Krag usage in WW2?

[Dick Hosmer]

I have been contacted by a very nice gentleman who SWEARS (even after the usual back and forth about "Uncle Charlie" stories) that his father was issued a .30-40 Krag M1898 rifle, which he 'used for target practice off the fantail of his ship' (the USS Maddox, a destroyer) during WW2. He is quite lucid, sent me pictures of the rifle, and is most adamant! Any thoughts on this - could this possibly be involved with the SRS notation of "1943 donation to the US Navy"? Thanks.

[jon_norstog]

The Maddox in question was probably the second can of that name,DD 622, which was launched in late 1942 and sunk by the Germans in July 1943. She didn't live long enough to accumulate a whole bunch of old gun stuff in her gun lockers. The previous Maddox was a WW I vintage four-piper that was passed around between the Royal Navy, the Soviet Navy and the Canadian Navy.

That said you never know what you might find in a ship's spaces

jn

[Dick Hosmer]

Nope - DD-731 (in service 1944-1972) later sold to Taiwan, finally scrapped in 1985. Served in WW2, Korea, Gulf of Tonkin.

[Kragrifle]

I spent 10 days on a destroyer sailing from Pearl Harbor to San Diego. During the trip we were treated to displays of firepower including small arms fire. Watching new (at that time) M16's get sprayed with salt water led me to wonder how any Navy small arms exist for us collectors now a days!

[cplnorton]

I think I have documents somewhere that detail Krags on ships. Man I can't remember where I have them now, or I would go back and find them and post them. But I think it was requests for parts to keep Krags serviceable on ships and they were WWII dates. So I really have no doubts that his story could be true.

[5MadFarmers]

I have been contacted by a very nice gentleman who SWEARS (even after the usual back and forth about "Uncle Charlie" stories) that his father was issued a .30-40 Krag M1898 rifle, which he 'used for target practice off the fantail of his ship' (the USS Maddox, a destroyer) during WW2. He is quite lucid, sent me pictures of the rifle, and is most adamant! Any thoughts on this - could this possibly be involved with the SRS notation of "1943 donation to the US Navy"? Thanks.

Presumably he also has a picture of .30-40 cartridges with WW2 dated headstamps? DM43? EC42? SL44?

The military tends to be quite big on having a supply of ammunition for their items. I suppose we could be lead to believe that the USN was buying non-FMJ cartridges from cartridge companies busy turning out strictly FMJ at that time but, myself, I'm unlikely to be convinced.



You'd think at least 1 measly can would surface.

[Rick the Librarian]

I remember reading (in Joe's Krag book) that even the supply of Krag ammunition in WWI was pretty limited.

I do admit I'd like to know what all those "1943 donation to U.S. Navy" was all about!

[psteinmayer]

I wouldn't put it past it for there to be the one off Krag on a ship during WWII. There were times in the early days of the war where the word desperation could have been casually passed around... and after Pearl Harbor, I would imaging they threw every useable gun available on ships until they could catch up to the demand!

[cplnorton]

I did a quick look, thinking I might remember where I put those Krag documents and I didn't see them. So I'm not sure where I filed them at.

I did find this though, for the Marines in Nov 1931. But I will keep a look out for the others. I'm pretty certain they were much later dates and I think they had names of ships on them, or at least I think there was.

Knowing me I probably threw them in some misc pile somewhere. But If I find them, I will come back and post them

[5MadFarmers]

I do admit I'd like to know what all those "1943 donation to U.S. Navy" was all about!

When I was a wee lad I used to play hockey. The city had one "arena" and a slew of out-door rinks. The "arena" was a big metal unheated building with a rink inside. No heat and not really any other amenities but at least it was out of the wind. Hockey skates are mighty cold at 35 below and the wind can be a bit bitter at that temp. From the arena I'd walk over to my grandfathers. He was still somewhat coherent but not completely. We had a talk about that arena once. He mentioned that, during WW2, he'd "supervised" people in growing "Victory Gardens" behind it. What they grew is a mystery as nothing edible grows that far north. He mentioned a "war bond" drive where they brought in a "captured Japanese Zero" and, for the sum of $.50, you were allowed to hit it with a sledgehammer. Probably what was left of an airplane in reality but he remembered it as a "Zero." Then there was the raffle. Of the guns donated to the war effort, two turned out to be muskets. That's the odd part. I remembered that quite well. They'd asked people to return "Springfield rifles" if they had them and people did exactly that. Two of the "Springfield rifles" donated were Springfield muskets. So they raffled them off.

I suspect they were after M-1903s.

So let's take those memories of a senile old gent, as related to a very young kid, and weave them.

At the start of WW1 the Ordnance Department did their math on an army of 1,000,000. That's it. They made two huge errors:
1) Assuming that 1,000,000 would be it.
2) Assuming that only those men need rifles.

The active army troops need rifles. Let's call that "tier 1."
The secondary troops need rifles. Let's call that "tier 2."
Other forces need rifles. State Guards, shipyard guards, ammo plant guards, etc., Let's call that "tier 3."

They couldn't even arm tier 1. "Broomstick soldiers." In 1939 that memory was still fresh; indeed many of the "broomstick troops" were alive right? Probably still bitter about the entire thing.

A historical memory of a rifle shortage. That remained.

After the Brits took a boat trip home from France a call went out. "England needs guns." The NRA donations and such. Wed that to the memory of the WW1 US rifle shortage.

When the war started everyone would logically assume they'd have another shortage. The "reserve" rifles, the M-1917s, were sent to England in huge numbers. I suspect, and I could probably find it, that they figured out that reasonably large numbers of M-1903s were out there. I'm also not entirely certain that they ignored the Krags at that time. They did buy Ross rifles in WW1 right? A Krag is perfectly suitable for guarding shipyards, and if you're Sergeant Schultz, captured American fliers.

The M1 carbine. That was the difference. Unlike WW1 they had a bit more time to "warm up" before serious combat. That gave them time to seriously hit their stride with M1 carbine production. Twice as many M1 carbines were manufactured during War Two than rifles, of all types, were made for War One.

Old dude I used to shoot with was in a military academy in 1944. 16ish years old. They received brand spanking new M-1903A3 rifles at the academy. 1944. Rifle production was so far along that they could even give kiddies new guns. Much different from War One.

So, as far as I can see, it's a "time" thing. 1939? Fear of rifle shortage. 1944? Swimming in the buggers.

So I don't doubt they would be interested in Krags circa 1941. When the shortage didn't pan out they'd be rather uninterested in rifles in that odd caliber. During War One they put out contracts for cartridges. The lack of contracts, and cartridges from them, during War Two paints a different story.

Exception? Small caliber sub-target use. That might have still existed. Last .30-40 cartridges were made for that use from what I remember.