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List of World War II infantry weapons

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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This is a list of World War II infantry weapons.

Kingdom of Albania

In 1939, the Albanian Kingdom was invaded by Italy and became the Italian protectorate of Albania. It participated in the Greco-Italian War in 1940, under Italian command. After the Italian armistice in 1943, German military forces entered Albania and it came under German occupation. Albanian troops were mostly equipped by Italians, and Albanian partisans used weapons from various sources.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

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Australia

The Second Australian Imperial Force that served in Mediterranean and Middle East and Pacific theatre

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Two Australian soldiers equipped with Owen submachine guns

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

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Belgium

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Before being conquered by Germany, the Belgian Army used their own equipment up to 1940. Free Belgian forces were equipped by UK, however colonial troops of Force Publique in East Africa had to use outdated weaponry.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light machine guns

Medium machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Brazil

The Brazilian Expeditionary Force, under US command, served in Italy from 1944.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light machine guns

Medium machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades

Anti-tank weapons

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Kingdom of Bulgaria

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Grenade launcher

Grenades

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State of Burma

The State of Burma was a puppet government set up by Japanese after they occupied Burma in 1942. It lasted from 1943 to March 1945 when the Burma National Army revolted and joined the allies.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

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Canada

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Weaponry used by Canadian Army that fought on the side of the Allies

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

During the Second World War Canada produced grenades types with Numbers 36 and from 67 to 89.[54]

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons and explosives

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China

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A Chinese Nationalist Army soldier equipped with a ZB vz. 26 and a German M1935 helmet. Before the war broke out, China sought support from, and often traded with Germany and relied on both military and economical support.

Weapons used by the National Revolutionary Army, as well as Communist forces and Chinese warlords. Chinese Forces also received a large amount of equipment from Lend-Lease during Burma campaign.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light machine guns

Medium machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades and grenade dischargers

Flamethrowers

Mortars

  • Brandt Mle 27/31 (imported from France and Austria. Locally produced copies designated as Type 20)
  • M2 mortar (American Lend-Lease and locally produced as Type 31)[100]

Anti-tank weapons

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Independent State of Croatia

Independent State of Croatia was a puppet-state established in 1941 after fall of Yugoslavia. Croatian Legion and Light Transport Brigade served on Eastern Front under German and Italian commands.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Automatic rifles

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Czechoslovakia

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Czechoslovakian soldiers with a ZB vz. 26 and a ZB vz. 24

Weaponry used by Czechoslovak armies in exile that served under British and Soviet commands. For weapons used and produced in interwar period by First and Second Czechoslovak Republic see list below.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Anti-tank weapons

Grenades

  • Granát vz.34 (Interwar)[115]
  • RPG-43 (Under Soviet command)

Mortars

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Denmark

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Shotguns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

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Ethiopian Empire

Ethiopian Empire was defeated by Italy in Second Italo-Ethiopian War and became Italian Ethiopia from 1937. Ethiopians continued a guerrilla war as the Arbegnoch until British forces took Italian Ethiopia in 1941 as part of the East African campaign

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Republic of Finland

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Weaponry used by Finnish Defence Forces during Winter War, Continuation War and Lapland War.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

