In order to give even more personality to some divisions, I'd like to suggest the following :
- M3 Grease Gun :
Div : Already in the 4th AD in fact (Cavalry Scouts)* but can be added to the 101st Airborne
Proposal : Replacing the Thompson for the "AB Leader" or "AB Engineer unit" or "Pathfinders" but not all of them as it was quite a rare weapon by that time
History : "Among the first combat operations in which the M3 saw use was in the hands of some paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions during the Normandy drop as part of the D-Day invasion. Initially, many soldiers who were issued “grease guns” were not impressed with them and were reluctant to give up their trusted Thompsons. However, as the M3 began to see combat use, its reliability and lighter weight were seen as positive attributes, and most G.I.s, albeit grudgingly, came to accept the roughly hewn grease gun as a worthy successor to the finely crafted Thompson." from https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2016/5/20/the-m3-and-m3a1-grease-guns/
- s.MG 30(p), German designation for the Polish Ckm wz. 30 :
Div : 716th Infanterie
Proposal : Adding a new unit using this MG, in order to get a cheaper choice for an MG squad, and it would be interesting to have a German div get an old watercooled MG like the Browning M1917 (it is almost a copy of it btw).
History : According to Severloh's book "Erinnerungen an Omaha Beach Normandie, 6. Juni 1944", there were 2 positions at WN 62 manned by 716th MG gunners (Gockel and Kieserling) with old polish watercooled guns, either MG wz. 08 or MG wz. 30. http://www.oisterwijk-marketgarden.com/heinrich_serveloh.html
But looking at the Static Arsenal of the 716th from December 1943 ( https://books.google.fr/books?id=KeiEAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA248&dq=MG+wz+30+omaha+beach&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjAwtz3lLLYAhVFJ1AKHZ0aAPQQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=MG wz 30 omaha beach&f=false ) they only had wz. 30 version (11 of these btw), so it's very likely 2 of these guns were the ones used at WN 62.
*edited since Fussel made me notice
- M3 Grease Gun :
Div : Already in the 4th AD in fact (Cavalry Scouts)* but can be added to the 101st Airborne
Proposal : Replacing the Thompson for the "AB Leader" or "AB Engineer unit" or "Pathfinders" but not all of them as it was quite a rare weapon by that time
History : "Among the first combat operations in which the M3 saw use was in the hands of some paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions during the Normandy drop as part of the D-Day invasion. Initially, many soldiers who were issued “grease guns” were not impressed with them and were reluctant to give up their trusted Thompsons. However, as the M3 began to see combat use, its reliability and lighter weight were seen as positive attributes, and most G.I.s, albeit grudgingly, came to accept the roughly hewn grease gun as a worthy successor to the finely crafted Thompson." from https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2016/5/20/the-m3-and-m3a1-grease-guns/
- s.MG 30(p), German designation for the Polish Ckm wz. 30 :
Div : 716th Infanterie
Proposal : Adding a new unit using this MG, in order to get a cheaper choice for an MG squad, and it would be interesting to have a German div get an old watercooled MG like the Browning M1917 (it is almost a copy of it btw).
History : According to Severloh's book "Erinnerungen an Omaha Beach Normandie, 6. Juni 1944", there were 2 positions at WN 62 manned by 716th MG gunners (Gockel and Kieserling) with old polish watercooled guns, either MG wz. 08 or MG wz. 30. http://www.oisterwijk-marketgarden.com/heinrich_serveloh.html
But looking at the Static Arsenal of the 716th from December 1943 ( https://books.google.fr/books?id=KeiEAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA248&dq=MG+wz+30+omaha+beach&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjAwtz3lLLYAhVFJ1AKHZ0aAPQQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=MG wz 30 omaha beach&f=false ) they only had wz. 30 version (11 of these btw), so it's very likely 2 of these guns were the ones used at WN 62.
*edited since Fussel made me notice
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