What survived 1945?

Discussions on the equipment used by the Axis forces, apart from the things covered in the other sections. Hosted by Juha Tompuri
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AnchorSteam
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What survived 1945?

#1

Post by AnchorSteam » 31 Jan 2021, 07:04

I have been wondering what sort of arms caches were taken, particularly by the western powers after the surrender in May of 1945.

NOT Naval shipping, I already have that, and I can share it if you like.
Not Airpower, either.

I am talking about Army equipment here, anything from land-mines to Railroad guns, things that could have been put back into service before they got too rusty.
Ammunition would be interesting to hear about, too, but in general terms because it is probably only listed in tons of small-arms vs. artillery, if at all.

Asking because it came up elsewhere, and because I think a lot of people would be amazed to discover just how much "stuff" was surrenedered intact, and perhaps even unused. Even the highly exacting Wehrmacht could make some major book-keeping mistakes, or maybe stockpiles were isolated by lack of transport towards then end?

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Hans1906
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Re: What survived 1945?

#2

Post by Hans1906 » 01 Feb 2021, 22:33

A really strange question, you are surely aware that Germany was still full of war weapons after the german surrender in the year 1945.

And they were not exclusively german weapons.
I once "heard", that in a stovepipe on the occasion of a bulky waste collection, there was an american M1 carbine, the full automatic model with a folding stock, but without the magazine...

Personally, I think the story is still a pure rumor, what was an american carbine doing in a german stovepipe?
All very strange, very old stories, in this regard, I would not trust anyone, let alone believe...

Rumors, fairy tales, there was never such a thing, how and why at all?

Seriously for once, even in our childhood years in the 1960s, the old war stuff was everywhere, really everywhere.

We kids dug up the crap, not just once, and played "war" with the old rusty weapons.
We were very lucky, and none of us came to death by the "search".
Even we children could distinguish a machine gun 34 from a machine gun 42, children learn quickly.


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The paradise of the successful lends itself perfectly to a hell for the unsuccessful. (Bertold Brecht on Hollywood)


ROLAND1369
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Re: What survived 1945?

#3

Post by ROLAND1369 » 03 Feb 2021, 16:18

As late as the mid 70s we were digging up german weapons and equipment in the US occupied Casernes in Germany. One of my lieutenants brought me a weapon he had dug up to identify. it turned out to be a PPSH 1941 converted to 9 MM. During the Korean war the UNPIK guerrillas requested uniforms and were issued WW II SS camouflaged uniforms as sterile equipment.

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Hans1906
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Re: What survived 1945?

#4

Post by Hans1906 » 04 Feb 2021, 13:41

Roland,

When a large new spa center was built near the Zwischenahner Meer in my northern german hometown in the 1960s, a lot of old german material was found.
I remember whole piles of old german steel helmets on the construction site, and not even we children were interested in these helmets.
A neighbor found a rusted british Sten MP with a still full magazine, after another neighbor emptied the magazine, we kids played our war games with the british MP for years.
Unthinkable nowadays, but not uncommon in the 1960s....

Very sure was a whole squadron of guardian angels over us, what could have happened, I imagine today very reluctant, we were very lucky, at that time, very lucky... :roll:

Hans1906

P.S. In every little wood, in every bush, in every ditch, and in every old bomb crater the german soldiers disposed of their material, everywhere.
Not to speak of the dropped material of the Allies, ammunition of the Wehrmacht lay almost everywhere, we children collected in buckets, and handed in at the local police station, they were not very pleased at that time.
Our childhood friend M. lost an eye while handling old Wehrmacht rifle ammunition, very tragic.
(Carbide fishing, one of his early hobbies, but one one charge was too strong)

Parents and grandparents were constantly under alarm, but keep kids away from something like that, impossible.
The paradise of the successful lends itself perfectly to a hell for the unsuccessful. (Bertold Brecht on Hollywood)

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AnchorSteam
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Re: What survived 1945?

#5

Post by AnchorSteam » 04 Feb 2021, 21:23

Actually, I was wondering about Depots filled with confiscated weaponry in Allied hands as of the Summer of 1945.

You know, tanks and artillery still in usable condition. I know that the French had 2 Battalions of Panthers that they used in the first post-war decade, and that one of those tanks may have found it's way to Indo-China.

Not bits & pieces laying around, but job-lots of the stuff that was catalogued officially and presumably disposed of, somehow. Gear that would have been listed by the ton, or in the tens of thousands.
Not relics found in the dirt decades later.

