The Allied Army, whatever you say, provided significant assistance to the Soviet army in the victory over fascism. In our review, the top ten small arms, which at that time were in service with the allied army.
1. M1911
The M1911 self-loading pistol, designed by John Moses Browning back in 1908, is one of the most recognizable American pistols. It was in service with the US Armed Forces until 1985. This pistol went through both world wars. The M1911 significantly surpassed the popular toga revolvers in the Western countries in terms of rate of fire and firing accuracy. However, it was very heavy and did not have the largest store.
2. Springfield M1903
The American Springfield M1903 magazine rifle was used by almost all Allied countries. She was armed with British, French and American soldiers. On the eve of the war, the Springfield M1903 was formally withdrawn from service in the United States, but they did not have time to rearm the ground forces, as a result of which about half of the personnel went through the war with this weapon.
3. M1 Garand
The American M1 Garand self-loading rifle replaced the Springfield M1903. However, as noted above, she did not have time to replace it in the troops by 100%. The new weapons in the US Army received mass distribution only by the middle of 1943. Today we can safely say that the M1 Garand is a simple and reliable rifle. However, she had one important drawback - a loud sound when shooting a spent pack. It should be noted that the M1 Garand has become the second self-loading rifle in the world. The Soviet AVS-36 was "born" only a few months older than its overseas sister.
4. M1 Carbine
A very common lightweight self-loading carbine in the Allied forces during the Second World War. The M1 Carbine was developed in 1938. The carbine was developed mainly for the soldiers of the so-called "second line", those who do not participate in infantry combat due to their duty, such as drivers. The M1 Carbine was developed primarily for practical reasons: it is much easier to teach a soldier to shoot with a rifle than with a pistol.
5. Thompson submachine gun
The notorious "Tommy Gun", the noir hero, was actively used in the Second World War by the US Armed Forces. However, the British were the first to use these PPs, back in 1940 during the hostilities in North Africa and Italy. In 1942, the United States created a "military" version of this weapon - the Thompson M1. This weapon was heavy and rather bulky, and its effective range was 70-150 meters. Despite all this, the Thompson M1 was extremely powerful and reliable, which made it loved by American paratroopers, field scouts and US rangers.
6. Browning M2
The American Browning M2 heavy machine gun was developed back in 1932. Produced in a variety of options: easel, aircraft, anti-aircraft and infantry options. Fires.50 BMG (12.7 mm) ammunition. Due to its accuracy, power and reliability, as well as the relative ease of production in a number of countries, Browning M2 is still used today.
7. Browning M1918
BAR is a real mutant. For a rifle, this weapon is too bulky and heavy. It can fire both single and bursts. At the same time, the BAR cannot be called a machine gun. Its effectiveness as the latter is also reduced by a small magazine capacity, as well as a low rate of fire (for a machine gun). Despite all its ambiguity, the Browning M1918 was actively used by the US Armed Forces throughout the Second World War.
8. Brno Enfield
The British Brno Enfield light machine gun, or simply Bren, was developed in 1938. Such a machine gun was in every infantry squad. Throughout the war, the machine gun showed its best side. He had good shooting and operational qualities. He behaved equally well in deserts, snows and swamps.
9. STEN
It is impossible not to mention the British STEN submachine gun. This weapon has a very long and rich history. It should be said right away that STEN in the early versions was neither reliable nor efficient. The weapon was modified and refined for almost the entire war. STEN was incredibly cheap and simple, but its different generations had different drawbacks. It was used not only by the British Armed Forces, but also by allies, such as the Poles and the French.
10. Bazooka
The Bazooka is an American anti-tank grenade launcher. Like all grenade launchers, he used shaped charges. However, the principle of operation of the Bazooka was different, since, in essence, it was a non-recoilless weapon, but a portable rocket launcher. In addition to shaped charges, the grenade launcher also used fragmentation and smoke. Served by two soldiers. Experienced calculation made up to 6 rounds per minute.
We have already talked about 10 types of small arms of soldiers of the Wehrmacht, it will also be very interesting to look at it.