I know that Germany still uses, or recently still used the MG-42 and the Walther pistol, and the British use a modified version of the Bren Gun, while the US still uses the Browning .50 caliber(soon to be phased out I believe). What other weapons, equipment, etc., from the WWII era remain in oficial use today(excluding guerillas and irregular forces)?
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WWII Weapons And Equipment Still In Use
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blueboyukb
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the bren gun you refer to, was a rejigged versiopn, converted to 7.62 mm from the old .303. it was called the `lmg` light machine gun` and was phased out years ago. replaced by the sa80`s bigger brother.although the raf aircrew do fly with a walther ppk (as used by james bond!) in war zones. regards, steve.
I've seen some Model 1911 pistols being carried by US soldiers in Iraq. I believe the US Army col. who commanded the battalion that captured Saddam carried one.
I've also seen Model 1911 pistols being carried by New York National Guardsmen in Penn Station, NYC.
The US captured a Sherman tank from the Iraqis.
I've also seen Model 1911 pistols being carried by New York National Guardsmen in Penn Station, NYC.
The US captured a Sherman tank from the Iraqis.
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Laurence Strong
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waffenpnzr
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ChristopherPerrien
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The Browning M2 .50 cal machine gun. Of course if you consider derivatives of WWII guns there are a bunch of Brownings. The Beretta 92F is derived from the Browning 9mm Hi power, the M240 is a FN/Mag and is nothing more than a belt fed version of the M1918! BAR. Besides Various Browning Mg's I suppose the AK 47 could be considered nothing more than a different caliber STG44.
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Sewer King
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Don't forget the Soviet equipment still in use -- the Tokarev TT-33 automatic pistol, for one. This is still used in the Balkans, in China, Africa, the Mideast. You see Iraqi police carrying it.
Even if they are made by other countries such as China, or slightly modified, it can be said that various other WW2 weapons still soldier on in regular army or police forces. So the SG-43 machine gun would count too.
Also other Soviet weapons such as the 120mm M38 mortar and F-1 hand grenade may still be found, at least in army reserve stocks.
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Various South American armies still have small numbers of American WW2 armored fighting vehicles in park.
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By "modern times" I tend to think of the 1980s onwards because that's when I went into uniform. From what I remember back then:
some of the Caribbean forces who relieved the Americans on Grenada in 1983 were still carrying Lee-Enfield rifles.
The Dominican Air Force still had some F-51 Mustangs on hand, although at the end of their practical lives.
there were some American M-36 Hellcat tank destroyers still in the Yugoslav Army (?).
Probably, or hopefully, many of these have been rescued by collectors with the passing of time and the easy availability of more modern equipment.
Even if they are made by other countries such as China, or slightly modified, it can be said that various other WW2 weapons still soldier on in regular army or police forces. So the SG-43 machine gun would count too.
Also other Soviet weapons such as the 120mm M38 mortar and F-1 hand grenade may still be found, at least in army reserve stocks.
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Various South American armies still have small numbers of American WW2 armored fighting vehicles in park.
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By "modern times" I tend to think of the 1980s onwards because that's when I went into uniform. From what I remember back then:
some of the Caribbean forces who relieved the Americans on Grenada in 1983 were still carrying Lee-Enfield rifles.
The Dominican Air Force still had some F-51 Mustangs on hand, although at the end of their practical lives.
there were some American M-36 Hellcat tank destroyers still in the Yugoslav Army (?).
Probably, or hopefully, many of these have been rescued by collectors with the passing of time and the easy availability of more modern equipment.
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blueboyukb
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- Location: norwich, england
Carribean? That reminds me, when we occupied Haiti in 1994, the Haitian Army was still using the M1 rifle- and the Haitian Navy even still had Springfield 1903's in use!Sewer King wrote:Don't forget the Soviet equipment still in use -- the Tokarev TT-33 automatic pistol, for one. This is still used in the Balkans, in China, Africa, the Mideast. You see Iraqi police carrying it.
Even if they are made by other countries such as China, or slightly modified, it can be said that various other WW2 weapons still soldier on in regular army or police forces. So the SG-43 machine gun would count too.
Also other Soviet weapons such as the 120mm M38 mortar and F-1 hand grenade may still be found, at least in army reserve stocks.
---------------------------------------------
Various South American armies still have small numbers of American WW2 armored fighting vehicles in park.
---------------------------------------------
By "modern times" I tend to think of the 1980s onwards because that's when I went into uniform. From what I remember back then:
some of the Caribbean forces who relieved the Americans on Grenada in 1983 were still carrying Lee-Enfield rifles.
The Dominican Air Force still had some F-51 Mustangs on hand, although at the end of their practical lives.
there were some American M-36 Hellcat tank destroyers still in the Yugoslav Army (?).
Probably, or hopefully, many of these have been rescued by collectors with the passing of time and the easy availability of more modern equipment.
I wonder if any poorer countries somewhere in the world continue to use the K98?
Considering the plentiful supply of these weapons they are still readily available, many times the German markings were just filed off after WWII and they were put back into use into some nations respective army. You can always find a few of these, missing original markings, for sale at local gunshops.
Also, when I was deployed to Thailand in the 80's the Thai Air force was still flying DC-3's, I went flying in one and the nameplate had the manufacture date clearly listed as 1942.
WW II era weapons used (or still in the army stocks) in Finland:
- 105 mm howitzer m/37 (Finnish made Bofors design, modernized as 105 H 61-37)
- 150 mm howitzer m/40 (German 15 cm sFH 18, modernized as 152 H 88-40)
- 152 mm howitzer m/37 (USSR ML-20, modernized as 152 H 88-37A)
- 122 mm canon m/31 (USSR A-19, modernized as 152 H 88-31)
- 81 mm various Tampella mortar models (standardized and modernized in the 1950's)
- 82 mm mortar (USSR, modernized as 82 Krh 36 RT)
- 120 mm Tampella m/40 mortar (120 Krh 40, I don't know if modernized at all?)
I'm not quite sure if 120 mm Soviet mortars are still in our stocks? Probably.
Also 9 mm m/31 "Suomi" SMGs have been used until these days (until 2000's). They were slightly modified in the 1950's for a new Swedish magazine type.
- 105 mm howitzer m/37 (Finnish made Bofors design, modernized as 105 H 61-37)
- 150 mm howitzer m/40 (German 15 cm sFH 18, modernized as 152 H 88-40)
- 152 mm howitzer m/37 (USSR ML-20, modernized as 152 H 88-37A)
- 122 mm canon m/31 (USSR A-19, modernized as 152 H 88-31)
- 81 mm various Tampella mortar models (standardized and modernized in the 1950's)
- 82 mm mortar (USSR, modernized as 82 Krh 36 RT)
- 120 mm Tampella m/40 mortar (120 Krh 40, I don't know if modernized at all?)
I'm not quite sure if 120 mm Soviet mortars are still in our stocks? Probably.
Also 9 mm m/31 "Suomi" SMGs have been used until these days (until 2000's). They were slightly modified in the 1950's for a new Swedish magazine type.
20 shermans rusting in a field....
In an old military vehicle scrap field in Tehran, Iran there are 20 Sherman tanks lined up in a row. I bet they are in poor shape with the exposure to the elements but they are there. Good luck getting to them!