Weapons 24/12/19 what kind Of German trophy most wanted red
during the great Patriotic war the red Army consisted of several types of handguns — the time-tested Mauser and revolvers, as well as new and cheap to produce “Tula Tokarev”. But the object of envy of his colleagues became the owners of a captured German pistol Walther P38, the so-called “officer Walter”. This weapon is called the best gun of the Second world war.
Features
self-loading pistol “Walther P. 38” with cartridges of caliber of 9×19 mm was adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1938 (according to others, two years later). Designers Fritz Walther and Fritz Bartleman managed to create a masterpiece of the German weapon school. Its reliability is the fact that on the Eastern front “Walter” a good shot even without lubrication, which could not stand the Russian frosts.
Total number of issued during the war, “Walter” was about 1 million copies — at cost a cost of 31 million marks. The fabrication and connecting of 58 steel parts of the gun required 13 man-hours. Trade “Walter” has mastered the arms factories in Denmark, Czechoslovakia and Belgium. However, top quality remains samples, released in Germany before the war.
the Gestapo and the SD was used the shortened version “Walter”. When needed to quietly remove the time, to “the officer” the gun, screwed a silencer.
If you compare the Walther P38 with domestic TT, the German weapon has a greater length and width of the barrel, but it weighs less. In addition, the Germans implemented the principle of a lever lock, while the Russians left the lock with the help of a warp gate. Modern experts believe that in a combat situation to make a few accurate shots in a row from “Walter” was easier than the TT. This is largely EXPLis to effectively ergonomics of the pistol grip, and properties 9-millimeter bullet.
the Popularity in the red Army
Everyone fell into the hands of Soviet soldiers “Walter” aroused the interest of others. Possession was a testimony of victory over a formidable opponent. In the first place “Walter” to carry the officers of the Wehrmacht and the SS. Only two of the ten fighters of the standard German infantry division, including the non-commissioned officer, had “Walter”.
to Seize the gun was not only in battle. There were cases when the downed enemy pilots themselves gave “Walter” to those who took them prisoner. Thanks to the “impressive” appearance of the German gun was popular premium weapons in the red army (in the Ukraine as such, it was used even in the 2000s). A problem at the front was the shortage of ammunition to “Walter” — they typically stocked, sweeping the dead or prisoners of the Germans.
“trouble-free”, “convenient” and “tidy” “Walter” had become the cause of envy and rivalry. For example, a veteran Pyotr Demidov recalled his clash with major Zotov, chief of the artillery brigade, which saw in the hands of a subordinate German weapons, rude tone, demanded to give him. “Hiding his anger (the boss still in front of me), I tried to explain to the major that the gun I was given, and the gifts are re-given” — describes Demidov incident that cost him his exclusion from premium sheet.
it Happened that a military officer gave “Walter” rear supplier, for which they were not more prestigious than trinkets. On the Day of Victory, for example, preserved typical quatrain of the poet-front-line soldier Ivan Ryadchenko:
Shoot the tanks and infantry,
And, tearing a cry from his mouth,
for the First time in 4 years
Fired from “Walter” nachprod.
the Guerrillas, who managed to captured guns, also praised them highly. After the war, “Walter” for a long time used groups of armed nationalists in Western Ukraine.
Raritets German pistols, the descendants of the veterans still occasionally hand over to the police. In addition, the “Walter” continue to be the subject of interest from the “black diggers”, although preservation of most excavated instances leaves much to be desired.
Timur Sagdiyev
Source:
© Russian Seven
see also: editor’s choice, “Russian Seven”what the KGB agreed with the thieves before the Olympics in Mosquito was the biggest surprise of the Germans in the USSR after the beginning waynice not relatives of the deceased on pohorence actually hurt Greta Thunberg suggested articles to Share: Comments Comments on the article “what kind Of German trophy most wanted red” Please log in to leave a comment! br>
Share on Tumblr