Danish armed forces in WWII

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HolgerDanske
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#16

Post by HolgerDanske » 27 Oct 2002, 23:30

Interesting part of our mutual history and good to know that we did something good in that period - otherwise it was only up to some brilliant individuals such as Major Anders Lassen VC MC, RAF fighter ace Kaj Birksted and similar and the Danish resistance movement to save some kind of national pride during 1939-1945.

I don't know what of the Danish weapons productions continued during the ackward period of collaboration, but at least the products of the Madsen 20mm guns were made - as you mentioned - and rifles as well. In that 1930s and up to 1943 the Madsen guns (all sizes) were sold to a large number of countries including many in Asia and South America.

HD

Lars EP
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#17

Post by Lars EP » 28 Oct 2002, 12:18

HolgerDanske wrote: I don't know what of the Danish weapons productions continued during the ackward period of collaboration, but at least the products of the Madsen 20mm guns were made - as you mentioned - and rifles as well. In that 1930s and up to 1943 the Madsen guns (all sizes) were sold to a large number of countries including many in Asia and South America.
HD
The Riflesyndicate, located in Copenhagen, produced rifles and ammunition throughout the war, until destroyed by the resistance (BoPa) in 1945. This action was actually recoreded live. I heard one of the original recordings some 10 years ago, while interviewing one of those who took part in that action.

Regards --- Lars EP


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Andy H
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#18

Post by Andy H » 03 Nov 2002, 14:23

The Danish AF as at 09/05/40 was as follows

1 Sqn with 13 Fighters
1 Sqn with 8 Fighters and 2 Recce A/C
1 Sqn with 11 Reece and 1 Training A/C
1 Sqn with 14 Recce A/C and 1 Autogiro????
plus the Air Force School with 18 Training A/C

The air units were based within Jutland and Sjaelland.

There were plans to train pilots in Sweden after 1940 to support a proposed Danish Brigade using Saab B-17's, but the war ended before it was formed.

:D Andy from the Shire

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Andy H
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#19

Post by Andy H » 03 Nov 2002, 14:25

Where did the Danish M1923 helmet originate, as it sure was unusual IMO

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HolgerDanske
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Airforce(s) and the 1923 helmet.

#20

Post by HolgerDanske » 04 Nov 2002, 11:41

Andy,

I do not know where the Danish M1923 helmet originated from except that it was pretyy much an indegenous design as with many other Danish arms & other equipment before 1945.

As for the airforce then you are partly correct since there was no unified airforce before 1950 as each arm (army and navy) had their own air services.

Since 1937 both were undergoing modernization, but this had not been carried out by April 1940 and generally the airplanes were outdated.

Haerens Flyvetropper (Army Air Service)

Organised in two units: Sjællandske (Zealand) and Jydske (Jutland), which were both based on Vaerlose and Kastrup airbases on Zealand, but were planned to operate from field airfields in support of the two army divisions.

Organisation:
1st Sqd (Sjaellandske) 13 Gloster Gauntlet fighters
2nd Sqd (Jydske) 11 Fokker D.XXI fighters (1 more being delivered)
3rd Sqd (Sjaellandske) 9 Fokker C.V M/33, 2 Fokker C.V M/26 recon
5th Sqd (Jydske) 12 Fokker C.V M/33, 2 Fokker C.V M/26 recon
Flyveskolen (Training) 12 Tiger Moth, 1 DeHavilland DH 90, 5 Fokker C.V M/26, 1 Cierva C.30A (autogyro - a pred. to the helicopter), 23 O-Maskinen advanced trainers

Soevaernets Flyvevaesen (Navy Air Service)

12 Hawker Nimrod fighters
2 Hawker Dantorp (Horsley) Torpedo bombers
13 Heinkel He.8 reconnaissance hydroplanes
3 Tiger Moth trainers
2 Avro Tutor trainers
1 Dornior Wal Do DJ III hydroplane
1 DeHavilland DH 89 Dragon Rapide transport/reconnaissance

Note: All numbers are total aircrafts and not necessarily those available at the day of the German invasion

The Navy Fairey P.4/34 reconnaissance/light bombers previously mentioned were not completed by April 1940.

HD

Danish Gloster Gauntlet April 1939 and Danish navy Heinkel He 8 1939
Attachments
gloster gauntlet_2 j38 1939.jpg
Danish Gloster Gauntlet April 1939
gloster gauntlet_2 j38 1939.jpg (26.25 KiB) Viewed 6549 times
he 8 hm2_82flyv_cam.jpg
Danish navy Heinkel He.8 1939
he 8 hm2_82flyv_cam.jpg (6.94 KiB) Viewed 6553 times
Last edited by HolgerDanske on 15 Oct 2004, 18:14, edited 1 time in total.

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HolgerDanske
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Danforce (Danish Brigade in Sweden) air force

#21

Post by HolgerDanske » 05 Nov 2002, 22:03

Andy,

Just forgot that the Danish Brigade in Sweden during the war had a flight (squadron) with 15 SAAB B17C based in Sätenäs in Sweden.

On the night of the 4th May the aircraft were painted in Danish colours, while the danish brigade was landed in Denmark to take up positions and fight remaining Danish nazi-opposition.

The airforce never flew to Denmark and the planes were handed back to the Swedish airforce.

Some information (mostly in Danish) can be found at the Danforce home page http://www.danforce.dk/

HD
Attachments
b17c danforce sweden.jpg
Saab B17 at Sätenäs
b17c danforce sweden.jpg (19.13 KiB) Viewed 6449 times
danish pilots sätenäs may 1945.jpg
Danish pilots sätenäs May 1945
danish pilots sätenäs may 1945.jpg (10.3 KiB) Viewed 6453 times

John T
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#22

Post by John T » 16 Sep 2003, 21:55

HolgerDanske wrote:
The below has been drawn from several sources which can be given upon request:

..

