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German sidearms carried by GIs


dan_the_hun84
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dan_the_hun84

I have been noticing while going through some old books I haven't looked at in awhile, that GI's in the ETO (especially in post D-Day pics) seem to have had a penchant for carrying German sidearms, especially what look to be P.38s. While I know this wasn't the "norm" but it doesn't seem to have been that uncommon either, anyone have thoughts or pics? My granddad brought home a P.38, but it was a trophy rather than a item he carried.

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My great uncle and I talked about that, carrying german sidearms was popular (in his experience) not just for status and bad a** factor, but because a lot of the guys didn't have sidearms of their own and you cant go wrong with a backup weapon.

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My grandfather (104th Div, 413th IR) carried a Unique Model 17 with him which I have. My dad said he acquired it from a medic, not sure if it was Allied or German medic though!

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El Bibliotecario

Here's my friend the late Jim Harvey in Germany. He and I were both in the 11th Inf--obviously not at the same time. A lifelong firearms affectionado, the P.08 he is brandishing is only one of a number of enemy pistols he acquired. Photo is dated April 1945.

post-2215-0-96016100-1385160296.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...
USCapturephotos

Here's my friend the late Jim Harvey in Germany. He and I were both in the 11th Inf--obviously not at the same time. A lifelong firearms affectionado, the P.08 he is brandishing is only one of a number of enemy pistols he acquired. Photo is dated April 1945.

I love the Luftwaffe buckle and the hat pin he has pinned to his trousers as well. I collect original snapshots of US GI's with their souvenirs and do see them with German pistols all of the time. I think it was for both reasons...to have a backup weapon as well as a nice souvenir to bring home.

Paul

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  • 3 weeks later...

Great Photo... Hadn't seen that one before..

Interesting details... the guy carrying the luger holster is wearing a pistol belt & full bandoleers with his M1.. note the guy next to him wearing the BAR belt & carrying a Garand.. wonder if he was carrying mags for the BAR gunner or just a bigger belt to hold more M1 ammo?

 

Kration

 

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My uncle and a number of his WWII buddies in the unattached 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion that I interviewed over the years had a few things to say about the topic. A few liked Luger's and P.38s because of their balance and they weren't as "clunky" as the .45s. They liked the smaller Mauser, Belgium or Czech pistols German officers carried because they were easy to carry as a back up. But most all said in a close fight they wanted the knock down power of the .45. The 509 had six arrow heads for spearheading invasions from the Invasion of North Africa through the Battle of the Bulge, they were front line troops who had access to lots of german weapons and one thing they all said was that you didn't want get captured and have a German sidearm on you, because they knew of troops who were shot outright who did. One told of burying a luger he wore in an Italian cornfield just before being captured near Avalino. He escaped a week later. My uncle said at Anzio, they pulled them off the line for a rest on the deck of a destroyer off the beach. He said they'd taken stacks of small arms from prisoners they took, and a P38, luger or Schmiser was a good trade item to get a bottle of booze and a sailor to give up his bunk instead of having to sleep on deck.

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  • 4 weeks later...
russell moore

One of my buddies has pics of his grandpa carrying a PPK in a shoulder holster

He was a jeep driver and carried it pretty much all the time

my buddy now has the rig and the pics great piece of family history I told him

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  • 3 weeks later...

The Sauer factory was liberated by the 11th Armored Division. My uncle actually stayed there a night or two and nearly everyone in his unit left with a 38H.

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