Allies and Nazi forces usuing captured equipment

Apparently, the PPsH submachinegun was very popular with German Army units on the Eastern Front. It was light, controllable, far more rugged than the MP-40 series, and it had that nice big drum magazine that ther Germans never had. In addition, it used the 9x19mm cartridge, (9mm parabellum to the rest of the world) which was also used and produced by the Germans. I have seen many photos of Germans using it, and ironically, I have seen almost as mony photos of Russians using the MP-40.... go figure!

Dean.
 
Well with the Russians it was case if they captured a pile of them and the ammunition was compatible then why not issue it to your own soldiers. The 9mm rounds were pretty standard during WW2.
 
Has ever Americans or British captured the Tiger or Panther and use them for battle?
 
Fox said:
Has ever Americans or British captured the Tiger or Panther and use them for battle?
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Ok this is a bit of a necro but the answer is yes, here is a Panther with what looks like the Coldstream Guards.

BritishPantherColdstreamGuards.jpg
 
Dean said:
Apparently, the PPsH submachinegun was very popular with German Army units on the Eastern Front. It was light, controllable, far more rugged than the MP-40 series, and it had that nice big drum magazine that ther Germans never had. In addition, it used the 9x19mm cartridge, (9mm parabellum to the rest of the world) which was also used and produced by the Germans. I have seen many photos of Germans using it, and ironically, I have seen almost as mony photos of Russians using the MP-40.... go figure!

Dean.
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The PPsH was in fact a 7.62x25 Tokarev, very similar to the German 7.63 Mauser bottle neck used in the Mauser 96, but far higher pressures.

In fact a Mauser 96 will fire a 7.62x25, but it will destroy the firearm in short order, same as when the British Mk2Z 9mm Parabellum was fired in the PO8. The rear pin on the PO8 would sheer.
 
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The first battle at Tobruk the Allies used any thing they could lay there hands on, if it broke or ran out of ammunition they just dumped it, but while it worked fine.
 
I was watching newsreel of the war in North Africa this afternoon, it clearly showed a German Afrika Korps soldier firing a Boys Mk1 .55 anti tank rifle.
 
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BritinAfrica said:
I was watching newsreel of the war in North Africa this afternoon, it clearly showed a German Afrika Korps soldier firing a Boys Mk1 .55 anti tank rifle.
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No chance it was a Panzerbüchse 39?
As many of those were sent to North Africa, I have spent the better part of 2 years looking for one to add to the collection.
 
MontyB said:
No chance it was a Panzerbüchse 39?
As many of those were sent to North Africa, I have spent the better part of 2 years looking for one to add to the collection.
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It was definitely a Boys Mk1 with the round muzzle brake, I'd know the bugger anywhere after one kicked the crap outta me.

Useless against British and American tanks, but good enough for trucks.
 
The Germans used a lot of British equipment in North Africa, especially lorries/trucks.
They captured so much equipment and were so short of matreial themselves that they used what ever they got hold of, including weapons
This was not just in Africa but also following the invasion of Russia.
They captured loads of artillery and either re-bored it to German callibres or used captured Russian ammunition.
There is a picture of German paratroopers on the back of a King Tiger and one is clearly holding a Sten and another has a Bren Gun.

para2.jpg


para1.jpg
 
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I loved the BREN, I'd love to get my hands on one in full working order. As for the STEN, no thanks, but the Sterling is another matter.

If I remember correctly Rommel used a captured AEC Matador caravan, I know Monty had one. Damn good trucks except for their 29MPH top speed. I knocked one into neutral going down hill once. I never made that mistake again, I got wheel wobble at 35MPH. I think I smoked a full pack of Rothmans king size when I finally managed to stop it.
 
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I remember firing the Bren in cadets and then the LMG. Loved it!
Can't see why the Falschirmjaeger was using the Sten when he could have the MP40?
I used the Sterling and found it an excellent weapon. Simple and reliable.

Monty used Italian equipment for his caravan.
Throughout military history, people have used the enemy's equipment.
 
In North Africa Monty used a 6 wheel Leyland Retriever as one of his caravans, he also had a Mack. The Lancia truck was his map truck captured in Tunisia.

The Leyland is in the Duxford collection.
 
Trooper1854 said:
Must be a sickner to see your own stuff being used against you!
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I would be highly peeved to say the least.

Terrorists in Malaya used weapons provided by the British to fight the Japanese against them. I'd be highly annoyed if I were shot by a STEN, which usually jams.:mad:
 
BritinAfrica said:
I would be highly peeved to say the least.

Terrorists in Malaya used weapons provided by the British to fight the Japanese against them. I'd be highly annoyed if I were shot by a STEN, which usually jams.:mad:
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Mk1 Sten was more likely to fire if you dropped it than if you pulled the trigger!:shock:
 
I know that in the Falklands, British troops were using the Argentinian version of the L1A1 SLR as it had a fully auto capability, and it used the same ammo.
I remeber seeing a picture of a vast pile of them, and the the heavy barreled version, outside a sheep shed near Port Stanley after the surrender.
I was attending a training session with the Armed Response Team and they had a collection of confiscated weapons, real and fake, and one of these "Para versions" was among them.
They found it in a loft during a raid on a house for stolen property.
The guy was a Falkland's veteran and had brought it home as a souvenir!
 
My take on the heavy barrelled version of the SLR, its too heavy for a rifle, and too light for an LMG.

What's wrong with bringing home a souvenir or two? This is what peeves me, during war the powers that be are only too happy to stick a gun in a blokes hand and say, "There you go son, go and get yourself killed." Yet at cease of hostilities the attitude to the same bloke is (if he survives), "YOU WANT A GUN??? Sorry son you can't be trusted."

Many years ago there was a firearms amnesty in UK, people could hand in illegal firearm's without fear of prosecution. There was the usual collection of old Lee Enfield's, PO8's including a BREN! . A little old lady phoned the local cop shop and asked if they could collect a "big gun." When she was asked to bring it in she told them she couldn't lift it. Plod went around to her house in a Panda car, went into the front room and saw a pristine Vickers, complete with water can and belt in the gun ready to go. By now plod is panicking, lots of radio calls to and fro and finally an Army unit was contacted and asked "Could they unload the gun?" Apparently a civi cleaner working in the office overheard the conversation and told them he was a Vickers gunner during WW2. The bloke was bundled into a Land Rover and taken to the house where he successfully unloaded the gun and took it off the tripod.

When asked where the gun came from she said her husband was given it during WW2 as he was a Home Guard Officer, when the war was over he tried to give it back, but as there was no paperwork no one wanted to take irresponsibility for it. So the old boy spent his days cleaning and polishing it.

I heard/read the gun was one of the best examples found finally ending up in a museum.

I wouldn't mind finding a Vickers in my front room
 
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