The Moschetto Automatico Beretta 38: Italy's Best World War II Submachinegun

     Designed in 1935 by Tullio Marengoni, the Moschetto Automatico Beretta 38 (Beretta Automatic Musket 38; MAB 38) would prove to be one of the best Italian small arms of World War Two. The MAB 38, better known simply as the Model 38, was a traditional blowback firearm. Other features included a recoil compensator fitted to the muzzle, a sliding dust cover operated by the bolt, and utilization of a floating firing pin. Unlike many select fire weapons, the Model 38 used dual triggers instead of a lever. The forward trigger fired the weapon in semi-automatic while the rear trigger fired the Model 38 in full automatic. The key advantage of this was that the operator could quickly change fire modes without having to take the weapon off target or potentially lose critical seconds by having to flip a lever. The Model 38 also enjoyed a longer range than most sub-machineguns thanks to the Cartuccia 9mm M38 ammunition. This was a standard 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge but the M38 round was a “hot” load, meaning, additional gunpowder within the cartridge in order to increase muzzle velocity which in turn produced a greater effective range. 

     The Model 38 was a high quality weapon, even when the war situation forced some changes to allow for faster and cheaper production. The Model 38 was widely used by Italian forces, many of them elite such as the Reggimento San Marco and 185ª Divisione Paracadutisti Folgore. So well respected was the Model 38 that captured weapons were quickly put into service with German forces as the Maschinenpistole MP 739(i) where it was preferred over their own German built MP 38 and MP 40 sub-machineguns. Not surprisingly, even Allied troops, when able, used captured Model 38s as this picture of a U.S. soldier with one attests to.
 

Vickers-Carden-Loyd A4E12: Chinese 8th. Route Army

     In 1932, the Chinese military purchased a number of the Vickers-Carden-Loyd A4E12 light amphibious tank. See an earlier post (from June 4) for more details about this tank. These would see action against the Japanese at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The photograph depicts a column of A4E12 tanks of the 1st. Platoon, 8th. Route Army which was based near Canton circa 1933.

     The nearest vehicle is the last tank of the platoon as denoted by the number “6” on the side of the hull. The 1st. Platoon tanks were numbered 1 through 6 while 2nd. Platoon had tanks 7 through 12. The Nationalist insignia on the tank’s turret may have been added to the photograph as normally, these tanks did not carry any insignia on them. The 8th. Route Army was a Chinese Communist Party force which prior to the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, fought against Nationalist Chinese (Kuomintang) forces under Chiang Kai-shek as part of the Chinese Civil War which began on August 1, 1927. The Japanese invasion of China in 1937 would see the Communists and Nationalists put aside their differences and combine forces to repel the Japanese as the Second United Front. However, the alliance was weak at best and neither side ceased vying for power to the point they were ineffective in stopping the Japanese. The 8th. Route Army was commanded by Communist leader Mao Zedong and General Zhu De. 

     Following the exit of Japan in World War Two, Chiang Kai-shek attempted to broker peace with Zedong but this failed and the Chinese Civil War resumed in 1946 with the Communist forces emerging victorious. On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong established the People’s Republic of China and would remain the Chairman of the Communist Party until his death on September 9, 1976.

British A10 Cruiser Tank Mk. IIA: 7th. Armored Brigade

(Associated Press)

     An Associated Press wire photograph dated January 26, 1941 depicts the crew of a British A10 Cruiser Tank Mk. IIA enjoying a Christmas Day meal. This would put a date of December 25, 1940 when the photograph was actually taken by the war correspondent. According to the tag line, the men were eating a British Christmas pudding which was made from biscuit rations, prunes, marmalade, and rum. The men appear to be haphazardly uniformed but all five men are wearing the standard tank crew pants that featured large thigh pockets. All of the pants show varying degrees of staining from oil, grease, and other grit and grime found inside tanks as well as staining from having to perform mechanical maintenance on their tank. The pants also show various degrees of sun bleaching. Three of the men sport the British Army peaked cap while the other two have knit hats. Given the temperature can plummet even in the desert during the evening and night, all the men have various jackets and sweaters over their uniform blouses for warmth. Of interest, three of the men appear to be carrying captured Italian Beretta Model 1934 semi-automatic pistols judging by the shape and design of the leather holsters. That they are carrying captured Italian weapons can be bolstered by the Carcano Modello 1891 bolt-action rifle seen on top of the tank turret. The AP photograph stated the tank crew was in the vicinity of the Libyan city of Bardia. If this is accurate, it would mean the men were part of the British 7th. Armored Brigade. This was because the unit, along with elements of the 7th. Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), were attached to Australian forces consisting of the 6th. Australian Division along with the 16th. and 17th. Australian Infantry Brigades for the purposes of assaulting Bardia. That the men belonged to the 7th. Armored Brigade is because the only tanks the 7th. RTR had with them for the attack were Matilda II infantry tanks.

