Talk:Attack on UDR Clogher barracks

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Weaponry?[edit]

Can we clarify some of the points on the weaponry used:

PIRA, "heavy machine-guns, rockets and improvised mortars"

What were these HMGs? I rather doubt that such weaponry was either available or used (a HMG is something like a tripod-mounted, crew-served weapon capable of sustained fire). Also were these "rockets" improvised, RPGs, LAWs or something else? Then what were the "improvised mortars"? Although the PIRA became quite expert at these later on, this was early days for them and they certainly weren't at the barrack buster stage.

British Army

What were the Ferrets armed with? Assuming a turret mount, this would either have been the Browning or a Bren (too early for the GPMG mount, which I don't think was deployed until after the Ferret went from NI). A Bren is an LMG, the Browning more of a medium. If we don't know which, we'd be better to just say MG. Andy Dingley (talk) 18:05, 31 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Hi, good point.

The Ferrets first. Potter (p. 127) says that the "Ferrets scout cars opened fire with their Browning machine guns,(...)", so we can assume that (at least for this source) the carriers at Clogher mounted .30 Brownings. If you can produce another source to sustain that the Ferrets didn't mounted .30s during their deployement to NI, then feel free to change things accordingly.

PIRA weaponry. Potter (also on p. 127) explicity mentions the Soviet RPG-7, I guess there is no ambiguity there. Same thing for the Garand confiscated after the attack, in the sense that the bulk of sources agree that this kind of rifle was available to the PIRA at the time. I have my doubts regarding the presence of AK47s in their inventory in 1974, and I know from other authors (notably this one), that, while not barrack busters, the Provisionals had already developed four or five types of improvised mortars by 1974. Who speaks about HMGs in the hands of the provisionals is O'Callaghan (cited by Potter). Certainly a dubious claim, since the first medium machine guns smuggled from USA into Ireland by the provos were the M60s, which didn´t arrive until 1977. I will remove any direct mention of the PIRA's HMGs from the lede, replacing it for "automatic weapons".Darius (talk) 19:41, 31 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]