USMC Marksmanship WWI-Style

[firstflabn]

Hadn't seen this official USMC WWI history mentioned before. (United States Marine Corps in the World War, Maj. Edwin N. McClellan, 1920)

https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesmari00unit

(Probably easiest to use the 'B/W PDF' version)

Pretty good look at organization, strength, losses, and AEF combat record (with lots of the sort of beancount info I enjoy). Also describes what the other two-thirds of the Corps not serving in Europe was up to in 1917-18. Filled in a lot of gaps in my limited understanding.

http://s5.postimg.org/a4wd1slo3/wwi_usmc_rifle_qual_002.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/a4wd1slo3/)


This page seems to cast some doubt on claims of marksmanship prowess and training effectiveness. The seemingly low percentages of those qualifying are probably more than adequate for fielding an effective force in WWI, but that is not always the concern of the Corps' legendary PR machine or present day target shooters who associate long range accuracy with battle results.

Working backwards through the year-to-year percentages and comparing that to USMC strength data, it is clear all EMs had to qual every year - even during wartime. Looks like results improved markedly in 1919, perhaps from having the extra time needed by those just missing the cut previously.

[Roadkingtrax]

How do the 1919 numbers compare to total force strength when compared to 1918?

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

....This page seems to cast some doubt on claims of marksmanship prowess and training effectiveness. The seemingly low percentages of those qualifying are probably more than adequate for fielding an effective force in WWI, but that is not always the concern of the Corps' legendary PR machine or present day target shooters who associate long range accuracy with battle results.

Working backwards through the year-to-year percentages and comparing that to USMC strength data, it is clear all EMs had to qual every year - even during wartime. Looks like results improved markedly in 1919, perhaps from having the extra time needed by those just missing the cut previously.

If you want to look at the battle marksmanship of the Marines in WWI, you need to analyze the individual battles. At Hill 142, the Marines engaged the Huns at a distance of 800 yards, and the Huns never got any closer. The Marines slaughtered the Huns at 800 yards with rifle fire. That sir, is true marksmanship of an admirable nature. One battalion, I believe it was Holcomb's, consisted almost entirely of Marines who qualified as expert. Unfortunately, they were wasted trying to take Belleau Woods. Their reputation for marksmanship came from the French and Germans, not the Corps.

I, too, like data; but unless you understand the nature of the data, it is easy to draw incorrect conclusions.

jt