  • Luger pistol (The most common sidearm used by front-line troops. 8,000 acquired in the 1920s)[124][125]
  • Lahti L-35 (adopted in 1935. Approx. 5700 produced by 1945)[124][125][126]
  • Pistole vz. 24 (3,285 bought from Germany, they arrived in September of 1940. Issued mainly to Finnish front-line troops during Continuation War)[127]
  • Pistole vz. 38 (About 1,700 bought from Germany, they arrived in September of 1940. These pistols were issued to Finnish front-line troops for Continuation War)[127]
  • Browning Hi-Power (2,400 bought from Belgium in February - March of 1940. Finnish frontline troops used some during the last weeks of Winter War and in larger scale during Continuation War. Also issued in large numbers to Finnish pilots during Continuation War.)[128]
  • Ruby pistol (About 10,000 bought from France in 1919. The first pistol model acquired for Finnish Army. Mainly used in Finnish home front during World War 2, but also few frontline units got these pistols issued.)[128]
  • Browning FN M1910 (2,500 pistols bought from Belgium in February of 1940. During Continuation War they were issued to home front troops.)[128]
  • Browning FN M1922 (2,500 pistols were bought from Belgium in February of 1940 and issued to both Finnish home front troops and frontline troops during Continuation War.)[128]
  • Beretta M1934 (About 1,400 - 1,500 bought from Italy. Besides 60 pistols acquired during Winter War they arrived in year 1943. Finnish home front troops used them between 1943 - 1944.)[127][129]
  • Beretta M1935 (About 4,100 bought from Italy. About 1,000 arrived in 1941 and 3,090 arrived in 1942. Finnish frontline and home front troops used them 1941 - 1944.)[127]
  • Beretta M1915 and M1915/19 (Some 1,500 pistols bought from Italy in spring of 1940. They were issued to Finnish home front troops and supplies units for Continuation War.)[127][unreliable source?]
  • Browning FN M1903 (used by Swedish Volunteer Force during Winter War. Leftover pistols were issued to front-line troops during Continuation War.)[128]
  • Mauser C96 (614 examples, most of them issued with wooded stock-holster. Used by home-front troops)[126][130]
  • Nagant M1895 (captured)[125][130]
  • Tokarev TT-33 (captured)[130]
  • Colt M1911 (Very limited numbers)[127]

Submachine guns

  • Suomi KP/-31 (Main Finnish submachine gun. Finnish army received 56,847 submachine guns in 1939-1944)[131][132][133]
  • SIG Bergmann M/20 (approx. 1500 were bought in interwar period. Initially used by Civil Guard but they've got issued to infantry at the beginning of Winter War. Remained in service until 1944.)[131][132][126][134]
  • Lindelöf submachine gun (SIG Bergmann copy; manufactured in very small numbers)[131]
  • Neuhausen MKMS (282 SMGs bough during Winter War. Issued to Finnish home front troops, supplies units and coastal defence during Continuation War)[135]
  • MP 28 (171 SMGs bought during Winter War. During Continuation War issued to units in Lapland, home front troops and supply corps.)[135]
  • MP 38 & MP 40 (150-160 SMGs delivered with German vehicles during Continuation War, mainly used by vehicle crews of these delivered vehicles)[135]
  • PPD-34, PPD-34/38 & PPD-40 (captured. Issued to Finnish coastal troops and home-front troops during Continuation War)[135][136]
  • PPSh-41 (Some 2,500 captured 1942-1944. Only used by Finnish frontline-troops until running out of ammo and only small numbers of PPSh-41 were used by Finnish home front troops in 1942-1944)[135][136]
  • PPS-43 (only used by Finnish frontline troops in 1943-1944 that had captured the guns)[135]

Rifles

Automatic and battle rifles

Light Machine guns

  • Lahti-Saloranta M/26 (Main Finnish machine gun of the Winter War and Continuation War, replaced by captured DP-27s.)[126][148][149]
  • Degtyaryov DP-27 (captured and used as a replacement for the Lahti-Saloranta M/26, also captured DT-29 tank machine guns were used as replacement machine guns for Finnish tanks. Finland captured 8,400 DPs during Winter War and Continuation War)[126][148]
  • Kg m/21 (During Winter War used by Swedish-Norwegian volunteers and Finnish troops stationed in Lapland. During Continuation War used by Coastal Troops.)[150]
  • FN 1930 D (Finland bought 700 of these light machine guns from Belgium in February of 1940. They were not issued during Winter War. Issued to fortification and coastal troops during Continuation War)[150]
  • Chauchat M1915 (5000 Machine guns donated by France. They were not issued during Winter War as arrived in January-February of 1940. Mostly issued to Finnish home front units, field artillery and some shortly equipped infantry units during early Continuation War.)
  • Lewis machine gun (Small number used on aircraft and as anti-aircraft machine gun)[150]