     The Australians began building up their forces in the Bardia area beginning in December 1940. The Australian units were not at full compliment and thus it took some effort to fill the gaps with various British forces in the region to ensure the Australian units were at strength. The time was used by the British Royal Air Force to dispatch reconnaissance sorties from No.208 Squadron flying Westland Lysander aircraft escorted by Gloster Gladiator fighters from No.3 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force. In addition, foot patrols goaded Italian artillery to fire which divulged their locations while these patrols also conducted ground reconnaissance of Italian antitank obstacles and barbed wire lines. On December 24, 1940, Christmas Eve, British Major General Richard O'Connor directed the commander of the assembled forces, Australian Lieutenant General Iven Giffard Mackay, to begin planning for the taking of Bardia. Defending Bardia were some 45,000 Italian troops, made up mainly from the remnants of four infantry divisions along with a mixture of Blackshirt divisions, frontier guards, and three companies of elite Bersaglieri infantry troops.

     The attack commenced on December 31, 1940 when RAF bombers began a series of sorties against Bardia which lasted until January 2, 1941. Over 100 sorties were flown by No.70 Squadron RAF and No.216 Squadron RAF with fighters patrolling the skies from No.33, No.73, and No.274 Squadrons RAF. Ground artillery added to the bombardment with the Lysanders from No.208 Squadron acting as spotters for the Australian and British guns. On January 3, the Royal Navy battleships HMS Warspite, Valiant, and Barham along with their escorts commenced ship-to-shore bombardment, firing nearly 245 rounds of ammunition from their big guns before departing, leaving the bombardment duties to the elderly HMS Terror (a monitor launched in 1916) and her escorts, the gunboats HMS Ladybird, Aphis, and Gnat. At 0416, the Australian units were on their start lines and at 0530, the artillery bombardment commenced. Sappers went forward in advance of the infantry to clear lanes and once these lanes were open, the assault got underway. By 0920, the Australian forces had achieved their objectives, having made good progress against the Italian defenders. The second wave of Australian forces commenced their attack following an artillery barrage that started at 1125. The Australians again made progress but the Italian resistance was stiffer and at the end of the day, the Australians and British had penetrated nearly two miles into Bardia. On January 4, the attacks resumed at 0900 and as the day wore on, the Italians lost further and further ground until only isolated outposts remained. General Giuseppe Tellera, who commanded the Italian 10th. Army, considered sending a relief force but in the end, saw that the situation at Bardia was hopeless and any relief effort would be doomed to failure. The combat continued but by the close of January 5, 1941, victory belonged to the Australians and British. All told, the Allies attacked with 16,000 men against the Italian strength of 45,000. Of the Allied forces, 130 perished with 326 wounded but the Italians suffered 1,703 killed in action with 3,740 men wounded. Another 36,000 Italians surrendered to Australian and British forces.

Private Wiley: Boca Raton Army Air Field

     Date unknown and assuming the name written on the photograph pertains to the soldier, then Private Wiley poses with his M1903A3 Springfield bolt-action rifle on the sands somewhere in Boca Raton, Florida. That we know the location is because, written on the back of the photograph, it reads: “This is on bivouac at Boca Raton. Everything was sand including half I ate.”

     Even though the date is not known, we can place it to at least after June 1, 1942 when Boca Raton Army Air Field (AAF) officially opened. The facility was under the jurisdiction of the 3501st. Base Unit, Eastern Technical Training Command. Other units stationed at the airfield included the 319th. Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron, the 26th. Anti-Submarine Wing, and the 13th. Sub Depot, Air Technical Service Command. The entire base encompassed some 5,860 acres with a little over 800 buildings and a regular population of 16,000 military personnel. The main role of Boca Raton AAF was to train personnel in the use of radar. In addition to instruction on using radar, training was also provided on maintaining radar equipment and the unit also performed the installation of radar gear in aircraft.

     PVT Wiley looks to be wearing the M1938 one-piece herringbone twill (HBT) coverall which suggests he may have been a mechanic as this uniform item was typically only issued to mechanics in addition to tank crewmen. However, the coveralls soon became popular with other branches in the U.S. Army so this isn't a reliable indicator of his military profession. For equipment, PVT Wiley has little. It would appear that he only has on his M1VA1 gas mask bag that contained his M3 diaphragm gas mask. For head covering, he is only wearing the liner to the M1 steel helmet. The bayonet fixed to his rifle is the original M1905 pattern which featured a 16 inch blade. By 1943, a new bayonet for the M1903 was issued, the M1, which was shorter at 10 inches. Many of the original M1905 bayonets were taken out of service, modified to M1 standards, then reissued.