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Re: What survived 1945?

#6

Post by ROLAND1369 » 06 Feb 2021, 16:40

The French made extensive use of the 20 MM mg 151 series aircraft cannon post war. It was used on Armored trains in Indochina and Algeria. It was used extensively as armament on combat river boats in Indochina as well as door gun armament on H 34 Helicopters in Algeria. The french Airforce and Navy operated JU 88 aircraft thru the early 1950s. They made extensive use of German MG 34 LMG and MP 40 SMGs in both Indochina and Algeria thru the 1950s. I have seen pictures of a French Armored Car Unit with all of the operators carrying MP 40s. As late as the early 70s we were still encountering MG 34s in the delta region of Viet Nam. The Russians transferred significant quanities of German 75 MM PAK 40 at guns to the North Viet Namese in the 50s. They also supplied them with large numbers of MG 42s for use a light AA weapons.

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Re: What survived 1945?

#7

Post by Hans1906 » 06 Feb 2021, 17:14

German weapons in the Vietnam war: https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/201 ... etnam-war/

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Re: What survived 1945?

#8

Post by strmn » 30 Mar 2021, 21:18

A Czech Army colleague of mine told me of a huge depot in Praha that was left by the Germans in 1945 and after the war a Czechoslovak film company bought and used a lot of the uniforms/weapons for post war films. A lot of depots were left in Czechoslovakia as well as battlefield detritus.

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Re: What survived 1945?

#9

Post by andrewwillson » 06 Apr 2021, 17:29

Very useful post i really appreciate thanks for sharing such a nice post

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Waleed Y. Majeed
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Re: What survived 1945?

#10

Post by Waleed Y. Majeed » 06 Apr 2021, 19:51

What a German depot looked like some days after May 5th. 1945. The depot clean-up was superviced by a british officer/unit with assistance of the danes (military/resistance). Hard labour was done by germans. Ammunition, explosives etc. was inspected and either sent off for recycling or dumped in the nearby bay. The depot was also used as a “transit” area for more interesting items such as various types of midget subs and other suspicious trailers.
Here’s the link to pictures: http://www.hanstholmregistreringen.dk/d ... fotos.html

I can translate if needed.

Waleed

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Mark in Cleveland, Tn.
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Re: What survived 1945?

#11

Post by Mark in Cleveland, Tn. » 08 Apr 2021, 04:13

can post [pics of huge armored depots of German tanks, acres of them
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T. A. Gardner
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Re: What survived 1945?

#12

Post by T. A. Gardner » 09 Apr 2021, 20:05

And, what the Germans did with those helmets post war...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFS_aAVfn_Y

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Re: What survived 1945?

#13

Post by Hans1906 » 10 Apr 2021, 13:52

Thanks for the video, it is well known...
Captured German Kar98k rifles at Stavanger, Norway, after the surrender of Germany in 1945.
A 6 year-old orphaned boy hugs a pair of shoes given to him by the American Red Cross. Austria, 1946

Which photo is more important, you all know the answer already...


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The paradise of the successful lends itself perfectly to a hell for the unsuccessful. (Bertold Brecht on Hollywood)

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Waleed Y. Majeed
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Re: What survived 1945?

#14

Post by Waleed Y. Majeed » 10 Apr 2021, 17:32

For a WWII connection no. 1 says more than the boy.

Waleed

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Re: What survived 1945?

#15

Post by jtns63 » 17 Jun 2021, 21:54

Waleed Y. Majeed wrote:
06 Apr 2021, 19:51
What a German depot looked like some days after May 5th. 1945. The depot clean-up was superviced by a british officer/unit with assistance of the danes (military/resistance). Hard labour was done by germans. Ammunition, explosives etc. was inspected and either sent off for recycling or dumped in the nearby bay. The depot was also used as a “transit” area for more interesting items such as various types of midget subs and other suspicious trailers.
Here’s the link to pictures: http://www.hanstholmregistreringen.dk/d ... fotos.html

I can translate if needed.

Waleed
Hej Waleed

Ang. Vestereng.

Jeg har fundet en del WW2 Tyske ting og sager (ala som du har fundet på Vestereng) med en detektor, jeg regner med, at tage derude igen i denne weekend og jeg ville starte ved gammel bunker nummer 5 og stedet hedder affaldsgruberne?

jtns63

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