood had gone late into the previous night, and he nursed a hangover until about mile three of the run this morning.
Roger had talked about the ineffectiveness of the anti-aircraft fire on the Prince of Wales before it sank. His comment about not being able to reach the height of the planes reminded him of the little three-inch anti-aircraft guns at Cavite, which could not reach the Jap planes as they slowly and methodically dropped their bombs. Now he heard that a weapon designed to be used against German tanks had no effect at all. What else could he learn from these men who were taking the fight to the enemy and sustaining tragic losses of men and material?
Sergeant Todd continued his discussion about the standard .38 caliber revolver used by the British army, then he spoke briefly about the standard hand grenades and those used by the Germans, the ones with the long handles that were better at longer range throws than the ones used by the British or the Americans. He ended the discussion with a word about machine guns such as the Vickers .303 Mark 1 which looked like the water cooled Browning .30 caliber weapon used by the Marines.
Todd then discussed the German weapons which had caused the British so much trouble. The first was the MG 42 general purpose air-cooled machine gun firing the 7.92-millimeter cartridge at an incredible rate of fire, something like fifteen hundred rounds per minute. The British described the sound like thousands of bees flying in formation. The other weapon the sergeant held up was the submachine gun the Nazis had perfected before the war, the Maschinenpistole 38 or MP 38 which fired the nine-millimeter cartridge like the Sten but with a much faster rate of fire.
Both weapons, Todd explained, were incredibly good and easy to maintain. Each man would learn to fire and maintain these German weapons because, as Todd explained, “You may find yourself on some Gerry base fighting for your life and you have to learn to use what you find. We will train you to fight with every weapon the enemy has so if you lose your weapon or you run out of ammunition, you pick up one of his and keep fighting.”
Flannigan and his men found the information about the German weapons fascinating, and after the lecture ended, the men were invited to move up to the table and examine each weapon to get a feel for it. Sergeant Laird and Corporal Dean were impressed with the Bren gun primarily for its ease of handling, versus the American BAR. The top-fed magazine held more ammunition and was a bit easier to switch out in combat, but the magazine on top ruined the ability to sight. Everyone agreed the Boy’s rifle was not worth the effort primarily because no one would want to carry it. The American Browning .30 caliber light machine gun weighed less, but the plate it rested on had to be carried by another person. Everyone scratched their heads on why anyone would want a heavy bolt-action rifle, but the Brits had it, and they would learn to fire it.
The big hit of the table was the captured German weapons. The MP 38 submachine gun seemed a fine piece of weaponry and easy to use. It was in the same class as the Thompson but appeared to be a better-built weapon. The larger and deadlier MG 42 was viewed as a superior piece of “kit” as the Brits would say. The Americans agreed in both its simplicity of changing barrels and the handle which made it very easy to carry on the run. Finally, Sergeant Todd annou
nced the trainees would move to the firing line and see how they did with a variety of weapons.
The first weapon to be tested was the standard British army rifle, the Mark 1, with its .303 ammunition. The sergeant asked for a volunteer, and the first up was a Scotsman from the Orkney Islands named Clark. He stood for the test and took aim and fired five shots as required by Sergeant Todd. He went down the line to another British soldier, then asked for an American to test the weapon. Corporal Dillard jumped up and went into the normal U.S. Marine standing rifle technique using the shoulder strap as another tool to stabilize his aim. He fired off his five shots, and Todd called a stop to the firing to see the results. The first two British soldiers did very well with Corporal Clark getting three of five in the number five or four outside rings and one in the X or bullseye ring. One shot was off the target entirely. The second British shooter had two in the number four ring, two outside the outer ring, and one shot not appearing at all.
Corporal Dillard’s shooting was exemplary as Sergeant Todd exclaimed with two in the bullseye and the other three within the next two outer rings. Todd looked at Dillard and exclaimed so all could hear, “Corporal, I have heard American Marines were good shots, and you have seen this demonstrated today. I also enjoyed your technique as well. Now listen, men, the Yanks have trained for years on the handling of rifles, and many of you have had only army practice in dealing with weapons. So, you will work on this more today, and perhaps our American Allies will provide some assistance.
“Let’s now move onto those Thompsons that you brought from the States.” Todd grabbed his weapon and demonstrated its primary features from the use of the safety to the methods of loading and unloading the clips. Then he fired a few test rounds at a target one hundred feet down range.
“Now listen up, this is a short-range weapon just like the Sten gun. You cannot go target shooting like a rifle. It is designed for close-in dirty work. But, just like the Sten gun, you should never hold down the trigger and spray the bloody universe. It starts to rise, and all you will hit are crows. Now, if the Yanks will show us how they employ this weapon, it would be very useful.”
This time Sergeant Laird rose to the occasion and pulled out his Thompson. He checked the magazine and charged the weapon. Before he shot it, however, he turned his head to the trainees and added, “Sergeant Todd is correct. You do not sit on the trigger. You must fire it in three to four-shot bursts. Otherwise, the shots go high, and you hit nothing. Keep it down and reacquire your target or you will be out of ammunition in six seconds.”
Laird then turned back to the target and fired three short bursts with only three or four shots per burst. He asked for the targets to be checked.
Todd went down range and pulled back the targets he and Laird had used. Todd’s had several holes in it, but Laird’s was torn up beyond measure.
Todd smiled at Laird saying, “You must be quite an expert on this weapon as well, Sergeant. You know the weapon and what to do with it.” He turned to the other trainees and loudly proclaimed, “Men, the Yanks are good shots, and they know how to conserve their ammunition. Do this, and you will live to come home.”
