Polar Bear Expedition Manual?

[Josh Smith]

Hello,

I'm looking for the Mosin manual issued to the Polar Bear Expedition to Russia, either reproduction paper or online. No luck thus far. Can you help?

Thank you,

Josh

[Junk Yard Dog]

Was there ever such a manual produced?

[Hombre]

Was there ever such a manual produced?

I was wondering that too. The only US military manual on the Mosin Rifles I know of was published in 1954.

They really wouldn't have to have a manual - I don't recall seeing a weapon manual when I was in basic training - they just showed us how use it.

[Josh Smith]

But wouldn't it be unlike the military to pass up an opportunity to make a manual? Seems there should be something around, especially since we produced the rifles.

Thanks,

Josh

[Hombre]

But wouldn't it be unlike the military to pass up an opportunity to make a manual? Seems there should be something around, especially since we produced the rifles.

Thanks,

Josh

Originally we produced the rifles under contract for Russia. If there were manuals they would have been in Russian but I doubt that they would have asked us to print them.

[finloq]

I would be surprised if any such manual existed.

[Hombre]

Josh, I don't know if in your research you came across this but if not you may want to contact these folks:

"The Bentley Historical Library of the University of Michigan has developed the largest collection of manuscript and printed materials on the Polar Bear Expedition, consisting of over eighty-five individual collections of primary source material as well as numerous published materials. The Bentley Library has not attempted to document the men who served in Siberia."

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/p/polaread/

[Junk Yard Dog]

That entire operation was slapped together on the quick, and mostly with half asses planning. The Mosin was close enough in operation to a US M1903 that they probably gave them verbal instruction rather than written.

[Hombre]

Josh may I ask what is your purpose for looking for the manual. If it is just an english language US military Mosin manual you want, you can get that at http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/

[Josh Smith]

Josh may I ask what is your purpose for looking for the manual. If it is just an english language US military Mosin manual you want, you can get that at http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/

Hello,

Thank you.

I posted the 1954 manual on another forum and one gent wondered if there was a manual for troops during the time the Mosin was issued as an alternative rifle to the M1903.

I told him I'd try to find it, and I'm still looking. This place is a good resource, and I figured if one existed, at least one person here would know about it!

Regards,

Josh

[Hombre]

I have searched quite a bit trying to find anything on their training. The closest I have come is this site.

"The first time that the men of the U.S. Army's 339th Infantry Regiment realized they were not going to France was when their British Enfield rifles were taken away while they were training in England, and Mosin-Nagant rifles were substituted for them, ostensibly to ensure compatibility with Russian ammunition. The doughboys were appalled at how flimsy and inaccurate their new weapons were. After a short course of instruction, on August 27, 1918, the troops were packed aboard transports bound north toward the Arctic Circle."

Notice they were not much impressed with the Mosin-Nagant rifles. Further evidence of that later on the page:

"As far as weaponry was concerned, the Americans had long since learned that their Mosin-Nagant rifles were nearly worthless--fortunately for them, the Bolsheviks were using the same rifles. Instead, the Allied troops depended on Vickers and Lewis machine guns sited at various points around the town. The Lewis gun was particularly valued for its ruggedness under adverse conditions, and that was amply demonstrated on October 23, when Soviet gunboats came down the Dvina and started shelling Toulgas."

[Hombre]

Here is a picture of them with Mosin rifles. Looks like they were issued a frog to carry the bayonet in.

..

Newly issued Mosin-Nagants.jpg

"En route to Archangel, a group of 339th Infantry Regiment doughboys pose with their newly issued M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifles. Most would have preferred to keep their originally issued British Enfields, but the large supply of Nagant ammunition already in theater drove the rearming decision. (Photo courtesy of Charles G. Thomas)"

[Hombre]

Here is a couple of pictures of them at Archangel:

[clayshooter2]

A Mosin is pretty basic. I would think they would just tell them lefty tighty and righty loosey on the barrel band screws, and rest they should be able to figure out themselves.

[finloq]

Thanks for the pictures, Hombre. That's pretty cool.

[desdem12]

What the scott bull says

[Junk Yard Dog]

To take a man who has trained with the US M1903, or 1917, both precision marksmans tools and then issue him a Mosin M1891, a totally unfamiliar weapon is a real kick in the balls. If they had gotten Finn M39's it might have been another story, but the M39 was yet to be invented and the US troops hated the Mosin. The idea was to outfit them with Remington and NEW Mosins that Uncle had bought from the two US company's to keep them solvent after the Russians defaulted on the contract, then let them make use of ammunition that had already been sent to Russia. Stupid, American soldiers should be outfitted with American weapons, this is a matter of national pride, and the soldiers felt slighted. The operation was rushed, there was not sufficient time to get the troops accustomed to the new rifles, and so they suffered with things like feed problems, extraction issues, all the things the armorers themselves had not had time to learn to deal with. The entire operation was a cluster****, and poisoned Soviet /American relations for decades.

[SA1911a1]

After a man calls a Mosin-Nagant flimsly, he has lost any crediblilty with me. Call them ugly and ungainly but not flimsy.

[Hombre]

After a man calls a Mosin-Nagant flimsly, he has lost any crediblilty with me. Call them ugly and ungainly but not flimsy.

I can kind of understand why soldiers that had trained for a year with the US Model 1917 would think the Mosin-Nagant appeared flimsy.

(I don't have an 1891 but figure the 91/30 stock thickness etc. would be a reasonable comparison to the M1917)

..

[desertgunner]

Thanks for the digging!
I knew there was an involvement of US Troops , but certainly not where and that they were given the line rifle to work with.
Good job!