This page contains a list of equipment used the German military of World War II. Germany used a number of type designations for their weapons. In some cases, the type designation and series number (i.e. FlaK 30) are sufficient to identify a system, but occasionally multiple systems of the same type are developed at the same time and share a partial designation. [1]
Image | Name/designation | Type | Role/s | Length | From (year) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seitengewehr 42 | Combat knife, bayonet | Close combat | 17.95 cm (7.07 in) | 1944 | Never produced in large quantities | |
S84/98 III bayonet | Combat knife, bayonet | 25.1 cm (9.9 in) | 1935 | |||
Seitengewehr 98 | Combat knife, bayonet | Close combat | 50 cm (20 in) | 1898 | First incorporated into the German army as a bayonet for the Mauser M1898 rifle |
Image | Name/designation | Type | Role/s | Action | Origin | Variant/s | Base model/s | Manufacturer/s | Cartridge/s | Effective firing range (m) | From (year) | Estimated wartime quantity | Unloaded mass (kg) | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bodeo M1889 | Revolver | Sidearm | Double action | Kingdom of Italy | Type A Enlisted model and Type B officer's model | - | Societa Siderurgica Glisenti | 10.35mm Ordinanza Italiana | 1889 | ? | 0.950 | During World War II, the Wehrmacht designated the Bodeo as Revolver 680(i) when utilized as an alternative firearm. | |||
''Lebel'' Modèle 1892 | Revolver | Sidearm | Double action, single action | French Third Republic | - | - | Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne | 8mm French Ordnance | 1892 | ? | 0.85 | Designated as Revolver 637(f) | |||
Beretta M1934 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | Kingdom of Italy | - | - | Beretta | .380 ACP | 1934 | ? | Designated as Pistole 671(i) | ||||
Beretta M1935 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | Kingdom of Italy | - | - | Beretta | .32 ACP | 1935 | ? | Designated as Pistole 672(i) | ||||
Webley revolver | Revolver | Sidearm | Double action, single action | United Kingdom | MK I, MK I, MK III, MK IV, MK V and MK VI | - | Webley & Scott | .455 Webley, .45 ACP | 1887 | ? | 2.4 | Designated as Revolver 646(e) for the MK I to Revolver 655(e) for the MK VI. | |||
- | Pistole vz. 22 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Short recoil, rotating barrel | Czechoslovakia | - | - | Zbrojovka Brno, Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod | .380 ACP | 1921 | ? | 0.67 | Captured after the defeat of Czechoslovakia and used in very limited numbers. The destination for the pistol is still unknown. | ||
Pistole vz. 24 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated, rotating barrel | Czechoslovakia | - | - | Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod, Böhmische Waffenfabrik (Under German Occupation) | .380 ACP | 1923 | ? | 0.67 | Designated as Pistole 24(t) | |||
ČZ vz. 27 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated, rotating barrel | Czechoslovakia | - | Pistole vz. 24 | Česká zbrojovka, Böhmische Waffenfabrik (Under German Occupation) | .32 ACP | 1939 | ? | 0.67 | Designated as Pistole 27(t) | |||
ČZ vz. 38 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | Czechoslovakia | - | - | Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod | .380 ACP | 1939 | ? | Designated as Pistole 39(t) | ||||
Nagant M1895 | Revolver | Sidearm | Double action, single action | Russian Empire, Belgium | Various | - | Various | 7.62×38mmR | 1895 | ? | Designated as Revolver 612(r) | ||||
TT pistol | Pistol | Close-quarters/sidearm | Short recoil actuated, locked breech, single action | Soviet Union | Various | - | Various | 7.62x25mm Tokarev 9x19mm Parabellum | 1930 | ? | Designated as Pistole 615(r) and used by the Army and the Volkssturm. | ||||
Dreyse M1907 | Pistol | Close-quarters/sidearm | Blowback-operated, unlocked breech | German Empire | K. Sachs. Gend and Dreyse Rheinmetal ABT. Sommerda | - | Rheinmetall | .32 ACP | 25 | 1905 | ? | 0.710 | Used by the Volkssturm and the Volksgrenadier units in 1943–1945. | ||
