The Chindits' Damned Pack... just how heavy was it really...?

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Hebridean Chindit, May 13, 2011.

  1. Bob Turner

    Bob Turner Senior Member

    Having checked infantry ammo loads used in a jungle theatre:

    300-500 5.56 or 140-180 7.62, all except MG gunners carried a rifle. 600-800 rds, 7.62 link per sect with 300 on gunner rest in 100 rd belts carried by rest of section, 2 grenades/man (HE, WP) 1 Claymore/man (3.5 lbs), 40mm grenade lnchr per section and ammo, 2 or 3 M72 RLs per sect, 1 kg PE per man (in case cbt engr mini team wanted to make a big bang.

    50 rds .303 is unbelievably few for jungle, where ammo resup in contact is very difficult (its not easy anywhere), I'll leave it to someone else to say what the normal UK inf ammo load was in WW2. I assume the Bren pair carried 10 mags.

    Rifle slings aren't needed in jungle because rifles are always carried ready to use instantly. The thing about jungle is contacts are usually close range (10 - 20 metres), longer range means open areas such as across padi.
    Hi Mapshooter, a few questions, if you had a Lee Enfield, would your first act have been, to take cover and fix your bayonet? Ten to twenty metres sounds to me as though you might find yourself having to fight with a bayonet.

    If there were twenty five blokes in a line, where would you put your bren/sten guns?

    Are there rules for machete use? Hit the wrong plants and they can make quite a lot of noise. Plus I presume, one guy is using the machete in his right hand and holding his strapless rifle in the other. Over zealous use, would show the path to be man made. So, are paths zig zagged? Again I presume it's not a good idea to use the same path for coming and going.

    Is there a best side from which to attack a line of men walking through the jungle? I'm pretty clueless on this; only having watched Predator! I would have thought, attack from their right, as they would have to swing their weapons round to face you.
     
  2. Jen'sHusband

    Jen'sHusband Punchbag

    Just to clarify, 1944 Pattern webbing was not used operationally in World War Two.
     
  3. mapshooter

    mapshooter Senior Member

    AFAIK jungle minor tactics didn't really get properly established until the Jungle Warfare School was set up in Malaya in the early 1950s. In Burma I think it was more a case of tweaking normal tactics a bit although I've no doubt that some units adapted better than others, not forgetting that a town is a town whatever the climate and there is other terrain and topography were 'European' tactics are applicable including rubber plantations. The guys most likely to contact are at the front, he who shoots first and accurately wins.

    Primary jungle is quite open, no cutting required, some secondary growth is a different matter. However, cutting your way through is not a good idea from the noise point of view, pushing the vegetation out of the way is preferable. The only thing to do with bamboo clumps is go around. The main use of a machete is clearing ground around a defensive position, cutting saplings for your basha and for field defences. In the second theatre I was in there was a lot of swopping machetes for secaturs, much better for quietly snipping the spiky growth that snags you.

    Adding, if you follow tracks you are far more likely to be ambushed, but can move a lot quicker. If you move off track you need good navigation skills - pre GPS here (not that tracks are accurately marked on maps!). The counter ambush drill was to charge staight into it, getting out of the killing zone is the important thing.
     
  4. jani3017

    jani3017 Junior Member

    Hiiiii Friend !!!!!
    I am new user and also want to know somethings new about ww2. So if some one share his/her experience.It would be appreciated.
    damdama lake package
     
  5. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Hi Jani, probably best to go to user introductions and let people know what your interests are - there are lots of things here to learn about...
    ;)

    Mapshooter... there are some descriptions of bamboo covered mountainsides where it appears they had no choice but to cut through and skate about on the debris... madness...
     
  6. MacKenzie14

    MacKenzie14 Member

    I believe the lilo was described as a smalcarried along with everything else and inflated when required. Granda described holding onto the tail of a mule while being pulled across the Indawgee river. Bamboo rafts were also used.a
     
  7. MacKenzie14

    MacKenzie14 Member

    The lilo was small enough to fold and store with all other equipment. Granda described using it while being pulled through the Indawgee river while hanging onto the tail of a mule during enemy fire.
     
  8. MacKenzie14

    MacKenzie14 Member

    Condoms were used to keep matches dry when crossing rivers.
     
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  9. MacKenzie14

    MacKenzie14 Member

    Cascara tablets were taken for constipation.
     
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  10. GoldmanT

    GoldmanT Member

    Posts like these are giving me context that I would never get from the official records!
     
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