Tactical Scenario: Kar98k vs M1 Garand
Rehash: Originally posted some years ago by myself, this is a thread I made about one of my earlier (pre-Army) experiences as a reenactor. As some of you know, I used to portray one of the bad guys in WWII reenactments. About eight years ago, I attended one of my first reenactments at Whitehall, PA and found out what it was like to be armed with only a Mauser while facing a squad of GI's armed with Garands.
The K98k Mauser was adopted in 1935 and was basically a shortened, improved version of the WWI German Gewehr 1898. It is a five-shot bolt action weapon chambered for 7.92x57mm and is regarded as one of the best bolt action battle rifles ever. Though later in the war the Germans widely issued the excellent StG44 assault rifle and G/K43 semi-auto rifles saw some use by common Soldiers, the K98k was by far the standard service rifle for the Germans. The MP40 SMG was issued to large numbers of NCO's and officers but was not generally a rank and file weapon.
The M1 Garand replaced the M1903 in 1936 and was the first semi-auto rifle to be standard issue in any major army. It is an eight-shot semi-automatic weapon chambered for the US caliber .30 cartridge (.30-06) and was touted by non other than General Patton himself as "the greatest battle implement ever devised." It was surely the only semi-automatic rifle to have achieved large-scale success in the Second World War. It's companions included a number of other long arms all with the designation M1, the M1 and M1A1 Carbine and the M1 and M1A1 Thompson SMG. Combined with the M1 helmet and M1 Bazooka, this is quite a number of M1's for the WWII Infantryman to keep up with!
The typical late-war Waffen-SS squad might contain two MG42 machine guns, one to three NCO's with MP40 submachineguns or StG44 (MP43/MP44) assault rifles and four Riflemen with K98k Mausers. A Panzerfaust, Panzerschreck and/or muzzle mounted grenade launcher might be carried by one or more of the riflemen. The role of the machinegunner was to be the assault element, while the Riflemen were trained to support the MG's.
On the other hand, a WWII US Army squad usually had three NCO's with either Thompson SMG's, M1 Garands or carbines, two BAR gunners and four Riflemen with M1 Garands. A bazooka or M1919A4/A6 might be attached to the squad as well. The US Army also utilized a muzzle mounted grenade launcher for their rifles. The BAR gunner and MG gunner supported the Riflemen, who were the assaulting element.
In the reenacting community, the average German squad has primarily K98k rifles. My unit is fortunate to count an MG42, MP44, MP36, and at least three MP40's in our inventory. The average American squad is armed primarily with M1 Garands and Carbines. Some units have BAR's, M1919A4's, M2 HMG's, Thompsons, and various other weapons. Pryotechnic grenades and mortars are in use by some units as well.
Now that you have some idea of the weapons carried by the original units and the modern day recreations, I will get to the tactical scenario. I was separated from my unit and fell in with an Aufklärungs (recon) unit. Pulling up the rear, I spotted an American patrol numbering about eight in an open area and signaled to the MP40 carrying Soldat in front of me. The rest of the unit was too far ahead to signal and we were spotted by the GI's almost instantaneously. Seeking cover behind a tree, I engaged them with my Mauser while my Kamerad went to the prone and emptied a magazine from his MP40. All of the Americans had M1 Garands and fired back. No one took a "hit" initially (in reenacting one must have the honor to declare himself "hit", or dead) and after the initial minute or so, the MP40 gunner yelled that he would take a "hit" if a GI would. As we had some cover and the Amis had none, this was more fair to them than us.
Anyway, alone and armed only with my Mauser, I continued firing back (the MP40 was empty and out of reach). Distance was about 75 meters, they had seven personnel left with eight-shot weapons and in real life I wouldn't have lasted long before they maneuvered on me and took me out. With only three rounds left before a reload was necessary, I fired those three, took off my helmet and "died."
End analysis: Being outnumbered, outgunned and alone, I might have pulled an Audie Murphy in a real-world situation, but that is doubtful. Facing seven enemies and armed with a five shot weapon, I would have needed to reload at least once. While I would have to make each shot count, four of the GI's could have suppressed me with their Garands while the remainder flanked my position and killed or captured me. Given an MP or MG, the seven Americans would have been in a bit more trouble. Had I been armed with an M1 and they with K98k's, I would have had decent chance as well. As it was, they had a combined firepower of 56 rounds fired as quickly as they could pull the trigger. I had a weapon that required manual cycling and could hold no more than five rounds. In another scenario, I might have lived. In this particular battle, I paid with my life.
