This is a list of French military equipment in the Second World War. This focuses primary on weapons issued to the French Army and Free French forces. Weapons used by the French Resistance vary but generally consist of French, Allied, and captured German weapons, alongside various miscellaneous equipment.
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(April 2020 )
Berthier Mle 1907/15 M16 rifle. Many late world war I era French rifles such as this Berthier rifle and other late World War I variant of Berthier and Lebel rifles were still in heavy use by French forces in World War II due to newer French rifles the MAS-36 and MAS-40(not in production) not being available in sufficient quantities for the French military. French forces used some Berthiers and Lebels rechambered for the new 7.5 French round. Berthier M1907/15 M16, Mousqueton M1916, and M34
Fusil Automatique Modele 1917
Fusil MAS-36
Lebel M1886/93, M27, and R35
MAS-36. Most modern rifle in widespread French military service in World war II. Only small numbers were produced before the war so only available in small numbers for French forces during World War II. M1917 Enfield (supplied by the US through Lend-lease to Free French forces)
M1 Carbine (Free French forces)
M1 Garand (Free French forces)
Mauser K98k (captured)
Meunier rifle
Delacre machine pistol MAS-38 French submachine gun. Production of this gun had just started in 1940 when the Germans occupied France. They used the gun as a substitute weapon. Somehow one of the guns was obtained by a partisan who used the MAS-38 to murder Benito Mussolini the Fascist leader of world war II Italy.
ETVS submachine gun
Erma EMP-35
Thompson M1928 and M1928A1
Bergmann MP 18
MAS-38
MP 40 (captured)
Sten (Free French forces)
Suomi KP/-31
FM24/29 light machine gun commercially known as MAC 24/29. Was prioritised by the French and as a result unlike other French weapons designed after WW 1 production started quite early in the 1920's and so it was available in large quantities at the start of world war II allowing it to be widely used by French forces in World war II as their main light machine gun. This was the standard squad automatic weapon of the French infantry and cavalry in the battle of France
French Hotchkiss model 1914 machine gun. Used by the French in the later stages of World war I and as their standard medium machine gun in battle of France as they did not see any reason to replace it.