Canadian MMG question

[ushistoryprof]

 After D-Day, on paper, how many MMG's were Canadian Infantry companies supposed to have? Did they use Vickers or did they have access to Brownings or some other types?

[Pattus Magnus]

Vickers MGs were the standard MMGs. Not sure about the numbers available in the weapons platoons, though.

http://www.junobeach.org/canada-in-wwii/articles/infantry-weapons/#MachineGuns

It is worth noting that the Canadian army also included dedicated MG battalions. They were formed in WW1 and reconstituted in WW2.

https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/tactical/machinegunbattalion.htm

[fred]

My understanding is that the Canadians (and other Commonwealth forces) used the British T&OEs. Which had no MMGs at company level, but had a MG Battalion of 36 MMGs as part of an infantry Division. But the MG platoons from the MG Battalion could be parcelled out to support various elements depending on the tactical situation.

I’ve got various T&OE diagrams on my website - this is the brigade level one - http://www.kerynne.com/games/BritishInfantryBrigadeGpTOE.html

[Cat]

12th Manitoba Dragoons, aka 18th Armoured Car Regiment, the Support/Assault troop (4) 10-man sections did not use Vickers, but had all the Browning .30 and .50 cals they could ever want.  Each White Scout Car had (2) .30s and (1) .50 that could be dismounted.  Plus the HQ Troop had some Whites as well.
 
Typically, the Support Troop was used in lifting mines and stuff like that.  But I've seen a photo of one Support Troop posing with all their MGs.  Unlikely, but in a pinch, they could become a very beefy MG troop.  If they were actually up to strength [also unlikely], the troop could field (4) .50s, (8 ) .30s, and their (4) Brens!

[carlos marighela]

The Canucks followed British practice, the Vickers were in separate machinegun battalions along with 4.2" mortars. They were a divisional asset parceled out to support the brigades.

[carlos marighela]

By the by, the website linked to by Pattus has the infantry battalion organisation:

https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/tactical/infantrybattalion.htm

[Jemima Fawr]

Yeah, wot they said.  The Canadian equipment, organisation and practice was identical to the British.

Infantry Division MG Battalions had three companies of Vickers MMGs, each organised into three platoons of four MMGs, carried by Universal Carrier.  The battalion's 4th company consisted of four platoons of 4.2-inch mortars (16 total) and by 1945 they'd also added a counter-mortar radar and fire-control element.

In theory the MMGs could all be massed to provide indirect 'plunging' fire.  This did happen on occasion (increasingly so by late 1944 and 1945), but more typically the MG Companies would each be attached to a brigade and then each MG Platoon would be attached to an infantry battalion.  The Mortar Company was retained at divisional level, as a counter-mortar asset.

Armoured Divisions had an Independent MG Company, which had three MG Platoons and one 4.2-inch Mortar Platoon (later supplemented by a Flamethrower Platoon with six Wasp Carriers). These were organised and operated in the same manner; one MG Platoon would typically be attached to each of the division's three lorried infantry battalions.  The division's Motor Battalion had two organic MG Platoons, again each with four MMGs transported by Universal Carrier.

The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion again followed British organisation and had its own organic MG Platoon of four MMGs.  These would be transported by hand-trolley until the 'sea-tail' caught up, at which point they would be transported by Jeep.

[ushistoryprof]

Thanks for all the detailed info.