Use of Lewis Gun by Berlin Volkssturm

Discussions on the small arms used by the Axis forces.
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Sturmtruppen
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Use of Lewis Gun by Berlin Volkssturm

#1

Post by Sturmtruppen » 29 Sep 2008, 00:32

Today I was watching Joseph Goebbels swearing in speech of the Berlin Volkssturm. Toward the end they were showing various views of the newly enlisted volkssturm men marching in the streets of Berlin in from of Nazi personel. I noticed in one of the frames one man carrying a Lewis Gun but I have no idea what year it was made. (Pre or Post WW1). Now, I know the weapons used in this parade were given to the new recruits just for show and taken back after it was over and documented for propaganda purposes. Here is a picture attached so you all can take a look.

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Sturmtruppen
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Auseklis
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Re: Use of Lewis Gun by Berlin Volkssturm

#2

Post by Auseklis » 29 Sep 2008, 01:13

I think this is a typical Volkssturm weapon.
I would define "typical Volkssturm" weapons as such with ammunition types not regulary used by the Wehrmacht.


yabint
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Re: Use of Lewis Gun by Berlin Volkssturm

#3

Post by yabint » 29 Sep 2008, 06:12

It'd be pretty hard to identify when this gun was manufactured without seeing the markings. But odds are its from the WWI era. Lots of countries invaded by the Germans used these so it could have come from anywhere and be in any calibre.

Alanmccoubrey
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Re: Use of Lewis Gun by Berlin Volkssturm

#4

Post by Alanmccoubrey » 29 Sep 2008, 18:21

The Germans stockpiled these, which they called 7,7mm MG137(e), after capturing them when the BEF was evacuated. They were indeed issued to the VS. Alan
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peeved
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Re: Use of Lewis Gun by Berlin Volkssturm

#5

Post by peeved » 29 Sep 2008, 18:55

According to Waffen Revue No. 75, by 29 November 1944 the Volkssturm had received 400 Beute-MGs of the type 6,5 mm-le.M.G. (h); this very probably was the le MG 100 (h), Dutch Model 20 Lewis. Another 2491 had been earmarked for Volkssturm use pending a conversion to German ammunition.
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Re: Use of Lewis Gun by Berlin Volkssturm

#6

Post by BRMCII » 08 Nov 2012, 04:35

The Lewis pictured is a Brit made example most likely, but it is certainly not a Dutch M20.
Although the following applies to the German use of the Lewis gun in WWI, it is germane to their use in WWII as well.
Converting a .303 Brit Lewis to reliably fire 7.92 requires alteration to the feed slot in the top of the receiver, a new barrel, bolt with correct extractors for the round, but most importantly correct drums. A .303 drum will not feed or fit 7.92 rounds, ,so drums would have to be made specifically for that round to use converted guns.
There is virtually no record of the Germans using converted Lewis guns in WWI, although they produced a manual on the gun. Also, no barrels, drums, bolts or receivers converted to that round have ever been found and none seem to exist. There is an ingrained myth amongst the British WWI history buffs that 10,000 .303 Brit Lewis LMGs were converted by the Germans to use the 7.92 round, including a kit that was carried in the field to convert guns captured. Further, it is claimed that many of these guns were reconverted back to .303 by the Brits, again with absolutely no written or pictorial evidence to support this claim. However, no pictures, history of manufacture, or actual examples of the kits or any of the hardware for the kits has ever been seen. If 10,000 ,guns were converted there must have been the appropriate complement of drums, spare parts, webbing and pouches, cleaning equipment and all the usual trappings for the guns, plus records of the work, but none has ever shown up anywhere that I have seen over the last forty or so years.
If anyone has any evidence of any of this, whether manufacture and conversion records fromGermany or reconversion records from England I am interested in seeing or reading it, or seeing pictures with identification of the weapons in use or any evidence at all.
As has been pointed out in other posts on this site, "no proof of evidence is proof of no evidence" which makes the point!

Bob Naess
Black River Militaria CII
USA

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