Danish exports to China 1936-1940

[Jerry Asher]

I haven't a clue if this is the right board for this enquiry--but I'll go ahead as I cannot think of anywhere else.

Does anyone have information of Danish, arms, ammunition or weapon sales being sold or delivered to China in the time frame mentioned. At a given point from mid October 1937 through the fall of 1938, Danish ships, most likely of the Danish East Asia Line, would have carried German made equipment, arms, ammunition or weapons. Can anyone offer a thought, direction or data? Many thanks in advance. I am a bit of a nut on China in that time frame and you can see my stuff on either the Japan or China boards.

[fredleander]

I haven't a clue if this is the right board for this enquiry--but I'll go ahead as I cannot think of anywhere else.

Does anyone have information of Danish, arms, ammunition or weapon sales being sold or delivered to China in the time frame mentioned. At a given point from mid October 1937 through the fall of 1938, Danish ships, most likely of the Danish East Asia Line, would have carried German made equipment, arms, ammunition or weapons. Can anyone offer a thought, direction or data? Many thanks in advance. I am a bit of a nut on China in that time frame and you can see my stuff on either the Japan or China boards.

I believe Madsen sold MG's to China. Astra of Spain sold their Mauser pistol copies to China.

The Soviet Union was a large supplier for a period - aircrafts, light tanks, vehicles, infantry weapons. I have some numbers if you are interested.

Fred

[Jerry Asher]

Hi Fred: Many thanks for your reply. Yes, I would like to your numbers and equipment supplied by the Soviet Union, I have some information from articles on Russian pilots and planes.

Didn't mean to offend anyone regarding legality of arm sales of any party. I notealso that there were Czech arm sales and I would love details. As to my first post re Denmark: Shipping, how, when where is of great interest.

Fred thank you for your efforts.

[fredleander]

Hi Fred: Many thanks for your reply. Yes, I would like to your numbers and equipment supplied by the Soviet Union, I have some information from articles on Russian pilots and planes.

Didn't mean to offend anyone regarding legality of arm sales of any party. I notealso that there were Czech arm sales and I would love details. As to my first post re Denmark: Shipping, how, when where is of great interest.

Fred thank you for your efforts.

OK, here comes. This information is taken from a book published in Eastern Germany during the Cold War period (1986). It covers the story of a number of Soviet pilots and air force "volunteers" which participated in the war against Japan. It's actually quite interesting. One is about a Chinese SB-2 raid on Formosa.

As a byproduct this listing of what the Soviet supplied to China (Chiang-Kai-Shek) in the period 1937-1940 is offered in the book:

Aircraft: 985
Tanks: 82
Guns (cannons): 1.317
Motor vehicles: 1.550
Tractors: 30
Machine guns: 14.025
Cartridges: 164,5 millions
Artillery shells: 1,9 millions
Various supplies: 14.000 tons delivered by sea

Strangely, nothing is said about rifles.

Fred

[Jerry Asher]

Hi Fred: From http:// www.wio.ru/spain/china-a.htm numbers on Russian arms shipments: 1250 planes, 1580 trucks and tractors, 1317 guns, and 14,025 machine guns. Your citation of 40,000 tons by ship is interesting. I can track very imperfectly two ships from Sevastopol in fall of 1937 (tanks, tractors, a anti aircraft unit-searchlights, sound systems)and one ship October 1938 from Odessa. Speculating here but these three ships would there be the sum of shipments by sea. Do not know the names of the ships, which does bother me, but at least two of the ships were British flagged and I suspect so was the third, Likewise would try to explore Jardine, Matheson & Co. as the shipping company being Indo-China Steam Navigation Company. Thank You Fred for your response. Any suggestions for further explorations of arms to China. Fascinating that so little had turned up on French sales to Yunnan Provincial leaders.

[Ironmachine]

Astra of Spain sold their Mauser pistol copies to China.

Not only Astra, and this was somewhat earlier than the period mentioned in this thread. See http://www.catalogacionarmas.com/public/parte3cap11.pdf.

[fredleander]

Hi Fred: From http:// http://www.wio.ru/spain/china-a.htm numbers on Russian arms shipments: 1250 planes, 1580 trucks and tractors, 1317 guns, and 14,025 machine guns. Your citation of 40,000 tons by ship is interesting. I can track very imperfectly two ships from Sevastopol in fall of 1937 (tanks, tractors, a anti aircraft unit-searchlights, sound systems)and one ship October 1938 from Odessa. Speculating here but these three ships would there be the sum of shipments by sea. Do not know the names of the ships, which does bother me, but at least two of the ships were British flagged and I suspect so was the third, Likewise would try to explore Jardine, Matheson & Co. as the shipping company being Indo-China Steam Navigation Company. Thank You Fred for your response. Any suggestions for further explorations of arms to China. Fascinating that so little had turned up on French sales to Yunnan Provincial leaders.

14.000 tons! This could add up to three, in average, 5.000 tons ships.

Fred