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Was the Sturmgewehr 44 widely isssued to the SS?
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2003 2:51 am
by heinz kling
I saw only a few pictures of LAH soldiers with them in late 44 and one picture of a supposedly Florian Geyer grenadier with it. If as was alleged that the SS had a priori claim to the latest arms, I would expect them to be liberally equipped with it.
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2003 10:51 am
by Kocjo
SS-Div. "Hunyadi" had 155 MP-44 (in Jan. '45) - 100 on 19.14.'44 and 55 on 29.12.'44.
It's also stated that 1. (ung.) SS-Schi-Btl. had MP-44.
Could you share these photos?
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2003 1:17 pm
by Roger Griffiths
There is no apparent priority for issue of Sturmgewehr 44 to SS, rather to volksgrenadier divisions, and other infantry divisions. Panzer, panzer grenadier divisions, both Army and SS certainly had them, but not to the same extent as infantry, by proportion.
131st ID may have been first about March/April 1944. I have never seen any listed in formations in Normandy.
It is said that Hitler was not keen on them to start with, so they were issued to LSSAH Guard Battalion at Rastenburg, which won Hitler over.
Roger Griffiths.
Is it a better shot than the Gewehr 43?
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2003 5:32 pm
by heinz kling
Was the Gewehr 43 issued in large numbers, as even late into the war I see most landsers with the Kar 98.
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2003 11:20 pm
by Kocjo
... and some MP-44 were in SS-Fall.Jg.Abt. 500 during the attack on Drvar (Operation Rosselsprüng)
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2003 1:55 am
by Roger Griffiths
G41 and G43 only issued in small numbers, often used as sniper rifles with scopes.
Roger
Amazing
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2003 2:59 am
by heinz kling
Which means the Landsers were fighting mostly with WWI vintage Kar 98.
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2003 3:06 am
by Roger Griffiths
I'm not any sort of weapons expert, and it was the Kar 98k, which was presumably a later version of a weapon issued to cavalry and other units. The standard rifle in WWI was the Gewehr98, or so I believe.
Roger
Posted: Sat May 03, 2003 3:23 pm
by David N
The Gewehr 43 was only produced during the last 19 months of the war, with a total production of some 460,000. The book, Hitler's Garands, by W. Darrin Weaver is available from collectorgrade.com and has this and other information.
In Pallud's Battle Of The Bulge: Then And Now, you can see several photos of Fallschirmjaegers with G43s. Note the photos on pages 159 and 160 of the 1985 edition. Several of the men on King Tiger 222 have G43s.
Re: Was the Sturmgewehr 44 widely isssued to the SS?
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:57 am
by larsdenmark
Div Nordland was issued a great number as late as april 45
Re: Was the Sturmgewehr 44 widely isssued to the SS?
Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 12:14 am
by Jan-Hendrik
If as was alleged that the SS had a priori claim to the latest arms,
Which is an old myth....
Jan-Hendrik