FSSF (First Special Service Force)
While most of the M1941 Johnson Light Machine Guns in U.S. military service were fielded by the Marine Corps, a limited number were procured by one of the most elite, and most unusual, U.S. Army units of the Second World War. The First Special Service Force (FSSF) was a joint American-Canadian outfit that was formed in early 1942 for the purpose of conducting winter warfare operations in German-occupied Scandinavia. The unit received intensive training in airborne operations, winter combat (including fighting as ski troops) and demolition. The FSSF was able to obtain several items of non-standard weaponry, including the unique V-42 stiletto.
The M1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun was viewed by the First Special Service Force as an ideal arm for its purposes as outlined in a "Confidential Memo" dated February 15, 1943, from Lt. Col. O.J. Baldwin, executive officer of the FSSF to Asst. Chief of Staff, G-4 which, in part, stated:
Subject: Johnson Light Machine Gun
The 1st Special Service Force has a serious need for a lightweight machine rifle, of characteristics similar to those of the Browning Automatic Rifle, that can be carried with parachute troops in parachute operations. The weapon most nearly meeting these special qualifications is the Johnson Light Machine Gun equipped with bipod mount. This gun is now a standard item for Marine paratroopers.
It is requested, therefore, that action be taken to secure for the 1st Special Service Force, by transfer from the Marine Corps, 125 Johnson Light Machine Guns, complete with accessories, spare parts, and instruction manuals, as are now furnished to the Marine Corps.
The advantages of the Johnson Light Machine Gun, which are the basis for this request, are:
The weight with full magazine is approximately 14 lbs. in contrast to approximately 231bs. for the Browning Automatic Rifle.
The gun can be broken down into three pieces of a maximum length of approximately 22". "This permits it to be parachuted in the same manner as the M-1 rifle. The lightness in weight and ease of assembly (from 20 to 50 seconds) makes it an extremely valuable parachutist weapon.
The Marine Corps approved the request for the 125 Johnson Light Machine Guns on April 20, 1943, and they were delivered to the First Special Service Force on June 29, 1943, with Johnson Automatics, Inc., handling the transfer from the Netherlands Purchasing Commission to the FSSF.
Before the First Special Service Force was fully trained and ready for deployment, the Scandinavian operation was cancelled, and the unit was eventually deployed to Italy where it played a key role in the pivotal Anzio campaign. The Forcemen (as they called themselves), and their Johnson M1941 Light Machine Guns, were credited with helping to break out of the Anzio beachhead and securing the hard-won victory. The FSSF troops were every bit as enamored with the Johnson light machine gun as were the Marine paratroopers and Raiders who used them in the Pacific. It is reported that many of the Forcemen were reluctant to turn in their Johnson light machine guns when the First Special Service Force was deactivated in the South of France in early 1945.
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