Volkspolizei units with Stg 44

[montyp165]

Seeing how the Czechs developed their own small arms using Soviet standard ammo, I wonder why the STG-44 was never converted to 7.62 mm M43?

[bulletbill57]

The "soldaten auf den marsch" in M-54 stahlhelms are either Volkspolizei Bereitschaft of Deutsche Grenzpolizei. Only these two einheiten wore the M-54. The KVP only wore Russian helmets with a "Schwartz/Rot/Gold" Wappenschild on the side. This is per Baer in "Vom Stahlhelm Zum Gefechtshelm" Then came the ubiquitous M-56 for Bereitschaften und NVA.

bulletbill57

Stolzer Pfälzer und Dumny Polak in Iowa, USA

[Armeiro]

post-2-1081789696.jpg

[bulletbill57]

From the looks of the coverall-type uniform, this is more likely to be KDA (Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse) factory militia personnel than Vopo.

Bill Trusty

[Armeiro]

http://www.ullsteinbild.de/search.php?s ... zist&date=

00417067.jpg

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[voporn]

What happened to the Stg-44? They're still around. When they invaded Iraq, they found a bunch of Stg-44s and ammunition headstamped 1944/45.

[Armeiro]

"After World War II

On April 3, 1945, American troops began to occupy the city of Suhl. Weapons manufacturing was completely prohibited during this time. Hugo Schmeisser and his brother Hans were interrogated for weeks by weapon expert teams of the American and British Secret services. At the end of June 1945, American troops evacuated Suhl and all of Thuringia. One month later, the Red Army assumed control over the area, starting a civilian works project to manufacture weapons for the Soviet Union. By August 1945 the Red Army had created 50 Stg 44s from existing assembly parts, and had begun inspecting their design. 10,785 sheets of technical designs were confiscated by the Soviets as part of their research. In October 1945 Schmeisser was forced to work for the Red Army and instructed to continue development of new weapons."

"By August 1945 the Red Army had created 50 Stg 44s from existing assembly parts"
...could this be some of the ones used by the Volkspolizei units?

[Armeiro]

...from ebay...

ac66_1.JPG

[Armeiro]

http://www.ww2photomuseum.com/DDR-1.html ...for Early East German (DDR) Photos 1946-1960

[Armeiro]

09a0_1.JPG

0b55_1.JPG

[Armeiro]

stg1..jpg

[Armeiro]

[Armeiro]

Kampfgruppen

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[Armeiro]

Kampfgruppen

[Armeiro]

Kampfgruppen