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Osprey Vanguard #8
United States First Marine Division, 1941-45
- GenresHistoryMilitary Fiction
48 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 1979
4 people want to read
About the author
Philip R.N. Katcher
71 books3 followersPhililp Katcher has written over 20 titles in the Men-at-Arms Series including the highly successful five-volume set on Armies of the American Civil War.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 15, 2016
Katcher, a prolific author for Osprey publications, does a fair job of chronicling the actions of the 1st Marine Division in WWII.
However, as others have noted from other reviews of mine, the nerd in me can't forgive a military historians lapses when giving descriptions of weapons used in a conflict. Katcher has Medal Of Honor winner Mitchell Paige cradling a fifty caliber water cooled machine gun in an assault that earned him the award. Paige used a thirty caliber.
Why is this important? Other than the fifty simply wasn't the gun that Paige used, he couldn't have possibly lugged that thing in an attack. It's weight and the weight of the ammunition and the recoil of the weapon would have kept him from doing that. Paige boxed at 160 pounds. A hundred round belt of fifty caliber ammo alone weighs 35 pounds. Page manhandled a thirty caliber, and led a bayonet charge with his Marines...the wolf rising in their hearts.
That's quibbling, I know...but it's a cautionary note to the readers of any history. Well intended authors screw up.
Does that mean one should avoid this overview of the First Mar Div? Not at all. It's a fine introduction to the history of a legendary division of America's finest fighting organization.
However, as others have noted from other reviews of mine, the nerd in me can't forgive a military historians lapses when giving descriptions of weapons used in a conflict. Katcher has Medal Of Honor winner Mitchell Paige cradling a fifty caliber water cooled machine gun in an assault that earned him the award. Paige used a thirty caliber.
Why is this important? Other than the fifty simply wasn't the gun that Paige used, he couldn't have possibly lugged that thing in an attack. It's weight and the weight of the ammunition and the recoil of the weapon would have kept him from doing that. Paige boxed at 160 pounds. A hundred round belt of fifty caliber ammo alone weighs 35 pounds. Page manhandled a thirty caliber, and led a bayonet charge with his Marines...the wolf rising in their hearts.
That's quibbling, I know...but it's a cautionary note to the readers of any history. Well intended authors screw up.
Does that mean one should avoid this overview of the First Mar Div? Not at all. It's a fine introduction to the history of a legendary division of America's finest fighting organization.
Displaying 1 of 1 review