Quote:
Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh
I learned that machine gunnery is about suppressive fire, not necessarily point of aim. Putting MGs on a carrier might seem exciting to contribute to the fight, but their effect would have been mostly salutary.
The carrier platoons in an Infantry Battalion were for carrying things and not for fighting. There are accounts of carrier charges in the early days after DDay, but most of them seemed to have fizzled with heavy losses. That said, getting a ride into battle is much less tiring than trudging ahead on foot.
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Don't forget that Suppressive fire also is no good unless it's in the right place. A Carrier would have been a great tool for getting your heavy machine guns quickly onto ground where they could have the best effect. In that respect the Carrier is not a great deal different to modern Infantry Fighting Vehicles, just not as capable and doesn't carry infantry, but it does fulfill the mobile fire support role.