The All High Order of Gear Queers

8/6/2019 The All High Order of Gear Queers

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THE ALL HIGH ORDER OF GEAR QUEERS

"Impressive. But can the *$^&*#* thing move???"

THE ALL HIGH ORDER OF GEAR QUEERS

After examining Infantry Overload , I was reminded of the German Maus tank of WWII. I believe it was one Adolphs personal brain storms, most likely an electrical storm at that.The Maus was 33 feet long and 12 feet high. Armor thickness was up to 9-1/2 inches.The main gun was a 128-mm with a 75mm co-ax !! While virtually invulnerable to anyAllied guns, and packing truly awesome firepower that could kill any Allied tank out toranges of 3,500 meters, there were a few small problems.

The main one was, of course, mobility. The thing weighed 185 tons, as much as a diesel

railroad freight locomotive. They couldnt find a motor big enough to allow the damnthing to move at more than a crawl. Top speed, downhill on pavement with a tailwind,was 8 mph or less. Extensive work had to be done on the suspension to keep the weightfrom crushing it. The tracks were a full meter wide to keep it from sinking into the earth.It was too wide for many tunnels; it was too heavy for almost all bridges. A full tank of 713 gallons of diesel would only allow it to waddle about 38 miles under idealconditions, a whopping 0.05 miles per gallon. A special 14-axle railroad transport car hadto be designed to move it by train.

As we titter at Hitlers obvious idiocy, however, we [American civilian and militaryleaders] apparently dont see any problem whatsoever in expecting a 140-pound kid to

throw on a 120-pound ruck and chase the Taliban up and down some of the highestmountains in the world.

I have set myself a personal maximum weight limit of 40 pounds. Trust me, thatswaaayyy less than 1/3 of my body weight. After climbing up and down mountains withmy dog all last weekend, lugging the FAL, Im starting to consider lowering that. I amalmost starting to believe in that global warming crap. It seems like the only reasonableexplanation why my pack keeps getting heavier, and the air thinner, and the trails steeper.
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I found it interesting, because I apparently have too much time on my hands, to look intothe soldiers load throughout modern history.

Right or wrong, the United States Marine Corps fought a series of counter-insurgencies in

the Caribbean and Central America between the world wars, collectively known as TheBanana Wars. From this experience, they developed The USMC Small Wars Manual , which advised this packing list:

A young Marine by the name of Puller cut his tactical teeth in thecounter-insurgency in Nicaragua.

Clothing and accessories carried in the pack.The following articles are consideredreasonable quantities to be carried in the pack or roll of each individual with a patroloperating in a warm climate;

1. A shelter half, poncho, or light native hammock, depending upon the nature of theterrain, the season of the year, and the personal decision of the patrol leader. The shelter half can be dispensed with if materials are available in the field for the construction of

lean-to shelters. In this case, the poncho is utilized as a cover for the pack or roll. The poncho is primarily useful as protection from the damp ground while sleeping at night. Itinterferes with movement of an individual if worn on the march, and is a distinctimpediment if worn in combat. The hammock has many advantages, but it is bulky andadds considerable weight to the pack or roll. During the rainy season, two of thesearticles may be desirable. If the shelter half is carried, the tent pole and pins are includedwhen necessary.2. One blanket.
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1 shirt, flannel or woolenAll above in rubber bag.1 poncho1 can of oil and cleaning gear for weapon where such is not part of the weapon you carry.

The following equipment:Good field for all leaders down to sergeants in rifle units, and to squad leaders inweapons squads.Compasssame distributionBush knife 12 blade made of good steel for all handsHelmet for allCamouflage net for all helmetsMosquito net, head, for allEntrenching shovel for all

We need a rubber bag which will keep everything dry and can be used for floating

contents across streams. Must be light and rugged.Officers and men must be in identical uniforms.

Another Marine officer added: Travel light. For example, to hell with the messequipment! We used our mess cup and spoon for the first 15 days here and enjoyed our chow. You dont have to live like a gentleman in jungle warfare. Our mess equipment istoo bulky for this type of warfare and makes noise.

An American observer noted this about the British Commandos of WWII:
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What blasphemy is this, you Brits!?!? Allowing a Commando tomake up his own packing list!?!? What next? Allowing them to

make their own tactical decisions in combat?

