What weapons were issued to non-commissioned officers of AEF infantry companies? If possible, can we "fine tune" this to differentiate between sergeants and corporals?

I do not refer to the two trench shotguns per company that would be issued to sergeants upon request.

I got the impression in reading Herbert McBride's book "A Rifleman Went To War" that the weapons distributed to the NCOs were primarily the 03 Springfield. I'm not sure where the rank designation allowed for the 1911. Officers for sure but Alvin York carried one + was not an officer. But issuing aside, in a war environment anything you pick up applies.

Mr. York was a corporal at the time of his nearly unbelievable achievement. He was promoted to buck?? sergeant subsequently. Was Corporal York issued a M1911 or did an injured more senior NCO give it to him during the action?

I have identified 250 yards as the generally found "No Man's Land" between combatants' forward trench systems. Having nine pellets per shotshell, whose effective range is perhaps 50 yards, when would a sergeant request a company trench gun? About the only time it is advantageous or sensible to me would be Trench Raiding. But stealth and quiet were what raiders tried to maintain. Knives, clubs, knuckle dusters, and the like were weapons of choice. A trench gun would be invaluable if the raid went south.

Since Americans appreciated trench guns and the Germans feared and hated them, I need better understanding of how such a short range long arms consistently moved 250, or more, yards from American to German trenches.

the only problem with the trench guns is the cardboard shells. cardboard when wet, swells. and swelling would lead to a single shot trench gun. when dry, a trench gun would be invaluable. they would a great gun for nighttime raids. the brass shells weren't available till 1919.

No, the Germans did NOT like the 97 trench gun for good reason; it was literally a killer in the trenches. They even made overtures to try to have it banned. HMMM, Gas was O.K. but the 97 was too cruel?

In regards to the 97 "trench gun" there is an article in this month's installment of MHQ (Military History Quarterly) where the subject is just that; the 97 Winchester pump shotgun. It was truly a weapon that was some might say "one of the reasons for the allied victory". Pull up the article online if you don't subscribe but it is well worth reading about how William Eager redesigned the 97 for trench warfare. ( most likely adjusting the choke pattern somehow as the spread was horizontal) Too much to relate, read the article.

Getting back to the original question, I wonder if NCO's were issued anything different from their troops at all? I've never seen a photo that would support any difference.

One point to be made was 75% of all American groups were issued M1917 Enfields not Springfields as is commonly believed. Even Alvin York had one but changed to a Springfield simply because he preferred it. It's in his diary.

Not sure about WWI, but I was told by multiple guys in WWII that they were allowed to bring private weapons as sidearms, and lots of folks did so- not just officers. They just had to make sure the ammo was ball, and they didn’t have supply support for it.

Lots of small .38 or .32 revolvers. It was common for family to mail them something, supposedly.

My grandfather couldn’t hit anything with a .45, so he carried a .22 revolver... go figure. He wasn’t a line guy, so maybe it made sense. I’d say something and he’d just say it was a different world then.

Well, your Granddad was right about that. Besides, I've always found it a good idea to shoot what you are comfortable with + you know will perform.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
In regards to the 97 "trench gun" there is an article in this month's installment of MHQ (Military History Quarterly) where the subject is just that; the 97 Winchester pump shotgun. It was truly a weapon that was some might say "one of the reasons for the allied victory". Pull up the article online if you don't subscribe but it is well worth reading about how William Eager redesigned the 97 for trench warfare. ( most likely adjusting the choke pattern somehow as the spread was horizontal) Too much to relate, read the article.

There was an episode of “Gun Stories” (I think that was it) about military shotguns and the krauts definitely hated and wanted the 97 banned and declared a WMD, but mustard gas was ok!

quote:

Even Alvin York had one but changed to a Springfield simply because he preferred it. It's in his diary.

Preferred isn't the word for it. York was issued an Eddystone M1917, and hated it - because of the aperture sight. He grew up using open sights. Hated it so much, he requested an open-sighted No.1 Mk.III Lee-Enfield (!) like the ones used by the British troops his outfit did their orientation with. (He was denied, of course.) Ironically, the No.1 Mk.III gave way to the No.4 Mk.I, and the Springfield was replaced by the Garand, both with aperture sights pioneered by the Enfields.

Off topic-apologies-my grandfather was a PFC in company "I" 358th Infantry which departed St. Nazaire, France and arrived in Boston on June 8 1919. Is there a way I can trace his companies actions in the war?

quote:

Originally posted by 7kongoni:
Off topic-apologies-my grandfather was a PFC in company "I" 358th Infantry which departed St. Nazaire, France and arrived in Boston on June 8 1919. Is there a way I can trace his companies actions in the war?

Have you tried googling it?

quote:

Originally posted by cdsx:

quote:

Even Alvin York had one but changed to a Springfield simply because he preferred it. It's in his diary.

Preferred isn't the word for it. York was issued an Eddystone M1917, and hated it - because of the aperture sight. He grew up using open sights. Hated it so much, he requested an open-sighted No.1 Mk.III Lee-Enfield (!) like the ones used by the British troops his outfit did their orientation with. (He was denied, of course.) Ironically, the No.1 Mk.III gave way to the No.4 Mk.I, and the Springfield was replaced by the Garand, both with aperture sights pioneered by the Enfields.

I hadn't heard that before.

If I remember right he mentions in his diary that he preferred the handling of the Springfield over the M1917. But I haven't read his diary for sometime.

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:

quote:

Originally posted by 7kongoni:
Off topic-apologies-my grandfather was a PFC in company "I" 358th Infantry which departed St. Nazaire, France and arrived in Boston on June 8 1919. Is there a way I can trace his companies actions in the war?

Have you tried googling it?

Yes. I was blocked because I could not provide his service number. I may not have been going about it properly.