Who had pistols?

Sebastian Pye · Post by **Sebastian Pye** » Fri May 30, 2003 3:00 am

Im just wondering did only officers have pistols or was it common for ordinary soldiers as well? Was there a difference from the beginning and the end of the war? How many pistols were there in a platoon? Were they handed out at random?

Roger Griffiths · Post by **Roger Griffiths** » Fri May 30, 2003 3:44 am

Pistols were'nt an officer only weapon. They were issued according to unit organisation. The list would be endless, but panzer crews and machine gun teams were significant carriers of pistols. For instance, Panzer Company 'Panther' KStN 1177(fg) of 1Apr44 had 103 O+M and 85 pistols.

Roger

Sebastian Pye · Post by **Sebastian Pye** » Fri May 30, 2003 6:06 am

Someone told me it was a court martial offense for if an enlisted rifleman was found walking around with a pistol

Abwehr · Post by **Abwehr** » Fri May 30, 2003 6:48 am

I've heard that also, but I've also heard that no one enforced that.

Lustmolch · Post by **Lustmolch** » Fri May 30, 2003 8:53 am

I presume that pistols were issued to men whom would have found a rifle inconvenient and otherwise would have had no means of personal defence. In this category come panzer and SPG crews, panzerschreck teams and machine gun crews. I cannot think of any other examples. A photo exists of a feldbischof with a Walther pistol in holster though apparently members of the clergy were forbidden by Geneva Convention to bear arms.

charlie don't surf · Post by **charlie don't surf** » Fri May 30, 2003 10:14 am

PaK crews.

Best regards/ Daniel

Roger Griffiths · Post by **Roger Griffiths** » Fri May 30, 2003 3:27 pm

Are you ignoring what I wrote? I've quoted one organisation, there were numerous others. It's a matter of common sense, which does'nt seem to be very common. Imagine a panzer crew equipped with rifles!

Roger

charlie don't surf · Post by **charlie don't surf** » Fri May 30, 2003 5:06 pm

I'm sorry Roger but why so hostile? What have I done to you? I thought it might be of value to mention PaK crews since this is troops that often are overlooked when it comes to the issuing of pistols to regular soldiers.

Best regards/ Daniel

Roger Griffiths · Post by **Roger Griffiths** » Sat May 31, 2003 12:40 am

Sorry Charlie, occupational hazard of being interested in military history. Your example is very good example. Actually, I was not referring to your post. Earlier post suggests that other ranks not allowed pistols, after I have given example of official organisation and pointing out there were many more.

As you mention Pak40, Platoon had 36 personnel, 4 Pak40, 13 pistols, 18 rifles and 5 MP's (Extract from KStN 1140(motz)(fg) of 1Apr44)

Roger

charlie don't surf · Post by **charlie don't surf** » Sun Jun 01, 2003 6:29 am

I see Roger.

Best regards/ Daniel

Douglas Aguiar · Post by **Douglas Aguiar** » Sun Jun 01, 2003 4:19 pm

Hi,

The Wehrmacht was very tolerant concerning who could carry pistols. In fact bigger caliber pistols (9mm Luger), as Lugers, P-38s, Hi-Powers and Radom P35 were issued mainly to NCO´s while Officers usually had some freedom to choose their pistols, most from .32ACP caliber (or .380 ACP), as Walthers PP/PPK, Mausers M1914 and HSc, Sauer 38H, and many other foreigns guns.

Pilots, tank and anti-tank crews, MG teams and Fallschimjagers always received these pistols.

Interesting to point that FJ troopers who always prefer bigger caliber pistols, because they jump only with them, having to reach the containers where the rifles, MG and MP were after land.

Hope it helps,

Regards,

Douglas.

Stefan · Post by **Stefan** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 10:06 am

I'm not quite sure where I read them, but I remember several stories mentioning Beute sidearms carried by Wehrmacht soldiers. One story was about the fighting in the Pantherstellung where the narrator (I guess it was an Obergefreiter or Oberjäger) recalled that the extremely fine sand in the area jammed all weapons except the revolver he was carrying and the hand grenades. In another story, a Nachrichten soldier stationed in Southern France in 1944 referred to his Belgian Beute revolver as "Zimmerflak" because it had an very large caliber (I think it was 13 or 14 mm).

behblc · Post by **behblc** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 12:39 pm

Feldgendarmerie all carried pistols as a secondary arm , machine pistol / rifle as primary weapon.
Didn't know about the C.M. possibility concerning pistol being carried by other weapons holders.
Feldgendarmerie would have needed pistol owning to the nature of their job.
J.S.

Roger Griffiths · Post by **Roger Griffiths** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 1:11 pm

Yes, it was quite common for divisions to have a considerable number of foreign small arms. They were usually intended for supply troops, but that was not the actuality. Following is not best example, but gives an idea.

21PD 1June1944

380 9mm pistols (b), 280 8mm rifles (f), 89 rifles (j), 18 rifles (t), 100 MP (f), 127 MG311 (f).

Roger

ratdog · Post by **ratdog** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 2:29 am

Roger Griffiths wrote:Are you ignoring what I wrote? I've quoted one organisation, there were numerous others. It's a matter of common sense, which does'nt seem to be very common. Imagine a panzer crew equipped with rifles!

Roger

I know someone who SHOULDN'T have a pistol!!!!

Feldgrau.net

Who had pistols?

Who had pistols?

Pistols in Wehrmacht

Pistols / Other Weapons.