"The men were taught to live on concentrated rations during these exercises, to take careof themselves in the field under all conditions of weather and climate, and to maintainthemselves in a 'fighting condition'...Each man wore battle dress, carried his own: arms,and kept all his rations and ammunition in his rucksack. Every effort was made to keepthe weight of the load down to a minimum; the pack usually averaged about 35 pounds.

As one instructor expressed it: 'I tell them the job to be done; the number of days we will be out; the arms and ammunition required; and leave to the individual to decide what hewill carry for his own personal comfort. As each man carries his own load, only the barenecessities are taken along.'"

British, Anzac, and Gurkha forces operating in the successful counter-insurgency inMalaya worked hard to keep the weight an infantryman bore down to reasonable levels

"Even though the individual and small unit effectiveness of the British and their allies inthe jungle was excellent, these men were not asked to endure unnecessary hardships.Careful study indicates that British, Gurkha, and the new Malaysian soldiers functioned well in the jungle environment when provided with a kit that allowed comfort. Individual equipment in Malaysia weighed slightly more than 50 pounds.

A black nylon overall and a pair of sneakers-entirely satisfactory for night combat bedding according to habits of individual soldiers, medical supplies, drinking water, and various tools for use in the jungle were all carried in a comfortable harness. Mosquitoes,leeches, wet feet uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, poor food, and exposure cancontribute to poor health and morale and increase the problems of warfare. The soldier was equipped to combat these problems, and yet was not burdened with so muchequipment that he became immobile." [Hint, hint].

The Japanese soldier in WWII


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The pack normally contains extra shoes, socks, and breech clout. Towel, soap, and other miscellaneous toilet articles are carried, as well as a first-aid packet and a sewing kit. Ashelter half, although only 4 feet 10 inches by 2 feet 5-1/2 inches, is very serviceable. It isused as a ground sheet, or to roll up in. When the tent ropes are properly roved throughthe eyelets, the shelter half makes an excellent poncho and, because of its superior rain-shedding quality, Japanese soldiers prefer it to the issue raincoat. A blanket or overcoatmay be rolled in inverted U-shape and tied around the edges of the pack. A raincoat,shelter half, and camouflage netting are placed across the top, and the mess kit is strappedto the back of the pack. When caps are worn, the steel helmet is secured over the messkit.

Canteen, slung from a leather strap across the left shoulder, ammunition pouches, and gasmask and carrier complete the combat gear normally carried by the Japanese soldier.Ammunition is carried in pouches strung on the waist belt.

German regular infantry in WWII.
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Officers and enlisted men wear the same steel helmet.

Pack.The pack ( Tornister ) is a heavy square-shaped canvas bag with leather binding. A blanket, a camouflage cover, (which sometimes serves as a raincoat), and also at timesthe overcoat, are rolled and strapped around the pack. For mountain troops, the pack isreplaced by a rucksack, a form of which, originally adopted by the Afrika-Korps, iscoming to be used extensively throughout the Army.

Other equipment.Other equipment carried by the individual includes leather cartridge pouches, a shelter-half with ropes, a canteen and mess kit, a haversack, a gas mask, a gascape (an impregnated cloth cover for protection against gas), entrenching tools, and sidearms. Officers wear brown belts (sometimes with the strap of the Sam Browne type), andenlisted men black belts.

German mountain and ski troops said, The amount of rations, bivouac, signal andorientation equipment, pioneer and medical supplies, as well as ski repair equipment,depends mainly on the expected duration of the action. Prepared, nourishing foods, richin fat (which, moreover, do not occupy much space and are not affected by weather conditions) will, if possible, be taken along as rations. Every third man is to be equippedwith cooking gear.

Bivouac equipment will always be taken along if bivouacs in the snow, outside villages,are expected. Although tents which retain heat weigh more, they are preferable to those

which do not. For actions in terrain without vegetation or inhabitants, fuel must be takenalong. In his pack every man carries blankets and warm, windproof, and water-repellentclothing.

Carried on person.-

Shoes, semi-waterproof and large enough so that 2 or 3 pairs of socks ma be worn.Fur-lined leather mittens (1 pair, worn over gloves).
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Wristlets and knee protectors.Socks (2 or 3 pairs).Woolen underclothing.Winter combat suit (quilted trousers, fur-lined jacket, fur cap).Skis and ski poles (1 pair of each).

Sheath knife (1 each).White camouflage suit.First-aid packets (2 each).Gloves (1 pair).