Luger P08 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Short recoil, toggle-locked | German Empire | Various | Borchardt C-93 | Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken, Mauser | 7.65×21mm Parabellum, 9×19mm Parabellum | 50 | 1900 | 3,000,000 | 0.871 | |||
Lange Pistole 08 | Pistol carbine | Close-quarters, sidearm | Short recoil, toggle-locked | German Empire | Various | Borchardt C-93 | Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken, Mauser | 7.65×21mm Parabellum, 9×19mm Parabellum | 1913 | 2,000 | Used by Artillerymen in the German Army and Waffen-SS units, and these continued in use until the end of the war in 1945. | ||||
Luger M1900 Carbine | Pistol carbine | Close-quarters, sidearm | Short recoil, toggle-locked | German Empire | Various | Borchardt C-93 | Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken, Mauser | 7.65×21mm Parabellum, 9×19mm Parabellum | 1900 | ? | Used in very limited numbers during the late 1943 until the demise of the Nazi Germany in 1945. | ||||
Mauser C96 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Short recoil | German Empire | Various | - | Mauser | 7.63×25mm Mauser, 9×19mm Parabellum | 1896 | 1,100,000+ | 1.13 | 19,000 Mauser C96 were used by the Army in 1942–1945 and the government purchased 7,800 Mauser M1930 variants for the Luftwaffe. | |||
Mauser HSc | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | Nazi Germany | HSc Super | - | Mauser | .32 ACP, .380 ACP | 40 | 1935 | 251,988 | 0.700 | |||
Mauser M1914 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Recoil Operation | German Empire, Nazi Germany | Model 1910 and Model 1934 | - | Mauser | .25 ACP (M1910), .32 ACP | 1910 | 3,455 | Used mostly by the German police and the Kriegsmarine. | ||||
Sauer 38H | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Straight blowback | Nazi Germany | - | - | Sauer | .25 ACP, .32 ACP, .380 ACP | 25 | 1938 | 200,000 | 0.705 | |||
Steyr M1912 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Recoil-operated | Austria-Hungary | Doppelpistole M1912 and Repetierpistole M1912/P16 | Roth–Steyr M1907 | Steyr | 9mm Luger, 9mm Steyr | 50 | 1912 | ? | 1.2 | Converted to 9mm Parabellum as the P12(ö) | ||
Radom vz. 35 Vis | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Recoil-operated, closed bolt | Poland | - | Browning Hi-Power | FB Radom | 9×19mm Parabellum | 1939 | ? | 0.950 | Occupied Polish production | |||
Volkspistole | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | Nazi Germany | - | - | Walther, Mauser, Gustloff | 9×19mm Parabellum | 50 | 1945 | 16~ | 1.088 | Prototype semi-automatic pistol. | ||
Walther P38 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Short recoil, locked breech | Nazi Germany | Various | - | Walther, Mauser, Spreewerk | 9×19mm Parabellum | 50 | 1939 | 1,000,000 | 0.800 | Standard issue pistol during World War II | ||
Walther PP | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Straight blowback | Weimar Republic | Various | - | Walther | .32 ACP, .380 ACP, .22 LR, .25 ACP, 9×18mm Ultra | 1929 | ? | |||||
Walther PPK | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Straight blowback | Weimar Republic | Various | Walther PP | Walther | .32 ACP, .380 ACP, .22 LR, .25 ACP, 9×18mm Ultra | 1929 | ? | Shorter version of the Walther PP. | ||||
Walther Model 7 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | German Empire | - | - | Walther | .25 ACP | 1915 | ? | Used by the Luftwaffe, Tank crews and even the Waffen-SS, served with the model 8. | ||||
Walther Model 8 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | Weimar Republic | - | - | Walther | .25 ACP | 1920 | ? | Used by the Luftwaffe, tank crews and even the Waffen-SS, served with the model 7. | ||||
Walther Model 9 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | Weimar Republic | - | - | Walther | .25 ACP | 1921 | ? | Used by Tank crews as their pocket pistol. | ||||
Astra 300 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback/single | Francoist Spain | - | Astra 400 | Astra-Unceta y Cia SA | 9mm Largo | 1941 | 85,000 | 0.641 | Imported from Spain | |||
Astra 400 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback/single | Francoist Spain | Various | - | Astra-Unceta y Cia SA | 9mm Largo | 1921 | 6,000~ | 1.14 | Imported from Spain | |||
