dan_the_hun84 Posted November 17, 2013 Share #1 Posted November 17, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uberguido Posted November 17, 2013 Share #2 Posted November 17, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory Posted November 17, 2013 Share #3 Posted November 17, 2013 Discussed here http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/63338-any-pictures-of-gis-wearing-german-gear/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SergeantMajorGray Posted November 17, 2013 Share #4 Posted November 17, 2013 My grandfather brought home a Mauser Hsc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timberwolf Posted November 18, 2013 Share #5 Posted November 18, 2013 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Bibliotecario Posted November 22, 2013 Share #6 Posted November 22, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKIPH Posted November 23, 2013 Share #7 Posted November 23, 2013 My Dad carried a German Occupation Browning Hi-Power in a US holster. SKIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M10 Posted December 10, 2013 Share #8 Posted December 10, 2013 My dad brought a Browning High Power with Nazi markings back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCapturephotos Posted December 11, 2013 Share #9 Posted December 11, 2013 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backtheattack Posted December 27, 2013 Share #10 Posted December 27, 2013 It seems handguns where among the greatest souvenier of the war. There are so much pictures in books and in the net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgutierrez Posted December 29, 2013 Share #11 Posted December 29, 2013 Hello, Here is a pic I found on the National Archives site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kration Posted December 29, 2013 Share #12 Posted December 29, 2013 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted December 30, 2013 Share #13 Posted December 30, 2013 That guy is the assistant gunner to the BAR man, who's job was carrying extra magazines for the gunner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
509PIB Posted December 30, 2013 Share #14 Posted December 30, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russell moore Posted January 21, 2014 Share #15 Posted January 21, 2014 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtack Posted February 6, 2014 Share #16 Posted February 6, 2014 My grandfather brought back a Nazi marked Hi power, with clear plastic grips. One of these days I'll post some pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrkAliteN Posted February 12, 2014 Share #17 Posted February 12, 2014 Sauer 38H was most likely a popular German semi auto the US GI's would have wanted. More compact than the Lugers and some others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbettcher Posted February 12, 2014 Share #18 Posted February 12, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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