Blorange wrote: ↑17 May 2021 10:50
Seeing that ppsh, did the Germans ever get a hold of Suomis? Either bought from the Finns, or captures late in the war (or even earlier as second hand captures off of the Soviets)?
Germany bought about 3,000 Suomi M/31 in 1942 - 1943 and they seem to have had captured small numbers in Poland and France (*). In addition Finland donated 120 Suomi M/31 to AOK Norwegen in July of 1942. In addition the Germans captured at least 1,400 Suomi SMG manufactured in Denmark under license, although those guns may have stayed in Denmark.
(*) The guns in French inventory originated from Spain.
I doubt there were that many German captured Suomi M/31. Typically large number of small arms seem to be captured when troops either capture and held a battlefield and/or take large number of prisoners of war. Lapland War had German troops retreating, fighting delay actions and defending earlier prepared defensive lines and the total number of Finnish prisoners of War taken by the Germans apparently being only 164 men. Also the number of Suomi M/31 captured by the Soviets was drop in the ocean sort of situation among other more standard small arms in Soviet inventory.
More detailed info on this webpage in my website:
http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/MACHINEPISTOLS1.htm