Todd continued with the demonstration and finally came to the two German weapons. The sound made by the MG 42 was unlike anything the Americans had ever heard. The speed of the weapon was frightening. Captain Flannigan was selected to fire it down range. He found it easy to use and accurate at great distances. He would add this weapon to his report and wondered if he would ever have to face this monster in combat.
Later that evening, Flannigan got together with his friend Captain Atwood, and they spent some time in the officer’s club going over their recent experiences at the Commando School. Atwood was working on the selection of a special Royal Marine group that would become a commando unit specializing in small boat operations and infiltrations on enemy held coastlines. He had seen some of the boat training the commandos went through and combined with the climbing of seacoast rock ledges, he could see how useful this skill would be to future combined force operations. Flannigan agreed and wondered about the Norwegian raids made by the commandos.
Atwood decided he needed an expert and spied a young lieutenant on the other side of the room and asked him to join the table with the American. His name was Charles Snyder, and he had been on two commando missions, the last one on December 26 with the Number Twelve Commandos when they raided the Lofoten Islands off the Norwegian coast. Snyder described how the three hundred men of the commando unit and a group from the Norwegian Army raided the small town on the day after Christmas and then wrecked the town with an emphasis on the fish oil tanks, processing equipment, and communications systems. They captured some ninety-eight Germans and killed over one hundred fifty, plus they captured a group of Quislings who were Nazi sympathizers. All their targets were destroyed.
A significant amount of information came from prisoners including the German commander and communications personnel which was even more helpful to the long-range success of the Allies. A total of nineteen commandos were killed and fifty-nine wounded. The attack was led by the cruiser HMS Kenya, plus a group of destroyers which were used to transport the commandos. The entire operation lasted only five hours, then the wounded and prisoners were back on the ships and exited the area at high speed. RAF bombers also contributed to the success of the operation as weather was not an issue except for a very low ceiling which affected the planes ability to find their targets.
Flannigan asked about Snyder’s personal experience. He looked at the American closely and spoke, “Well, Captain, fighting the German requires great skill and determination. The training we received, and the leadership, made this a success.”
He looked at Captain Atwood to see if he should continue with more details and Atwood waived him on. “Sir, few operations go according to plan. We lost several officers to very effective snipers employed in buildings and towers. I was shot in the hip and spent a bloody two weeks in the hospital. I have only been recently getting in shape for another go at Gerry. Looking at your hand, sir, you know what it is like, so I do not have to go further.”
Flannigan acknowledged his hand and responded to the young British lieutenant, “Mr. Snyder, thank you for your insights on the raid. One last thing, what could you have personally done better or differently to improve the mission?”
Snyder glanced at the officers then briefly gazed at the ceiling to collect his thoughts. “Sir, that is a question I have asked since the moment I was put on a stretcher. I think the training in movement in any areas with buildings, urban areas, for example, needs to be improved. We need more and better weapons especially, handheld cannons or rockets that can get at the enemy behind a wall or in a building. Tanks are wonderful but impractical on raids. Mortars are fine but lack precision.”
He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts about what he had seen and felt that cold day in December. Looking around so no one else could hear him, he continued, “I want something like the Boy’s gun but with a much bigger punch. Also, more submachine guns or lighter Bren guns. These were important at keeping Gerry’s head down as we moved forward. Also, we should carry more hand grenades and smoke grenades to help us move and attack. Otherwise, I do not have many more wishes except that I would stay lower next time and not get hit.”
Everyone laughed at his joke, and Captain Flannigan ordered whisky which Snyder appreciated before returning to his table. Atwood then asked the American about the next few days at the Commando School.
Flannigan shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of his whisky. “Tomorrow morning, we’re heading off to some distant location to learn how to live off the land, build rope bridges, and God only knows what else. I was told it would be three or four days before we returned, so I had better get some rest. Hopefully, I will see you upon my return.”
Atwood commented, “You and your men will look like very dirty sheep and smell quite similar when you get back, but I think you will find this training extr
emely interesting and valuable. I doubt you will have ever experienced anything like this in your life. Just be careful especially when they teach you about climbing mountains. Bloody rocks are wet, slimy, and we lose a lot of people to broken arms and legs who slip and fall during these Tarzan Courses, as the men call them.”
Flannigan took his last sip of the wonderful Scotch whisky, for which he was beginning to develop a deep attachment. “I hope I don’t fall nor cause you much concern, but if I do smell like a sheep, will you let me use your bath?”
“Of course, my dear captain, but first take a shower somewhere else because I do not want to have to clean the sludge out of my tub.”
Both men smiled and wished each other a pleasant night. Flannigan would be up at 0400 and marching hours before Atwood would wake for his morning tea. Damn, what a war, he said to himself as he walked outside for a look at the night sky, but he could only see the low clouds and total darkness that covered the Scottish Highland this time of year. He quickly became chilled and walked back inside, thinking about what his friends were eating in the Philippines this evening.
9
23 March 1942
Western Approaches Command
Liverpool, England
• Japanese occupy the Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal.
The week had passed rapidly with meetings in London and a few outside of the city to visit RAF facilities for both fighter and bomber operations. Brand had wanted to see firsthand how the RAF trained personnel for their fighter control operations. Air Vice Marshal Tedder had shared his success in unifying these operations and getting personnel trained that could handle the mental rigors of, as he called it, multi-dimensional warfare. The key was understanding the communications systems for command and control of aircraft scattered on land and in the air, then mastering the use of radar to vector aircraft to intercept German planes or marshaling bombers to synchronize bombing of enemy positions.
Mission to Britain Page 12