As for all armed services the army was in the middle of introducing new weapons and vehicles including Swedish 9mm submachine guns, more 20mm Madsen guns, 15 Lynx armoured cars as well as a new 10,5 cm light howitzer planned.
If Holger Danske still around at this forum, or if anyone else can help me.
I am Very interested in the Submachine gun deal and any Danish sources regarding this.
I'm researching Swedish small-arms production of the time period and I have no contradictionary data, Just extremely curious.

I do know about Deliveries from Huskvarna in the end of WW2.


Thanks in advance
/John T.

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Redwire
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#23

Post by Redwire » 16 Sep 2003, 23:42

dubble post sorry


redwire
Last edited by Redwire on 16 Sep 2003, 23:44, edited 1 time in total.

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Redwire
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#24

Post by Redwire » 16 Sep 2003, 23:42

John T wrote:
HolgerDanske wrote:
The below has been drawn from several sources which can be given upon request:

..

As for all armed services the army was in the middle of introducing new weapons and vehicles including Swedish 9mm submachine guns, more 20mm Madsen guns, 15 Lynx armoured cars as well as a new 10,5 cm light howitzer planned.
If Holger Danske still around at this forum, or if anyone else can help me.
I am Very interested in the Submachine gun deal and any Danish sources regarding this.
I'm researching Swedish small-arms production of the time period and I have no contradictionary data, Just extremely curious.

I do know about Deliveries from Huskvarna in the end of WW2.


Thanks in advance
/John T.
As far as I remember, was the Husvana submachine guns delivered in 1941. They was smugled in from sweden, under the nose of the germans, useing fishing boats. They was later used against the germans, doing the disarming of the danish armed forces in 1943.

Two submachine guns was isued to each infantry squad, one to the squad leader and the second to a "sikrings mand"(close support man?)

There was also plans to start introducing the Swedish Ljungmann semi-aoutomatic rifle, with a license production to start in late 1943.


Redwire

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Redwire
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#25

Post by Redwire » 17 Sep 2003, 00:22

Another bit of infomation about danish weapons. From the late 20s up WW2 did the danish army, invested quiet some time and money in a semi-automatic rifle designed by the eccentric danish weapon designer H. Bang (what a name for for a weapons designer :lol:).

The rifle never passed the field tests of the army. The Bang system was very similar to that of the later Walther Gewehr Gew. 41(W) semi-automatic rifle. The two rifles looks infact so similar, that I suspect that Walther design is copy of the danish one.


Redwire

John T
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#26

Post by John T » 17 Sep 2003, 20:55

Thanks Redwire,
do you by the way knows what ammo the old 75mm field guns used,
Sweden used 75x278 mm case and I ponder if this became a Scandinavian standard of sorts :)

Cheers
/John T.

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Redwire
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#27

Post by Redwire » 18 Sep 2003, 16:05

I can help with any info on what kind of ammo the 75mm guns used, but here is what I know about the danish artillery in service in 1940.

Divisional artillery: 75mm repid firing steel canon M.1902, called 75 SK M02. It was the standad german krupp export model, at the time. 2 fieldguns regiments, with 8 batalions in all, with 12 m.1902 guns per batalion, was in active service. at least 48 more m.1902 guns in reserve.

"Corps" artillery: 10.5cm L/48 field gun M.1930, called 10.5cm FK M30. This was the same gun as french 105mm L M1936 Schneider, but an early production model, with out rubber tires as the french army model. 24 M.1930 in active service, forming two batalions. Another 24 M.1930 field gun in reserve.

Heavy"Corps" artillery: 15cm L/27 field howitzer M.1917, called 15cm FH M17. This is the French 155mm C M1917 Schneider, 1 batalion of 12 guns in service.

All the 10.5cm and 15cm guns was pulled by the danish produced Triangel-Kornbeck Half-track. 4 of the 8 fieldgun batalions was also motorized, useing the Ford Thames Model 1939, the rest horse drawn.

Image
Danish Ford Thames with 75mm M.1902 gun


Redwire

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HolgerDanske
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#28

Post by HolgerDanske » 08 Oct 2004, 14:22

"Corps" artillery: 10.5cm L/48 field gun M.1930, called 10.5cm FK M30. This was the same gun as french 105mm L M1936 Schneider, but an early production model, with out rubber tires as the french army model. 24 M.1930 in active service, forming two batalions. Another 24 M.1930 field gun in reserve.

Heavy"Corps" artillery: 15cm L/27 field howitzer M.1917, called 15cm FH M17. This is the French 155mm C M1917 Schneider, 1 batalion of 12 guns in service.

To the very best of my knowledge there was only 4 motorised and 4 horse drawn 75mm arty btns and 3 heavy (motorised) arty btns, each of 2 batteries of 4 10,5 cm M1930 guns and 1 battery of 4 15 cm M1929 (not the M.1917) howitzers alas a mixed btn organisation in contradiction to the above.

HD
Last edited by HolgerDanske on 08 Oct 2004, 15:00, edited 1 time in total.

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HolgerDanske
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The best source in English on the fighting and the Army 1940

#29

Post by HolgerDanske » 08 Oct 2004, 14:39

Please find this very usefull source on the fighting, units, uniforms and equipment of 9 April 1940

http://www.chakoten.dk/cgi-bin/fm.cgi?n=371

Best

HD

Benjamin Nielsen
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Fairey P. 4/34 in danish service

#30

Post by Benjamin Nielsen » 15 Oct 2004, 11:45

Where is there some info about the Fairey p. 4/34 in the Naval Air Service?

Accoding to "Dansk Marineflyvning 1911-1998" none of the Faireys were completed on April 9. 1940.


best regards

Benjamin Nielsen

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