Camouflaged infantry weapons

Discussions on the Winter War and Continuation War, the wars between Finland and the USSR.
Hosted by Juha Tompuri
Post Reply
User avatar
Juha Tompuri
Forum Staff
Posts: 11562
Joined: 11 Sep 2002, 21:02
Location: Mylsä

Camouflaged infantry weapons

#1

Post by Juha Tompuri » 08 Nov 2015, 19:27

Around Island Someri, early 1942.
Whitewashed 20mm Madsen, 7,62mm Maxim & Simonov and 6,5mm Mausers ?
Attachments
SA-photo 73274.jpg
SA-photo 73274
SA-photo 73264.jpg
SA-photo 73264
Last edited by Juha Tompuri on 09 Nov 2015, 19:21, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: adding info

User avatar
JTV
Member
Posts: 2011
Joined: 11 Mar 2002, 11:03
Location: Finland
Contact:

Re: Camouflaged infantry weapons

#2

Post by JTV » 08 Nov 2015, 23:12

Juha Tompuri wrote:Around Island Someri, early 1942.
Whitewashed 20mm Madsen, 7,62mm Maxim & Simonov and 6,5mm Mausers ?
Yes - I have seen this few times in wartime photos. And just like this time its practically always it seems to have been with coastal troops (*). I guess it makes sense - they were the ones usually patrolling on ice at winter time and considering their troops spotted on ice had nowhere to hide, they wanted maximum camo.

(*) Considering location, time and equipment I would say that the likelyhood for these being coastal troops is about 99%.

Jarkko


User avatar
Juha Tompuri
Forum Staff
Posts: 11562
Joined: 11 Sep 2002, 21:02
Location: Mylsä

Re: Camouflaged infantry weapons

#3

Post by Juha Tompuri » 09 Nov 2015, 19:16

JTV wrote:Yes - I have seen this few times in wartime photos. And just like this time its practically always it seems to have been with coastal troops
Yep.

Here however one from Winter War era, and AFAIK not of coastal troops.
Location mentioned as Pajari sector.
Attachments
SA-photo 4950.jpg
from SA-photo 4950
Last edited by Juha Tompuri on 09 Nov 2015, 20:46, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: adding info

User avatar
Juha Tompuri
Forum Staff
Posts: 11562
Joined: 11 Sep 2002, 21:02
Location: Mylsä

Re: Camouflaged infantry weapons

#4

Post by Juha Tompuri » 09 Nov 2015, 21:47

Another one from the past.
Most probably coastal troop equipment at Saunaniemi:

Image
SA-photo 73649
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 0#p1933936

Regards, Juha

User avatar
JTV
Member
Posts: 2011
Joined: 11 Mar 2002, 11:03
Location: Finland
Contact:

Re: Camouflaged infantry weapons

#5

Post by JTV » 10 Nov 2015, 07:16

Juha Tompuri wrote: Here however one from Winter War era, and AFAIK not of coastal troops.
Location mentioned as Pajari sector.
I checked the previous photos of the same series. Considering how the rifle has been camoflaged (white fabric wrapped around it) and that no other soldier seems to be carrying rifle camouflaged in similar manner the educated guess is that this could be a sniper.

Jarkko

User avatar
JTV
Member
Posts: 2011
Joined: 11 Mar 2002, 11:03
Location: Finland
Contact:

Re: Camouflaged infantry weapons

#6

Post by JTV » 10 Nov 2015, 07:36

Juha Tompuri wrote:Another one from the past.
Most probably coastal troop equipment at Saunaniemi:

SA-photo 73649
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 0#p1933936
This time only water jacket has been painted white, which seems to have been much more common that painting the whole weapon. According photo caption machinegun NCO training course. The machinegun seems to be MG-08 (some other photos of the same series show the machinegun and its ammunition better), which at that time (1942) was only issued to coastal troops and fortifications.

Jarkko

User avatar
Juha Tompuri
Forum Staff
Posts: 11562
Joined: 11 Sep 2002, 21:02
Location: Mylsä

Re: Camouflaged infantry weapons

#7

Post by Juha Tompuri » 10 Nov 2015, 20:50

JTV wrote: Considering how the rifle has been camoflaged (white fabric wrapped around it) and that no other soldier seems to be carrying rifle camouflaged in similar manner the educated guess is that this could be a sniper.
I think so too.

Here two more, they probably also about coastal troops.
Suurlahti, 1944
Attachments
SA-photo 151379.jpg
SA-photo 151379
SA-photo 151380.jpg
SA-photo 151380

Mangrove
Member
Posts: 2027
Joined: 25 Dec 2004, 02:33

Re: Camouflaged infantry weapons

#8

Post by Mangrove » 27 Feb 2016, 23:18

SA-kuva 77760 (adjusted and cropped): Whitewashed Maxim photographed around Maaselkä during March 1942. See also 77758 for a Maxim covered with a piece of white fabric.

Image

User avatar
JTV
Member
Posts: 2011
Joined: 11 Mar 2002, 11:03
Location: Finland
Contact:

Re: Camouflaged infantry weapons

#9

Post by JTV » 28 Feb 2016, 10:55

Juha Tompuri wrote:
Here two more, they probably also about coastal troops.
Suurlahti, 1944
Wow - the soldiers in those first two photos have really done an effort that goes in detail. Even submachine gun mags and hand grenades are painted with whitewash.

Jarkko

Post Reply

Return to “Winter War & Continuation War”