LACK OF AMMUNITION
WHY OWEN & AUSTEN GUNS
WERE NOT USED
(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, October 29.
The Minister of the Army, Mr. Fqrde, stated that ammunition shortages were to blame for the failure to use the Australian Owen sub-machine-gun in the early stages of the New Guinea campaign. Both the Owen and Austen guns required, 9-millimetre ammunition, which till a year ago was not made in Australia. Thompson sub-machine-guns were used extensively in New Guinea, the main reason being that there were large stocks of the necessary .45 ammunition on hand.
The Minister of Munitions, Mr. Makin, stated that Australian manufacture of ammunition for the Owen gun is being developed rapidly, though it is not yet in full production. These Ministerial statements are expected to close the controversy which has been waged here concerning alleged official bias against the use of these Australian-made weapons.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 105, 30 October 1942, Page 5
Word Count
147LACK OF AMMUNITION Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 105, 30 October 1942, Page 5
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