Heavy Machine guns

  • Maxim M1910 (Large numbers captured from the Soviets during World War 2. During World War 2 these machineguns were issued to troops of Finnish Army in very large numbers for variety of roles.)[151][94]
  • Maxim M/09-21 (Finnish modification of Soviet Maxim M1910. Issued mostly to Finnish frontline troops) [151][126][132][94]
  • Finnish Maxim M32-33 (issued mostly to Finnish frontline troops)[151][132][94]
  • DS-39 (During Continuation War issued to Finnish frontline troops. Less than 200 captured in 1941)[152]
  • M/14 Schwarzlose (used by Swedish volunteer unit during Winter War and some Finnish units until early 1944 during Continuation War. Total number in Finnish use about 70 guns)[152]
  • MG 08 (About 1,000 guns used by Finnish coastal troops during Continuation War. During late Continuation War relatively small number was also issued to fortification units.)[152]
  • Vickers machine gun (About 100 machine guns used by coastal troops and home front units)[152]
  • Goryunov SG-43 (captured)

Grenades

Flamethrowers

Anti-tank weapons

French 3rd Republic

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Weaponry used by French Army up to 1940 and by French Liberation Army.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

German Reich

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Perspective
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German paratrooper carrying a MG 42

In addition to the weapons listed here, German armed forces also used a wide variety of weapons captured from defeated enemies.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Foreign weapons produced under occupation

Submachine guns

Foreign weapons produced under occupation

Automatic rifles

Rifles

Foreign weapons produced under occupation

Sniper rifles

Machine guns

  • MG 13 Light machine gun (Fairly limited usage by early war second-line troops, used by the Volkssturm, main machine gun of the Pzkpfw I light tank and used as a ground anti-aircraft weapon. Replaced by the MG 34. Still used till the end of the war)[263][264]
  • MG 34 General-purpose machine gun (German army main fire support weapon until superseded by the MG 42. But did not very successfully replace the MG34 due to the MG42 fire rate and recoil is too high difficult to control and unable to mounted on any vehicle. So the MG34 still remains in used, still be the main fire support weapon of the German army)[263][265][266][267]
  • MG 42 General-purpose machine gun (Going to be the main fire support weapon of the German army after 1942-1943 after replacing MG 34, but not very successfully to replace the MG34 to be the main fire support weapon of the German army. Due to it unable mounted in any vehicle and high recoil. Mostly installed it on a tripod to used it as a trench defensive weapon)[263][265][268][269]
  • Bergmann MG 15nA machine gun used by volkssturm
  • MG 08 & MG 08/15 (limited use)
  • MG 30 (captured from Austria. Limited use by mountain troops. Never adopted by Wehrmacht)[263][270]
  • MG 35-36A "Knorr-Bremse" (limited usage by Waffen-SS from 1943)[263][271][272]
  • Browning wz. 1928 (captured from Poland and designated as "MG 28(p)")[263]
  • Breda M30 (used by Afrika Korps. Designated as "MG 099(i)")[263]
  • Breda M37 (Seized from Italians after Armsitice and used on Italian front. Designated as "MG 259(i)")[263]
  • Mitrailleur M.20 (captured from Netherland, designated as "MG 100(h)")[263]
  • Schwarzlose M7/12 & M7/24 (captured examples after annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia)

Foreign weapons produced under occupation

Grenades and grenade launchers

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Anti-aircraft rocket launcher

Guided explosive weapons

Miscellaneous guns

  • M30 Luftwaffe Drilling(This weapon featured two side-by-side 12 gauge shotgun barrels on top and a 9.3x74mmR rifle barrel below, A survival weapon issued to Luftwaffe pilots during World War II)

Kingdom of Greece

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Weaponry used by Hellenic Army during World War II. After World War I Greece received a large quantities of French weaponry. After fall of Greece elements of the Greek Armed Forces that managed to escape to the British-controlled Middle East formed Greek Armed Forces in the Middle East, these forces were reequipped by UK. Partisans and resistance movement used weapons from various sources but mainly used captured Italian and German weapons from Greco-Italian War and German invasion of Greece, they were also supplied by UK and OSS.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light machine guns

Medium machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Kingdom of Hungary

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Perspective

Weaponry used by Royal Hungarian Army that fought on the side of the Axis powers

Edged Weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

  • 31M rifle (Some of the reissued in during the war. Replaced by 35M Rifle. Also known as M95/31)[352]
  • 35M rifle (standard issue rifle)[353]
  • 43M rifle [hu] (Modification of 35M rifle converted to 7.92mm cartridge. Also known as G98/40)[354]

Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

  • 5 cm Granatwerfer 36 (Supplied by Germany)
  • 39 M. 5 cm gránátvető (5 cm 39.M grenade launcher)[371]
  • 36 M. és 36/39 M. 8 cm aknavető (Hungarian 81 mm 36.M & 36/39M medium mortars)[371]
  • 43 M. 12cm aknavető (Hungarian 120 mm 43.M mortar based on captured Soviet M1943 Mortar)[371]

Anti-tank weapons

British Raj

The British Indian Army under UK command.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Imperial State of Iran

Weapons used by Imperial State of Iran during Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in 1941

Sidearms

Submachine guns

  • MP 28 (Some MP 28 were purchased before World War Two)[380]

Rifles

Machine guns

Kingdom of Iraq

Weapons used by Kingdom of Iraq during Anglo-Iraqi War in 1941

Sidearms

Rifles

Machine guns

Kingdom of Italy

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Perspective

Weaponry of Royal Italian Army up to 1943 and National Republican Army from 1943.

Edged weapons

  • M1891 sciabola baionetta (sword bayonet)[381]
  • M1891/38 pugnale baionetta (Dagger bayonet)
  • M1939 pugnale (Dagger)

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light machine guns

Medium machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Japanese Empire

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Perspective

Weaponry used by Imperial Japanese Armed Forces during World War II. Japan officially joined the conflict in 1941 but was still involved in Second Sino-Japanese War.

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Japanese soldiers with a Type 92 machine gun during the 1941 Battle of Changsha

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

  • Type 100 Nambu (Issue to infantry in any final battle in WW2. Due to facing powerful allies advancing and need more firepower to defend. Being forced issue the gun to the infantry unit)[424][425]
  • Type Be (SIG Bergmann adopted by the SNLF. It wasn't issued to troops fighting on the Pacific Front)[419][70]
  • Type Su (Steyr-Solothurn S1-100)[419]
  • Thompson (captured Chinese copies, unofficial issue)

Rifles

Light Machine guns

Heavy Machine guns

Grenades

Grenade dischargers

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Guided explosive weapons

  • I-Go (Remote-controlled explosive machine)

Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Anti-tank weapons

Manchukuo

The Manchukuo Imperial Army served under Japanese Command in Second Sino-Japanese War and during Invasion of Manchuria in 1945.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light Machine guns

Heavy Machine guns

Grenade dischargers

Mengjiang

The Inner Mongolian Army served under Japanese Command in Second Sino-Japanese War and during Invasion of Manchuria in 1945.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Mongolian People's Republic

The Mongolian People's Army, under Soviet Command, served in Manchuria in 1945 and in the Battles of Khalkhin Gol in 1939

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Netherlands

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Perspective

The weaponry used by Royal Netherlands Army up to 1940 and colonial troops of Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) up 1942. After occupation Dutch government continued in exile. Free Dutch Forces were equipped by Western Allies - Mainly British Commonwealth.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light Machine guns

Medium Machine guns

Heavy Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

New Zealand

The 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force that served in Africa, Mediterranean and Pacific theatre

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Norway

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Perspective

Weapons used by Norwegian Army during the Norwegian campaign in 1940. Norwegian resistance movement used weapons from various sources, Commandos primarily used British equipment. Norwegian police troops in Sweden were recruited from refugees and trained in secret camps by Swedish military and used Swedish equipment, they originally intended to help maintain order in a post-war Norway however they partially participated in Liberation of Finnmark

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Commonwealth of the Philippines

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Perspective

Weaponry used by Philippine Army in Commonwealth period. Philippine Army mainly used the old American equipment from Philippine–American War. In 1941 Philippine Army was placed under command of USAFFE.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Shotguns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Anti-tank weapon

Flamethrowers

2nd Polish Republic

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Polish infantry marching with their rifles

Before Germany conquered Poland the Polish army was chiefly equipped with weapons of its own making. After the German and Soviet occupation, the Polish government continued in exile. Polish armed forces in the West were equipped by the Western Allies, principally the UK and those formed in the East under the USSR were equipped with Soviet equipment, Polish Army in France was equipped with French equipment. Within occupied Poland the Polish resistance forces were equipped with weapons from many sources.