(2) Carried in rucksack.-

Shelter half.Rations for 1% days (additional rations for one-half day on handsled)Woolen socks (2 pairs).Personal cooking and mess equipment.

Portable gasoline cook stove (1 for each squad). Newspaper.Candies and matches.

These guys need to add a minimum of 100 more pounds of gear if they are topursue, overtake, and destroy terrorists.

The Selous Scouts of the Rhodesian Bush Wars did not have an official uniform. Water and ammunition were the two most important items they carried, and in the largestquantities. Favored footwear consisted of rubber-soled hockey boots known as tackies.Originally equipped with British Pattern 1958 standard web gear, the Selous Scouts soondeveloped their own Rhodesian vest that provided light weight, mesh ventilation, and
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multiple pockets, which was later copied around the world in various forms as the LoadBearing Vest.

HOW MUCH AMMO?

Ask any two soldiers How much ammo? and you will no doubt get at least three

different answers. Indeed, like the soldiers load, it is almost an unanswerable rhetoricalquestion, like, Which came first, the chicken or the egg? or, How could over half thevoting public be that stupid?

Ive been as guilty as anyone in the mania for the more is always better crowd, at least inthe past. This mania for all you can physically carry plus one round in the chamber ismade much worse by the theory of suppressive fire, aka spray n pray, and all the other quantity over quality thinking.

This balancing act has been going throughout military history since soldiers were firstissued with muskets. Despite all our technology, all the different calibers and weapons

and ammo carrying systems, the act still goes on, and it hasnt gotten any easier.

Colonel Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck was a rare tactical genius who conducted a brilliant guerrilla campaign in German East Africa for the duration WWI, but he didnthave all the answers either.

One of the first items that Lettow-Vorbeck focused on was the physical fitness of the soldiers and their marksmanship, a principle that he continually encouraged and trained
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to perfection. After war was declared, Lettow-Vorbeck began to institute a series of small patrols for the Schutztruppe for the sole purpose of increasing morale and confidencewithin his soldiers. He knew that the terrain would force his army to travel light if theywere to remain mobile and this required meticulous attention to detail and planning.

However, as the German army remained light and fleet of foot the loss of weight directly

impacted on the strength of their firepower. The more they carried, the heavier the firepower, the lighter the load the less the firepower. Therefore, Lettow-Vorbeck planned a series of raids on the British railway system to test and develop the Schutztruppe'scapabilities.

In studying history, I was sometimes surprised at just how little ammunition was actuallycarried and needed. At the other end of the spectrum, the ammunition loads carried byAmerican troops in Vietnam were staggering and utterly ridiculous.

This was from the 5th Marines on Guadalcanal.

The tendency is to overload the infantrymen with ammunition. It seems to be the standard practice to start out with a belt plus two bandoleers. We soon found out that 25rounds was enough for two or three days if you do not have targets to shoot at. (Note:Our infantrymen approaching Buna in the jungles of New Guinea were carrying 40rounds.) "

That was just one opinion and it sure seems pretty slim to me. If you read through the personal accounts of Marine and Army veterans of both WWII and Korea, the load mostoften cited is the former, a full belt and two bandoleers. The OD green canvas ammo beltfor the M1 Garand had ten pockets, each holding an 8-shot enbloc clip. Bandoleers had
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six pouches and held 48 rounds. This made for a grand total of 176 rounds of .30-06ammunition, and seems to be the most typical load for a man armed with an M1 Garand.Probably about what I would have carried if I had been a rifleman in those days.

The following load comes from the USMC Small Wars Manual, written from experience

fighting guerrillas in the Caribbean and Central American Banana Wars of the 1930s.

Ammunition.In past small war operations, the average expenditure of small armsammunition for a single engagement has seldom exceeded 50 rounds for each person inthe patrol. There have been a very few instances where the expenditure has slightlyexceeded 100 rounds per person. It is believed that the following is a reasonable basis

for the quantities of ammunition to be carried for each type of weapon with infantry patrols assigned a combat mission in small war operations:

(1) On the personthe full capacity of the belt or other carrier issued to the individual.(2) In the combat train1/2 unit of fire.

These quantities should be modified as dictated by experience or as indicated by the situation confronting a particular patrol.

There they go again! Allowing on-the-ground tactical commanders to make decisionswithout a satellite video teleconference with a 4-star general and a Power Pointdemonstrating the rationale for the decision. What were they thinking?

