Photos - Germans with captured firearms

[carius]

suomi.jpg

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)?

3,042 were ordered by Germany from Finland during WWII and likely issued to the Wehrmacht and SS. Also 120 Suomi KP's were presented to the German troops of AOK Norwegen in 1942 for use on the Finnish Front.Most of these weapons left Finland with German troops in 1944 and were subsequently used in other theaters of the war.

Greetings
George

[JTV]

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

[pozzytraction]

The last picture was taken during the Battle of the Bulge. The Waffen SS troop is carrying a captured GI .30 M-1 Carbine.

[pozzytraction]

[pozzytraction]

59D2E8AA-B20E-4793-8EBB-00ED80F20E35.jpeg

My pre war P-38.

[von thoma]

SVT Tokarev rifle

[Poot]

Nice photo! Very good clarity, and showing the late two port muzzle brake.

Pat

[von thoma]

Finish troops with Soviet firearms.

What weapon is in the middle ?

[LineDoggie]

Tis a Finnish made LMG the Lahti-Saloranta M/26.

Short recoil operation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTltjM3 ... tenWeapons

[von thoma]

Thanks.

Finish troops with Soviet firearms.

I meant to say Finnish...

[Germanicus]

LEWIS MG used by Berlin Volkssturm.

In the autumn of 1944, when the Volkssturm battalions were formed in Germany, 2891 pieces of 6.5-mm Lewis M1920 machine guns from
the arsenals of occupied Holland were transferred to arm them.

https://warsh.livejournal.com/7528710.html

[Poot]

German forces were using them even before that. I have an empty crate and a number of full boxes of 1943 dated 6.5X53R ammunition that was manufactured at occupied FN in Liege, Belgium. They also produced training ammunition of the same caliber with wooden bullets.

[Germanicus]

German forces were using them even before that. I have an empty crate and a number of full boxes of 1943 dated 6.5X53R ammunition that was manufactured at occupied FN in Liege, Belgium. They also produced training ammunition of the same caliber with wooden bullets.

Dear Poot

That is nice to know. My reference was in relation to the Volkssturm and the photograph.

Not into relation as to whem they were first used.

Most respectfully

Germanicus

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=192705&start=1440

[Poot]

Its a 'Germans with captured weapons' thread, and the Volkssturm were German forces, hence including the background information on it.

[Linkagain]

Picture in message 1636 was from Stroop report on the Warsaw Ghetto April-May 1943

According to Cornelius Ryans "The LAst Battle" The germans had a logistical nightmare of Arms from every country they captured if I rember reading it correctly belgium rifle ammo would fit in German rifles but not vice versa; in fact the German had so much Greek Rifle ammo they had to set machereny to make it fit in German Rifles....