Minesweeping by rifle fire.

When my father was coming home from Japan in January of 1946 the ship he was
encountered free floating mines that were destroyed by massed rifle fire from
the ship. Dad thinks he it two of them but with so many men shooting no one
can be sure who hit the detonators that destroyed the mine.

How common was this practice and how long after the war it did last?

John Dupre'

How common was this practice and how long after the war it did last?


On the Kirk, we used the bridge wing fifty cals to set off / break up two
floating mines just outside the PG in 1985.

v/r
Gordon
====(A+C====
USN SAR

Donate your memories - write a note on the back and send your old photos to a
reputable museum, don't take them with you when you're gone.

"Krztalizer" wrote in message
...
|
| How common was this practice and how long after the war it did last?
|
|
| On the Kirk, we used the bridge wing fifty cals to set off / break up two
| floating mines just outside the PG in 1985.
|
| v/r
| Gordon
| ====(A+C====
| USN SAR
|


The 50 Cal BMG would have to be to most fun of all the weapons I was ever
paid to play with. Never fired it in anger - or anything more
active than an injudicious fox that made it halfway across the range (and a
boatload of mud crabbers). Fired from a tripod in the sitting
position, it ratifies every theory that Sigmund Freud ever thought of.



Cheers


Dave Kearton

IBM wrote:

"Dave Kearton" wrote

[snip]

The 50 Cal BMG would have to be to most fun of all the weapons I was
ever paid to play with. Never fired it in anger - or
anything more active than an injudicious fox that made it halfway
across the range (and a boatload of mud crabbers). Fired from
a tripod in the sitting position, it ratifies every theory that
Sigmund Freud ever thought of.

With 81 years plus of service ( or at least standardization ) it
has to be in for some kind of longevity award and (probably) support
weapon of the (last) century.

Ma Deuce, long may she reign.
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo addy is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast]

Ogden Johnson III wrote in
:

[snip]

Ma Deuce, long may she reign.

Are there any serious proposals for a replacement?
Is there even a requirement?

IBM

__________________________________________________ _____________________________
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Still have my .50 headspacing and timing gauge from over 30 years ago
(M48/60 guy). Used to love watching the tracers corkscrewing after the
barrel rifling got worn.


"IBM" wrote in message
...
"Dave Kearton" wrote in
:

[snip]

The 50 Cal BMG would have to be to most fun of all the weapons I was
ever paid to play with. Never fired it in anger - or
anything more active than an injudicious fox that made it halfway
across the range (and a boatload of mud crabbers). Fired from
a tripod in the sitting position, it ratifies every theory that
Sigmund Freud ever thought of.

With 81 years plus of service ( or at least standardization ) it
has to be in for some kind of longevity award and (probably) support
weapon of the (last) century.

IBM


__________________________________________________ __________________________
___
Posted Via Uncensored-News.Com - Accounts Starting At $6.95 -
http://www.uncensored-news.com
The Worlds Uncensored News Source

"John Fitzpatrick" wrote in message
...
Still have my .50 headspacing and timing gauge from over 30 years ago
(M48/60 guy). Used to love watching the tracers corkscrewing after the
barrel rifling got worn.


I still have mine too! M113s in Nam. I used to light cigarettes
on the barrel.. and yes corkscrewing tracers are telling you its
time for a change. I thought I the .45 pistol was the oldest
weapon in the American arsenal? But I've been out of the soldier game for
35+ years :-)
RVN 66-67

"Mike Keown" wrote:


"John Fitzpatrick" wrote in message
.. .
Still have my .50 headspacing and timing gauge from over 30 years ago
(M48/60 guy). Used to love watching the tracers corkscrewing after the
barrel rifling got worn.


I still have mine too! M113s in Nam. I used to light cigarettes
on the barrel.. and yes corkscrewing tracers are telling you its
time for a change. I thought I the .45 pistol was the oldest
weapon in the American arsenal? But I've been out of the soldier game for
35+ years :-)
RVN 66-67

*Was* is the key element in your penultimate statement on the M1911.
In the 90s, the services standardized on a 9mm Beretta auto [made in
Maryland] as the replacement for the venerable M1911. It will still
hold the record for longest serving small arms weapon in the US
arsenal for quite a while yet. Ma Deuce was adopted by the Army in
1933, although the basic design, originally for aircraft, dates to
1918. The Army is presently scheduled to start replacing it with a
General Dynamics design, the XM312, in 2005. So it may not get a
chance to challenge the M1911's longevity. *Unless* you want to
roll-in its prior life as an aircraft-mounted weapon.
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo addy is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast]