Yugoslav Weapons

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 10:33 pm

Can anyone point me towards a reputable source dealing with the weapons used by the Yugoslavians prior to the German invasion?

I have a list, but my otherwise informative source doesn't list any pre-WWII Yugo weapons. I'm thinking that some of them are license-built copies of other country's weapons, but I'm not sure.

Thanks!

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:07 am

Hi Tom,

I will give it a try. Give me a few days. I have a book on German weapons by Terry Gander which includes the German designations for each captured weapon. Each includes a suffix in brackets indicating source [i.e. (ö) = Austria etc.)

From memory, I do know that as part of the Little Entente with Czechoslovakia and Romania, Yugoslavia's most modern army weaponry was Czech.

Cheers,

Sid.

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:54 am

Thanks, Sid. I have the German designators for the weapons. I just can't find a source that tells me what the originals were. I tried googling them, but apparently 'Pulska" means the same thing in different languages!

I'm just trying to find out what the Yugoslavians called them before the Germans redesignated them.

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:30 am

Hi Tom,

The following are the Yugoslav designations given in “Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the Third Reich” for weapons captured by the Germans in sufficient numbers to be given Fremden Gerät numbers. (After the – I have put some pointers to the original designation, manufacturer or origin, but I was too idle to write their full names).

Rifles
7,9mm M 10 C – Gewehr 98
Karabini 7,9mm M 98 – Karabiner 98a
Puska 7.9mm M 24 – Karabiner 98k
Puska 7.9mm M 29 – Karabiner 98k
Puska 6.5mm M 91 i – Mannlicher-Carcano
Puska 7,62mm, M 91R – Vintovka obr. 1891
Puska 8mm M 86 - Lebel
Puska 8mm M 7/15F - Berthier
Puska 8mm M 16 F – Fusil 1916
Puska 8mm M 93 MR – Mannlicher Modell 93
Karabini 6,5mm M 91 i – Moschetto modello 91/24
Puska 8mm M 95 M – 8mm Repetier-Gewehr Modell 1895
Puska 7,9mm M 95 M – 8mm Repetier-Gewehr Modell 1895
Puska 7.9mm 95/24 – 8mm Repetier-Stützen-Gewehr Modell 1895

SMGs
? – Thompson Model 1928

LMGs
Puska-Mitralez 7,9mm M 26 – ZB26
Puska-Mitralez 8mm M15 - Chauchat

HMGs
Mitralez 7,9mm M 8 M – Maxim 08
Mitralez 7,9mm M 07/12 S - Schwarzlose
Mitralez M 40 – ZB37
Mitralez 15mm M 38 – ZB
Mitralez 6,5mm (i) – Fiat-Revelli
Mitralez 8mm M 7/15 - St. Etienne
Mitralez 8mm M 14 H – Hotchkiss

Anti-Tank guns
? – Skoda PUV vz 37 (37mm)
? – Skoda PUV vz 67 (47mm)

Light Field Artillery
80mm M 5/8 – A-H Skoda
80mm M 17 – A-H Skoda
80mm M 28 – Skoda
100mm M 14/19 – Modified A-H Skoda M14
100mm M 28 – Skoda
105mm M 36 – Skoda
105mm M 13 – Schneider

Medium and Heavy Field Artillery
150mm M 28 – Skoda
220mm M 28 – Skoda
305mm M 16 – A-H Skoda
305mm M11/30 – A-H Skoda

Mountain Guns
75mm M 19 – Schneider
75mm M 28 – Skoda
105mm M 19 – Schneider

Mortar
8.1cm M W M 31/38 Kragujewac – Brandt
8.1cm M W M 31 - Brandt
8.1cm M W M 31/38 - Brandt

Source:
“Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the Third Reich” by Terry Gander and Peter Chamberlain (MacDonald and Jane’s, London, 1978). I think this is probably the definitive work on the subject of weaponry used by the Germans in WWII. Highly recommended.

Cheers,

Sid.

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 4:52 am

Thanks, Sid! Scanning that list, it seems at first glance that they obtained their weapons elsewhere! I'm surprised that they had no 'home-grown' firearms!

That's going to be a big help.

TPMM · Post by **TPMM** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 10:11 am

Hi Tom and Sid.

It may sound silly, but why don't you try checking the armament of Yugo forces in Steel Panthers, Tom? As far as I know, this game is quite reliable in matter of weapons of involved armies.

Best Regards

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 1:58 pm

Actually, I could do that!

You're right, they are pretty accurate. I'll have to check that out later, without letting myself start a game...

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:14 am

Hi Tom,

The intention was to standardise the Little Entente's weaponry. As a result, with Czechoslovakia inside the Little Entente, Skoda and other existing, efficient Czech plants became the main armouries for both Yugoslavia and Romania.

If you look at the list you will see that Skoda weapons were the intended standard pieces in most classes of small arms and artillery at the outbreak of WWII. However, as in Romania, in Yugoslavia this process was far from complete.

There is one obviously locally produced weapon on the list - the 8.1cm M W M 31/38 Kragujewac mortar. However, smooth barreled weapons such as mortars were easy to produce compared with anything requiring rifling.

Cheers,

Sid.

Ivan Bajlo · Post by **Ivan Bajlo** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:45 am

I have yet to complete article but prewar Yugoslav industry was made of six Military Technical Institutes producing copy of 7,9mm Mauser rifles, also some 2000 light machine-guns were made before the war, bullets, 47mm to 100mm artillery ammo, 81mm mortars, hand grandees and 60 howitzers and 1000 of gun barrels.

OTOH aircraft industry took part in building Do 17 and Hurricanes ordered before the war and managed to produce few fighters IK2 and IK3.

After occupation Germans confiscated most of manufacturing equipment much of it bought from Germany before the war and shipped it to Reich.

5RANGLIAN · Post by **5RANGLIAN** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 3:44 am

Photo's taken in the early '90's show a ZB-26, and a Lewis gun, being used by Croatians. I've also got pictures of a KAR-98 and a PPSch, but I'd assume they were imported after 1941...