     As for Boca Raton AAF, by the end of World War Two, the need for the facility fell and on May 5, 1947, the last class from the radar school graduated. The program then moved to Keesler Field in Biloxi, Mississippi. On September 18, 1947, the Category 4 Hurricane Four severely damaged the facility before all of the equipment was moved to Keesler Field. Nature wasn't done with Boca Raton AAF and on October 12, 1947, the Category 2 hurricane, informally called Hurricane King, ravaged the base to the point it was largely uninhabitable. Some of the land was returned to the town of Boca Raton and 838 acres was kept as the Boca Raton Air Force Auxiliary Field (AFAF). It was used as a secondary base for the 1707th. Air Transport Wing and the U.S. Army Chemical Corps used part of the facility as a research lab. By 1958, Boca Raton AFAF was shut down with 1,000 acres given for educational purposes (today, the land is used by Florida Atlantic University and shared with Palm Beach State College), 200 acres left for the Boca Raton Airport Authority (where Boca Raton Airport currently operates), with the remainder given back to Boca Raton.

Staff Sergeant Frank T. Lusic: 327th. Bomb Squadron

     Draped in a belt of .50cal. ammunition, Staff Sergeant Frank T. Lusic poses for the camera in front of the Boeing B-17F bomber named “Meat Hound.” Lusic was a waist gunner which was, perhaps, the most vulnerable and exposed duty position on a B-17. Each B-17 had two waist gunners, one for the port side of the aircraft and the other for the starboard side. The gunner positions were directly across from each other and since the B-17C model, each station was open-air and equipped with a Browning M2 .50cal. machine-gun. This meant that the gunners were fully exposed to the elements and the frigid temperatures when operating at 29,000ft which was the typical height the bombers would fly. In addition, since their position was open, there was no protection from enemy bullets. Each waist gunner wore electrically heated flight clothing in order to withstand temperatures that could go as low as 60 degrees below zero. Once the bomber flew above 10,000ft. in altitude, the crew had to wear oxygen masks. Finally, once the bomber was nearing the target zone or commenced to flying into enemy held territory, the gunners would don a heavy, 25lb. armored apron and in some cases, a M1 steel helmet, to serve as their only means of protection.

     Lusic is wearing the B-3, a heavy leather jacket, and A-3 leather pants. Underneath his jacket and pants would be the F-1 heated suit which included gloves and heated booties. The connectors that supply heat to the gloves can be seen poking out from underneath his jacket. He looks to be wearing the B-6 helmet with B-7 goggles. The yellow item is the B-3 “Mae West” flotation life vest and the tan straps are a QAC (Quick Attachable Chest) harness. If forced to bail out, he would quickly attach a parachute to the harness. The reason for not typically wearing the parachute was due to its bulkiness which made movement in the cramped interior of the B-17 difficult. Lusic's unit was the 327th. Bomb Squadron, 92nd. Bomb Group. On September 6, 1943, Lusic and his fellow crew of a B-17F bomber (serial 42-30000) were returning from a sortie against Stuttgart when the flight was jumped by German fighters. The bomber was heavily damaged to the point the pilot, 1st. Lieutenant Wayne Bogard, ordered everyone to abandon ship near the town of Troyes. All of the crew were able to parachute safely from the bomber which crashed near the town of Estissac, some twelve miles west of Troyes. Staff Sergeant (S/Sgt) Arthur Beach (top turret gunner) evaded capture, 1Lt. Bogard was captured and spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft I, S/Sgt. Floyd M. Carl managed to get back to England by boat (the “Suzanne-Renee”) on December 7, 1943, S/Sgt. Cloe R. Crutchfield (ball turret gunner) and Technical Sergeant Max Gibbs (radio operator) both evaded capture and crossed the Pyrenees in January 1944, Sergeant (Sgt) Taylor Harrison (bombardier) evaded capture, 2nd. Lieutenant (2Lt) Robert D. Larson (co-pilot) made it to Switzerland, 2Lt. James McGrew (navigator) was captured, S/Sgt. Herschell Richardson (left waist gunner) evaded capture, and Lusic (right waist gunner) was also captured and spent the rest of the war as a Prisoner of War (POW).

     As for “Meat Hound”, it had the serial 42-29524, and belonged to the 358th. Bomb Squadron, 303rd. Bomb Group. On January 11, 1944, the bomber was returning from a raid on Oschersleben when it was hit by enemy aircraft fire over Durgerdam. Pilot 1Lt. Jack W. Watson ordered the crew to bail out of the stricken bomber which the crew did near the shore of Lake IJssel which was northeast of Amsterdam. Sadly, the fates of the crew were not as fortunate as Lusic's compatriots. 2Lt. Vance R. Colvin (bombardier), S/Sgt. Samuel L. Rowland (flight engineer), Sgt. Fred H. Booth (ball turret gunner), and Sgt. William H. Fussner (right waist gunner) all landed in the lake and drowned and would eventually be recovered and buried in Amsterdam. 2Lt. John G. Leverton (navigator), S/Sgt. Harry Romaine (radio operator), Sgt. Eugene R. Stewart (left waist gunner), and Sgt. Roman P. Kosinski (tail gunner) were all captured by the Germans and became POWs. 2Lt. Clayton C. David (co-pilot) managed to evade capture and crossed the Pyrenees and made it back to England on May 25, 1944. Watson was able to bring the crippled “Meat Hound” back to England.