[TDW]

1944 Ithaca

Picked up another Ithaca today. S/N 18680xx. Metal is all correct for August 29, 1944 Ithaca and no rework marks, but has one Keyes grip(no rings), and one Coltrock grip:scratch:. Only about 20% very thin finish left, but for $300 it will be a fun "shooter".

Question: ( And I realize this is a stretch). Does anyone have any ideas about the length of time it usually took for a pistol to go from the depot ( in this case Benicia) to the combat areas?

Thanks for any input
TDW

 

[rworthin]

There is no single answer to your question. A gun could be issued to an individual or guns could be issued to members of a unit enroute to a combat area where they would get their gun/s in the US and then leave immediately for overseas and combat. Normally though, new guns would go to an Army (or other service) supply depot and from there be shipped to a supply depot in an overseas theatre. From there they would work their way down the supply chain filling requests as they would be sent in from the lowest units having a supply function (usually a company sized unit...150-250 men). In normal ways this process could take weeks at best or most likely months. Again the new pistol would be a replacement for a destroyed or lost weapon therefore the new guns would not normally go all the way from the theatre level straight down to a platoon or squad. Lets say a SGT in a platoon is issued a 1911A1 and it is destroyed in combat. He draws another one from his company armory (supply). They send the destroyed weapon up the chain and at each level it might get changed for another one which is a spare. So the brand new gun from the states may just end up in a supply tent at the division level and take months to work its way to the man who will carry it in combat. Bob

 

[TDW]

Thanks for the reply, Bob! That's pretty much the info I was looking for.
Tom