Astra 600 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | Francoist Spain | - | Astra 400 | Astra-Unceta y Cia SA | 9×19mm Parabellum | 1944 | 11,000~ | 1.08 | Imported from Spain | |||
Astra 900 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Short recoil | Francoist Spain | - | Mauser C96 | Astra-Unceta y Cia SA | 9x19 Parabellum | 1944 | 1050~ | Imported from Spain | ||||
Browning Hi-Power | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Short recoil, tilting barrel | United States Belgium | Various | - | Fabrique Nationale | *7.65×21mm Parabellum, 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W | 50 | 1940 | 300,000+ | 1.00 | Occupied Belgian production | ||
FÉG 37M | Pistol | Close-quarters/sidearm | Blowback-operated | Kingdom of Hungary | P.Mod 37.Kal 7.65 variant (German issue) | Frommer 29M | Fémáru, Fegyver és Gépgyár (FÉG) | .380 ACP, .32 ACP | 1937 | ? | 0.770 | Imported from Hungary | |||
Star Model B | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Short recoil, tilting barrel | Spain | Various | Colt M1911 | Star Bonifacio Echeverria | 9×19mm Parabellum | 1922 | ? | Designated as Pistole Star Modell B (.08) and imported from Spain for the Luftwaffe during the Battle of France. | ||||
FN M1910 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | Belgium | Various | - | Fabrique Nationale (FN) | .380 ACP, .32 ACP | 1910 | ? | 0.590 | Occupied Belgian production | |||
FN M1922 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | Belgium | Various | - | Fabrique Nationale (FN) | .380 ACP, .32 ACP | 1922 | ? | 0.700 | Occupied Belgian production | |||
Kongsberg M1914 Colt | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Recoil-operated, closed bolt | Norway | - | Colt M1911 | Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk | .45 ACP | 1940 | 8200 | Occupied Norwegian Production | ||||
MAB Model D | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Blowback-operated | France | Type I and Type II | - | Manufacture d'armes de Bayonne | 7.65×17mm Browning SR .380 ACP | 1933 | ? | Occupied France Production | ||||
Pistolet Modèle 1935A | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Short recoil | France | - | - | Manufacture d'armes de Bayonne | 7.65x20mm Long | 1935 | ? | Occupied France Production and designated as Pistole 625(f). | ||||
Colt M1911/A1 | Pistol | Close-quarters, sidearm | Short recoil | United States | Various | - | Colt Manufacturing Company | .45 ACP | 1911 | ? | Designated as Pistole 660(a). | ||||
M1917 Revolver | Revolver | Sidearm | Double-action | United States | Slightly differing versions of the M1917 were made by Colt and Smith & Wesson | - | Smith & Wesson, Colt Manufacturing Company | .45 ACP | 1917 | ? | Designated as Revolver 661(a) for the Smith & Wesson version and the Revolver 662(a) for the Colt version. |
Image | Name/designation | Type | Role/s | Action | Origin | Manufacturer/s | Cartridge/s | Effective firing range (m) | From (year) | Estimated wartime quantity | Unloaded mass (kg) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gewehr 41(M) | Rifle | Front-line, assault | Bolt-action, gas trap, rotating-bolt | Nazi Germany | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 400 | 1941 | 6,673 | 4.9 | ||
Gewehr 41(W) | Rifle | Front-line/assault | Gas trap, flapper locking | Nazi Germany | Walther | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 400 | 1941 | 145,000 | 4.9 | ||
Gewehr 43 | Rifle | Front-line/assault | Short-stroke piston, flapper locking | Nazi Germany | Walther | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 500 | 1943 | 402,713 | 4.4 | ||
Gewehr 43 sniper rifle | Sniper rifle | Long-range precision | Short-stroke piston, flapper locking | Nazi Germany | Walther | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 800 | 1943 | 53,435 | 4.4 | ||
Gewehr 98 | Rifle | Front-line infantry | Bolt action | German Empire | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 500 | 1898 | 9,000,000+ | 4.09 | ||