The regular Japanese Army infantryman of WWII had a belt and ammunition pouches, of leather or rubberized canvas, for his Arisaka bolt-action rifle. Two small pouches in frontheld six 5-round stripper clips each, and a larger pouch in the rear held 12 clips, for 120rounds total.

For the Wehrmacht rifleman and his KAR-98 Mauser, ammunition was carried in 2leather ammunition pouches attached to the belt, which held 60 rounds in 5-round clips.Additional rifle ammunition could be carried in cloth bandoleers similar to the U. S. type.We will see that just about every soldier around the world increased his load of ammunition when TSHTF. It is probably reasonable to assume that Axis soldiers did thesame thing.

Gebirgsjaeger mountain troop patrols, often cut off from normal supply channels,stressed "fewer arms, more ammo" concept. They carried 100 rounds per rifle and 256rounds in 8 magazines per 9mm MP40 Schmeisser machine pistol. Twenty extra riflerounds per rifleman and 128 extra rounds per sub-machine gunner were carried on thesupply hand sled.

The small British and Commonwealth infantry patrols in Malaya did not want to revealtheir location to the enemy via air supply. Those armed with the SLR (FAL) carried one20-round magazine in the rifle and eight loaded spares, for a total of 180 rounds. As the


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conflict wound down, with only a handful of starving guerrillas avoiding contact at allcosts, some units carried only 60 rounds.

The standard Pattern 58 web gear used by British, ANZAC, Canadian, and other Commonwealth forces equipped with British gear had two magazine pouches, in which

they usually carried only two 20-round magazines per pouch, for 80 in the pouches and20 in the SLR, a total of only 100 rounds. After the first firefight in the Falklands War,the round count went up considerably.

It took me all of 30 seconds to figure out that placed vertically instead of horizontally asviewed looking down, each pouch can quite nicely fit three magazines per pouch rather than only two. Either way, the pouch is a tad bit deep for FAL magazines, but either mag

pulls or placing something underneath the mags in the pouch takes care of that handily.Thus, one can instead carry 120 rounds in the LBE and 20 in the gun.

In Malaya, riflemen armed with the SLR started out with 180 rounds of .308 ammo.

Doing without helicopter resupply to give away their position, they carried enough to justabout any contingency. As the conflict wound down and the terrorists were reduced toragged half-starved ill-armed refugees who avoided contact at all costs, only 60 roundswere carried.

The heavy canvas British Pattern 58 webbing, with ammo pouches that can carryeither two or three 20-round FAL magazines.

The Edwards Patrol of the British SAS during counter-insurgency operations in theRadfan Mountains, seeking mobility, packed only four spare magazines of 7.62 NATOfor their SLRs, a 50-round bandoleer for reloads, and 200 rounds apiece of .303 ammo
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for the patrols Bren gun. Despite an all-day firefight and two hasty ambushes during anighttime withdrawal, they husbanded their ammo and none of them actually rancompletely out of ammunition.

Rhodesian Security Forces, such as the Rhodesian Light Infantry, carried 7 or 8

magazines for their South African-made R1 FALs, supplemented with a few extra 20-round boxes of ammunition for reloads.

Most peacetime load-outs for countries equipped with 7.62x51mm battle rifles wereabout the same. Both the German Bundeswher and the Swedish Army had H&K G-3rifles in the 70s and 80s. The Germans carried, at one time, only two spare magazines intheir single plastic pouches. The Swedish issue war load was four spare 20-roundmagazines.

It was the same for the Australians when they went to Vietnam. After their first major engagement at Long Tan, ammo loads increased to Buckets of bullets as one Digger

veteran recalled, though nowhere near as outrageous as the American load-outs.

The Aussies also fought in Vietnam, emphasizing small, stealthy, and minimallyequipped patrols.

The required minimum M16 load for a grunt in Vietnam, in many units, was 20 loaded20-round magazines for four hundred rounds. One veteran noted, after the first firefight,most riflemen were soon carrying 30 or 40 loaded 20(18) round magazines in ammo

pouches, claymore bags, and cotton bandoleers that originally held cardboard boxes withloose 5.56mm ball rounds. Extra ammo was also carried in the pockets of the junglefatigue shirt, and the pants cargo pockets.
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an extra 6 mags and in the vehicle I had a fat 50 can full of mags and another of fragsand smoke.

So, exactly how little is too little? How much is too much? Beats the hell outta me.

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The All High Order of Gear Queers