"German use of foreign weapons" Topic

Do you reflect in your game scenarios the German use of weapons from other countries? I don't mean just Pz38ts, or Pz35ts.
I usually include the possibility for the Germans to be using Czech MGs, and Polish or British antitank rifles amongst their infantry support weapons. Bofors 37mm antitank guns in place of Pak35/36s. French 47mm antitank guns in place of Pak38s. Etc… In my scenario construction.

I have Czech lmgs in my early war SS platoon, but haven't painted it yet. I have a lot of different ATGs and the crew is based separately, so the Germans I have could pretty easily use any of them, I just never thought about it… I think I'll have to do some swapping some time. Maybe my Germans will have a 76mm Zis 3 next time out instead of the door knocker.

I like having the Germans with foreign weapons on occasion. Fallschirmjagers with Italian artillery pieces used during the Italian campaign for example. Another example is early war Waffen SS with Czech LMGs/MMGs and 'obsolete' SMGs. Even in North Africa Russian 76.2 'Crash Booms' were employed at ATGs.

I have my entire German wargaming army equipped with foreign equipment. Mostly French so it resembles 21st. Panzer in Normandy. They use Italian trucks, mostly. Some French. Russian, Italian, French artillery. Most of the armour is French, but some Italian. I hope to add some Dutch vehicles. This is in reaction to those monstrous hordes of Germans equipped with all the latest and best of German equipment.

I so wish someone would make some 28mm Germans with the US M1 carbine.

Warlord Games makes a few packs of Germans with captured weapons. The FJ pack has a carbine toting model. 28mm.

I found them but I don't use FJs

I`ve elements of 69th Panzergrenadier Regiment in Tunisia equipped with captured US halftracks and other vehicles. They make quite a nice group all based on actual photos too.

One thing I stumbled upon was that the SS divisions in '41 often had foreign weapons because the army kept them from getting new stuff. Small arms and even armored cars. A source said that some divisions were fielding P178s in place of SDKFZ 222s. Of course, several Panzer divisions had them in their recon units, too. But this goes against the idea that the SS always got the best equipment.

7th PD used Panhards in '41. Maybe others, idk.

There have been a few threads where the Germans using captured weapons have been discussed. Especially vehicles. Lotta good information in them. Robert

TMP link

TMP link

TMP link

TMP link

Due to its rugged reliability, the Soviet PPSh-41 was quite popular with all sides on the Eastern Front.

one thing I have always wondered about the PPSH is did they use soviet ammo, 7.62, in it or did they are configure it for German ammo, 9mm?

Gray Ghost – both, I understood?

The MP40 was popular with Brits (& indeed Americans) as unlike a Sten it didn't fire a burst when you dropped it…

The Germans converted some to using 9mm Parabellum and designated it the MP41r. But not many.
"unconverted PPSh-41s were designated MP717(r) and supplied with 7.63x25mm Mauser ammunition (which is dimensionally identical to 7.62x25mm, but somewhat less powerful)"
Robert

link

ppsh41.com/finn.html

Here is another thread,
TMP link

Robert

I've converted some Panhard 175s to radio cars by taking the bedframe aerials off of German ACs. there are lots of conversions for French equipment. Unic and Somua halftracks for example made by Ian Armstrong and I believe available from Ros Heroics. Very nice models. Lots of 21st Panzer in Normandy stuff. The problem with certain AT guns is the lack of ammo. Captured artillery was often used in static emplacements like the Atlantic wall because the when the ammo was expended, the guns would be overrun.

I always thought it would be easy to acquire soviet ammo up to around 43 but then what about during the retreat.

My point is that the really popular and useful captured weapons, like the French 7.5cm, or various models of the Russian 76.2cm gun, were rechambered for German ammunition. Other artillery was often used, but with limited supplies of ammunition. Sometimes German factories would produce short batches of foreign ammo, but the guns were usually used for static defense. As The Gray Ghost pointed out, as the war went on the Soviets only liked to supply the Germans with ammo one round at a time. Ammo dumps were easy to destroy, obsolete weapons, not so much.

"The MP40 was popular with Brits (& indeed Americans) as unlike a Sten it didn't fire a burst when you dropped it…"

Russians loved the MP40 also. It was very popular among Russian units.

Russian scouts liked the MP40 because they could replenish their ammo off the enemy.

On the other hand, I have seen a few photos of Germans with sten guns, in Holland, I think? You can fire the thing whilst prone, unlike an MP40. I don't think the quality of the enemies weapon counted as much as just 'having one' if you know what I mean?

John

The Germans made their own sten copy but gave it a vertical magazine.

yOu capture any enemy weapon with ammo you may as well fire the off…

Fallshirmjagers used SMLEs to give themselves so long-range punch. The Germans were envying Brits the SMLE in the great War let alone the 2nd