Bolt Action: Operation Sealion Minis

[carlos marighela]

Some years ago (decades now that I think about it) I managed to get the RNZEME museum Lanchester going again. It was much more fun to fire than Sterlings.

I can relate to that. Firing the F1, Australia's answer to the Sterling, was an utterly underwhelming experience. It was rumoured that a wet blanket was proof against one at 50 metres. Of course if you could actually hit a wet blanket at 50 metres with one then you you were doing bloody well.

 The Australian Army was wise enough to issue platoon commanders, section commanders and scouts with M16s post the withdrawal of the Owen. F1s appeared for pay parades as a comic prop/ deterrent to an armed hold up. The chosen pay guards were issued with one and a magazine with half a dozen rounds that remained in their trouser pocket at all times. The prospect of killing some lunatic intent on depriving hundreds of diggers of their beer money being considered an infinitely less likely prospect than an accident with a weapon that, if dropped, might go bang.

[Plynkes]

I was converting some figures a few weeks ago and it occurred to me that I had never seen a representation of the EY cup discharger, used to fire Mills bombs from the SMLE. Not an uncommon item in either the Great War or the Second World War.

Is that the thing where a little tubular cup fits on the end the of barrel that the grenade sits in? (Sorry, weapons aren't something I really know all that much about). Great War Miniatures do not one but two figures with them in their British Bombers pack.

[Arlequín]

I was taught to fire off a few rounds with the Sterling to distract the target and then to throw the weapon at their head for the kill. I had heard that some old soaks knew how to configure the folding stock in such a way, that if it missed it would come back to their hand.

   

Is that the thing where a little tubular cup fits on the end the of barrel that the grenade sits in?

That's the thing. 'EY' is Edward Yule, the guy who developed the original simple 'rod grenade' cup into the later type with a variable vent and used the dual-purpose (i.e. rifle or hand use) No. 36 Grenade. Officially it was the No. 1 Mk. I Discharger Cup.

It was very much still in use as a number of recommendations for it were issued in 1940, not least that training weapons should be bound with wire at the forestock and a bolt just behind the fore sight, to reinforce the weapon against the stresses of firing grenades from it and to reduce splinters should a blowout occur. In action the device was just fitted to any rifle.



Note: It could not be fired from the shoulder, but could be fired horizontally if you had something substantial to brace the butt against. The No.68 AT Grenade was made to fit the 'EY' cup.

[Stu]

I always thought the rifle was supposed to be upside down.

[Arlequín]

Certainly if there was a risk of a blow out I'd rather have the thickest parts of the weapon furniture between myself and the barrel, as well as any bits of bolt heading towards the ground. The guy is actually using the variable sight on the weapon in the above photo though, it just doesn't stand out very well.

[FramFramson]

As I recall, the US had a comically ineffective and impossible-to-aim rifle grenade as well, though I don't know the name of the thing. It could be shoulder-fired, but only if you were sitting down.

[Arlequín]

In the U.S. Army they had an adaptor that fitted onto the barrel of the Springfield or Garand (and one for the M1 Carbine eventually*) that didn't interfere with normal use. This was combined with another that clipped over the grenade.

The assistant squad leader and the squad grenadier were issued with these, right up to the change to fire teams in the '50s, then it was one man per fire team until the M79 GL was issued around 1960.

How true it is I don't know, but junior officers that weren't liked, were not informed about the hefty recoil in training, which invariably knocked them on their backsides, if it didn't actually cause injury to the shoulder at the same time.

Like everyone else's rifle grenades, the weapon would be braced on the ground.

* When they tested the rifle grenade kit on the M1 Carbine the stock shattered at the hand grip.