Karabiner 98a | Carbine | Front-line | Bolt action | German Empire | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1908 | 1,500,000 | ||||
Karabiner 98b | Rifle | Front-line | Bolt action | German Empire | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1923 | ? | ||||
Gewehr 98 sniper rifle | Sniper rifle | Long-range precision | Bolt action | German Empire | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 800≥ | 1935 | 15,000 | 4.09 | ||
HIW VSK | Rifle | Front-line infantry | Bolt-action | Nazi Germany | Hessische Industrie Werke | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1944 | ? | ||||
HIW VSK Carbine | Carbine | Front-line infantry | Blow forward | Nazi Germany | Hessische Industrie Werke | 7.92×33mm Kurz | 1944 | ? | ||||
Karabiner 98k | Rifle | Front-line infantry | Bolt-action | Nazi Germany | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 500 | 1935 | 14,000,000~ | 4.1 | Main German rifle during World War II | |
Karabiner 98k sniper rifle | Sniper rifle | Long-range precision | Bolt-action | Nazi Germany | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1000≥ | 1935 | 132,000 | 4.1 | ||
M30 Luftwaffe drilling | Combination rifle, shotgun | Hunting/self-defence | Blitz lock system | Nazi Germany | Sauer | 9.3x74mmR, 12 Gauge | 1941 | 2456 | 3.4 | Issued to Luftwaffe aircraft as survival weapon | ||
Gewehr 98/40 (FÉG 35M) | Rifle | Front-line | Bolt-action | Kingdom of Hungary | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1941 | 138,000 | 3.98 | Imported from Hungary | |||
Gewehr 24(t) (vz. 24) | Rifle | Front-line infantry | Bolt-action | Czechoslovakia | Zbrojovka Brno | 7.92×57mm Mauser, 7×57mm Mauser, 7.65×53mm Mauser | 1939 | 330,000 | 4.2 | Upgraded to Karabiner 98k standards, occupied Czech production | ||
StG 44 (Sturmgewehr 44) | Assault rifle | Front-line/assault | Long-stroke piston, tilting-bolt | Nazi Germany | Mauser | 7.92×33mm Kurz | 450 | 1945 | 425,977 | 4 | ||
vz. 33 as Gewehr 33(t) | Rifle | Front-line infantry | Bolt-action | Czechoslovakia | Zbrojovka Brno | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1939 | 131,503 | 3.1 | Occupied Czech production |
Nazi Germany had captured many models of foreign equipment. In the list below, only most prominent captured models are listed. For full listing of captured vehicles see List of foreign vehicles used by Nazi Germany in World War II
Motorcycles were often paired with a sidecar as a Wehrmachtsgespann .
|
|
The Panzer II is the common name used for a family of German tanks used in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen II.
This article lists production figures for German armored fighting vehicles during the World War II era. Vehicles include tanks, self-propelled artillery, assault guns and tank destroyers.
The Panzerkampfwagen 38(t), originally known as the ČKD LT vz. 38, was a tank designed during the 1930s, which saw extensive service during World War II. Developed in Czechoslovakia by ČKD, the type was adopted by Nazi Germany following the annexation of Czechoslovakia. With the German Army and other Axis forces, the type saw service in the invasions of Poland, France and the USSR. Production ended in 1942, when its main armament was deemed inadequate. In all, over 1,400 Pz. 38(t)s were manufactured. The chassis of the Pz. 38(t) continued to be produced for the Marder III (1942–1944) with some of its components used in the later Jagdpanzer 38 (1944–1945) tank destroyer and its derivative vehicles.
The Leichter Panzerspähwagen was a series of light four-wheel drive armoured cars produced by Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1944.
Marder III was the name for a series of World War II German tank destroyers. They mounted either the modified ex-Soviet 76.2 mm F-22 Model 1936 divisional field gun, or the German 7.5 cm PaK 40, in an open-topped fighting compartment on top of the chassis of the Czechoslovakian Panzer 38(t). They offered little protection to the crew, but added significant firepower compared to contemporary German tanks. They were in production from 1942 to 1944, and served on all fronts until the end of the war, along with the similar Marder II. The German word Marder means "marten" in English.
The Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track was a World War II German armored personnel carrier designed by the Hanomag company, based on its earlier, unarmored Sd.Kfz. 11 vehicle. The Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the Panzergrenadier into battle. Sd.Kfz. 251s were the most widely produced German half-tracks of the war, with at least 15,252 vehicles and variants produced by seven manufacturers. The utility of this vehicle led the German Army to develop the similar looking but shorter and lighter Sd.Kfz. 250 as a supplement.
The Marder II was a German tank destroyer of World War II based on the Panzer II chassis. There were two versions, the first mounted a modified Soviet 7.62 cm gun firing German ammunition, while the other mounted the German 7.5 cm Pak 40 gun. Its high profile and thin open-topped armor provided minimal protection to the crew. Nevertheless, the Marder II provided a great increase in firepower over contemporary German tanks during 1942 and into 1943. Only four Marder IIs remain today.
The Sd.Kfz. 250 was a light armoured half-track, very similar in appearance to the larger Hanomag-designed Sd.Kfz. 251, and built by the DEMAG firm, for use by Nazi Germany in World War II. Most variants were open-topped and had a single access door in the rear.
The Sd.Kfz. 6 was a half-track military vehicle used by the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War. It was designed to be used as the main towing vehicle for the 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer.
The Marder I "Marten" was a German World War II tank destroyer, armed with a 75 mm Pak-40 anti-tank gun. Most Marder Is were built on the base of the Tracteur Blindé 37L (Lorraine), a French artillery tractor/armoured personnel carrier of which the Germans had acquired more than 300 units after the Fall of France in 1940.
The Sd.Kfz. 10 was a German half-track that saw widespread use in World War II. Its main role was as a prime mover for small towed guns, such as the 2 cm Flak 30, the 7.5 cm leIG, or the 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun. It could carry eight troops in addition to towing a gun or trailer.
The 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24(7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 37 L/24) was a short-barreled, howitzer-like German 75 mm tank gun used during World War II, primarily as the main armament of the early Panzer IV tank. Slightly modified as StuK 37, it was also mounted in early StuG III assault guns.
The Panzerkampfwagen I was a light tank produced in Germany in the 1930s. The Panzer I was built in several variants and was the basis for a number of variants listed below.
The Sd.Kfz. 234, was a family of armoured cars designed and built in Germany during World War II. The vehicles were lightly armoured, armed with a 20, 50 or 75 mm main gun, and powered by a Tatra V12 diesel engine. The Sd.Kfz. 234 broadly resembles the appearance of Sd.Kfz. 231 .
The Sd.Kfz. 9 was a German half-track that saw widespread use in World War II, and the heaviest half-track vehicle of any type built in quantity in Nazi Germany during the war years. Its main roles were as a prime mover for very heavy towed guns such as the 24 cm Kanone 3 and as a tank recovery vehicle. Approximately 2,500 were produced between 1938 and 1945.
The Sonderkraftfahrzeug 8, usually abbreviated to Sd.Kfz. 8, was a German half-track designed by Daimler-Benz that saw widespread use in World War II. Its main roles were as a prime mover for heavy towed guns such as the 21 cm Mörser 18, the 17 cm Kanone 18 and the 10.5 cm FlaK 38. However, it was also capable of serving as an infantry transport. Approximately 4,000 were produced between 1938 and 1945. It was used in every campaign fought by the Germans in World War II, notably the Invasion of Poland, the Battle of France, the Balkans Campaign, the Eastern Front, the North African Campaign, the Battle of Normandy and the Italian Campaign.
Alfred Becker was a German engineer and artillery officer who served during the First and Second World Wars. During the Second World War he took captured British and French vehicles and refurbished and rebuilt them to supply the German army with armoured fighting vehicles. With his engineering and organizational skills, he converted the Hotchkiss plant on the outskirts of Paris into a vehicle modification and fabrication center. He used the vehicles to mobilize German guns, rocket launchers and mortars. Working with Altmärkische Kettenwerk Gmbh (Alkett), steel shielding was shipped from Germany to armour the vehicles. The men from his artillery command did the metal work and conversion on 1,800 recovered vehicles.