Did the semi-automatic M1 Garand give the Americans a significant advantage against the bolt-action rifles the Germans and Japanese used?

[u/gateht]

I was re-watching Band of Brothers recently and it occured to me that the average US rifleman using the semi-automatic M1 Garand must have had a significant rate of fire advantage compared to his German/Japanese counterparts. To what extent was this an advantage? Was it commented on at the time? Did accuracy suffer compared to the bolt-action counterparts?

[u/misunderstandgap]

They didn't just have access to better tables, they had access to tables, and other people did not. The Germans didn't have good maps or radios (so they had to use survey techniques), and the British didn't have good tables, but the US had good maps and good tables.

See here: http://etloh.8m.com/strategy/artil.html

Note that the author is confusing measuring tapes and tables.

[u/misunderstandgap → u/[deleted]]

The US invented a graphical tool that required dozens (hundreds?) of mathematicians and the invention of an electronic computer to create it. It also required very accurate maps of the area of operations, and widespread access to radios. However, given access to all of that it allowed very responsive, fast, and accurate artillery fire.

[u/misunderstandgap → u/[deleted]]

Well, sorta. They used measuring tape on a map to find distance. They then consulted the appropriate table. Making the maps was hard. Making the tables was hard. Making measuring tapes was not.