“Weapons of the Infantry Division” (1942) is a declassified U.S. War Department Official Training Film (T.F. 7236) produced by the Signal Corps in collaboration with the Chief of Infantry. This WWII indoctrination film seeks to make soldiers familiar with the weapons of the infantry division – their trajectory patterns, their makes and models, the sounds of gunfire, in addition to strike patterns. This film features the Springfield, various Browning automatic rifles and machine guns, as well as anti-tank field guns.

Infantry soldier aims M1903 Springfield Rifle (0:29). M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (0:34). M1919 Browning Light Machine Gun (0:36). M1917 Browning Machine Gun (0:40). M2 Browning Machine Gun (0:44). 37 mm Gun M3 in forest (0:46). Barrel of M114 155mm Howitzer sticks out from trees (0:50). Soldier laying behind shrub operates perhaps Johnson 1941 Rifle (0:53). Soldier aims using M1918 Browning (1:02). Montage soldiers using artillery previously shown (1:05). Soldiers load M2 Mortar (1:20). Group of soldiers operate perhaps M1918 155mm Howitzer (1:22). Flat Trajectory Artillery, examples of each set-up in forest scape: rifle, machine gun, 37mm Gun M3, 75mm Gun M2 (1:41). Animation path of projectile fired across hilly landscape (1:54). M2 Mortar (2:04). Curve Trajectory Artillery: animation path of projectile fired across hilly landscape (2:13). Two soldiers at hill base operate 60mm M2 Mortar (2:24). Soldiers prepare 81mm M1 Mortar (2:32). 105mm M101 Howitzer framed by trees (2:35). M114 155mm Howitzer (2:38). Close-up hand grenade in grass (2:44). Animation soldier throwing hand grenade (2:48). Animation: sound soldiers hear after firing flat trajectory weapons (3:03). Comparison animation speed of sound vs. speed of bullet (3:45). Three soldiers sit in trench (4:17). Squad lay on stomachs in field firing Caliber .30 Rifle model 19-3 (the Springfield) (4:35). Soldier fires and aims multiple rounds from tree stump (4:56). Soldiers in trench, comparison of what rifle bullet sounds like on receiving end (5:50). Soldier’s eyes peer over sandbags, sound of 12 Springfields fired in unison (6:52). Dust clouds move across field as bullets hit grass (7:29). Squad lays camouflage in field, firing Caliber .30 M1 Rifle (8:35). Close-ups different members of squad, emphasis on sound of M1 being fired (8:56). Soldiers in trench, comparison of what rifle bullet sounds like on receiving end (10:02). Dust clouds move across field as bullets hit grass, comparison of strike patterns (10:35). Sound of 12 M1s fired in unison (11:20). Close-ups, aerial shots squad laying in field firing Browning Automatic Rifle (11:54). Soldiers in trench, sound of fire on receiving end (13:25). Dust clouds, strike pattern of bullets in field (14:04). View of back of soldiers laying amid tall grass and weeds, operating M1919 Browning Light Machine Guns (15:08). Close-up one soldier feeds bullet belt into gun (15:14). Close-ups soldiers, gun body, emphasis on sound of pair firing of M1919 Browning A4 pair firing (15:28). Soldiers in trench, comparison of what M1919 Browning sounds like on receiving end (17:14). Bullets piercing field, volume of fire (17:47). Heavy machine gun section: Aerial view of squad camouflaged in field (18:41). View of soldier pair: one feeding bullet belt the other operating gun, shots fired in direction of camera (18:46). Close-ups and wide shots belt feeding into machine gun, soldiers hiding in tall leaves – emphasis on sound of fire (19:01). Soldiers in trench, comparison sound of fire on receiving end (20:21). Bullets strike grass field (20:45). Squad hiding among bushes firing M2 Browning Machine Gun (.50 caliber) (21:47). Soldier pair operating M2 Browning, recoil of gun, bullet belt – emphasis on sound (22:14). Soldier lays down in tall grass, listen to sound of fire (23:06). Close-up bullet holes left on target (23:46). Close-up details 37mm gun M3, squad firing from tree cover (24:28). 37×223 mm shell (24:46). Squad loads and fires fun, sound of fire (25:00). Soldier peers through leaves, sound of fire on receiving end (26:00). Damage to treads of tank (26:43).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com