ww2 equipment in 2002?

[Ike_FI]

Few years ago I visited a Finnish Defence Forces exhibition, and I saw at the signal corps section a telephone exchange apparatus (actually a part of the system). It was made in Estonia 1937 (if I remember right) at "Tarto Tefooni Tehas", or something.

I participated a mititary excercise/refresher course recently (-02) and they gave us Winter War era field phones. The phone has only been modified to accept current-day standard size batteries. Otherwise the design is said to be so good - low batt consumption, idiot-proof design, true field proven durability ) - that there's no reason to renew all the old stock. Rest of the signals gear was state-of-the art stuff though.

[Logan Hartke]

Taken from U.S. Tank Destroyers in Combat 1941-1945...

In French Indo-China in 1950, there was concern over the possible intervention of Chinese IS-2 Stalin heavy tanks on the plains north of Hanoi. A Panther tank was sent to Indochina for trials to test it suitability, but the weather and terrain proved too much and it was abandoned there. Instead, the French dispatched the RBCEO (Regiment Blinde Colonial Extreme Orient - Far East Colonial Armor Regiment) with M36B2 tank destroyers in 1950.

So, yes, the American pilot was likely correct as the Panther was abandoned there. Also, this again proves the superior reliability of American tanks versus German tanks in all weather and terrain.

In addition, the Sherman is still in use by at least Chile (150+) and Israel (300+). The M3 halftrack is still in use by at least Israel (2,000+) and some South American countries. The M36 was put to use by Croatia and the M18 was put to use by Serbia. The Colt .45 is obviously still in widespread service as is the .50 cal and .30 cal machine gun. The Garand is in widespread service and MP40 copies are being made in former Yugoslavia. MG42s and their copies are still in widespread service as is the Soviet PPSh-41, PPS-42/43, the DShK 12.7mm machine gun and the T-34/85. IS-2 and IS -3 are still in service along the Russian border with China and Japan, but they do not run. They are used as bunkers with the whole tank being dug in and the turret and gun being the only things useable. Also in former Yugoslavia, copies of the Walther P38 are being produced. The M3 Grease Gun and the M1 Thompson are both still in widespread service, both military and otherwise. The M1 carbine is well-liked and still in service. The American Jeep and steel pot helmet are also still in widespread service. The M5 and M3 Stuart might also be in service still in South America. The M32B1 recovery vehicle and the M8 Greyhound are both in widespread service from Mexico to Argentine, as well. Numerous small arms and trucks and mines and hand grenades are still in service across the world in numbers that we couldn't possibly record. The .50 cal Maxson AA mount is still in use; the American 2 1/2 ton truck is still in use as well as the Panzerfaust and Panzerwurfmine (Egyptian copy actually). That's about all that I can think of.

Logan Hartke

[Dan Reinbold]

Apparently Syria also used Pz IV's (not sure where they would have purchased them) as fixed anti-tank guns during the 1967 war with Israel.

I doubt that any are still in use today.

Also...the Czechs used the 251 and a variation (Tatra OT810) well into the 60's.

[Zygmunt]

Some of these areas are covered in threads in the "Non ww2 history" section of the forum, for example the threads on "ww2 vehicles in Bosnia";

http://www.thirdreichforum.com/phpBB2/v ... php?t=6600

and "French and Vietminh small arms in Indochina war";

http://www.thirdreichforum.com/phpBB2/v ... php?t=6574

And also in the thread; "German equipment after ww2" here in the equipment section;

http://www.thirdreichforum.com/phpBB2/v ... ght=#25752

I don't want to get into the Balkan wars, but in the interests of tracing the equipment I'd like to ask Alex Vasilewsky what he thinks happened to the "500 T-34s" that Serbia had "until recently" Besides the three at Kalemegdan, obviously.

Thanks
Zygmunt

[Maple 01]

Up until the 1990s the UK used BREN guns modified to fire 7.62mm NATO ammo. We also still used '44 pattern steel helmets and there was some '37 and '44 pattern webbing doing the rounds.

Regards

-Nick

Oh, nearly forgot, picked up two cheap wartime German steel helmets, one with a rounded rim, one with plain edges (35 and 42 (?)) pattern that the Czechs were supposed to have used for Civil defence or something. The East German helmet was a Nazi era design rejected by Adolph.

[Ike_FI]

Up until the 1990s the UK used BREN guns modified to fire 7.62mm NATO ammo. We also still used '44 pattern steel helmets and there was some '37 and '44 pattern webbing doing the rounds.

During my conscript service in early 90's, our company participated a "practical shooting" excercise with live ammunition. We used only m/62 assault rifles and LMG:s but a "senior" company tested some interesting old hardware like Degtrayev LMG and Maxim HMG. We rookies just had to fill their ammo belts, etc! We were of course not too close during the actual shooting, but one could tell from the sound when the old gear was put in use.
During my NCO training our platoon spent half a day excercising Suomi m/31 SMG handling.