Edged weapons

  • Bagnet wz.1898/05 (Bayonet acquired by Poland after WWI, used on Kb.wz.98)
  • Bagnet karabinowy wz.24 & wz.27 [pl] (Bayonet for all Polish Mauser Rifles and Carbines and modified Mosin Carbine)
  • Bagnet karabinowy wz.28 & wz.29 [pl] (Bayonet for Kb.wz.98 and Kbk.wz.29)

Sidearms

Submachine gun

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Grenade launchers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Kingdom of Romania

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Perspective

Romania joined the Axis Powers in 1940 and the Romanian Royal Army fought on that side until August 1944. After a coup d'état in August 1944 Romania fought alongside the USSR against Germany and Hungary.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

First Slovak Republic

Weaponry of First Slovak Republic participating in the conflict from 1939 to 1944 on the side of Axis powers.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Rifles

Submachine guns

Light machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Union of South Africa

The Union of South Africa serving under UK command. Served in East Africa, North Africa, Madagascar, and Italy.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Soviet Union

Summarize
Perspective

Weaponry used by Red Army during World War II.

Edged weapons

Handguns

Submachine guns

Automatic rifles

Rifles

Machine guns

  • DP-27 light machine gun (Erroneously called DP-28 in the west, standard issued LMG of the Red Army)[594][595]
  • Maxim M1910 heavy machine gun (Main fire support weapon of the Red Army)[94]
  • Goryunov SG-43[596]
  • DShK-38 heavy machine gun (only allow to used it as a ground anti-air defense weapon in the Soviet military base/camp and mounted it on the IS-2 tank to protect the tank against enemy aircraft-attack(basically only used for anti-air). Never issue to the infantry unit, due to ammunition is expensive(So the Soviet government is prohibited it use on anti-personnel target) and lack of vehicle to transport the weapon to front line due to heavy weight. This is why no photo show of Soviet infantry used the gun)[597][598]
  • DS-39 (Production discontinued after the German invasion)[599]
  • Bren light machine gun (British Lend-Lease)[600]
  • MG 34 (captured from the Germans)

Grenades

Grenade launchers

  • Dyakonoff grenade launcher [ru] (Attachment on the M91/30 rifle only)
  • VPGS-41 Rifle Grenade (Rifle Grenade mounted on Mosin Nagant Model 1891/30)
  • Schiessbecher (captured from Germans. Rifle Grenade mounted on Kar98k)[608]

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Thailand

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Grenade dischargers

Anti-tank weapons

United Kingdom (including colonies)

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Australian soldiers at Tobruk, equipped with Thompson submachine guns and Lee-Enfield rifles

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Sniper rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Obstacle clearing explosive charges

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

United States of America

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A U.S. Marine armed with a M1 carbine
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Two U.S. soldiers with M1 Garand rifles

Blade weapons

Sidearms

Shotguns

Commonly used by the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific theater, limited use in Europe.

Submachine guns

  • Thompson submachine gun (Standard-issued SMG of the US army, various variants used by Army and Marine Corps, M1A1 variant is the standard issue)[475][655]
  • M3 'Grease Gun' (M3 variant was the main variant used during the war. Introduced as low cost replacement for Thompson, but never completely replaced it.)[655]
  • M50/M55 Reising (used by USMC 1941–1943 in the Pacific, and supplied as Lend-Lease to USSR and other countries)[46]
  • United Defense M42 (supplied to resistance and partisan groups, also issued to some OSS members, but not in great quantities.)

Automatic Rifles

  • M2 Carbine (only used in the final battle of Okinawa in the pacific)[666]
  • Browning M1918 (This variant is a battle rifle due to its capability of semi and fully automatic fire and its lack of bipod.)[667][668]

Rifles

Sniper rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Grenade launchers

Obstacle clearing explosive charges

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Automatic rifles

Rifles

Light Machine guns

Medium Machine guns

Heavy Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Flamethrowers

Anti-tank weapons

Non-Aligned Volunteers

There are countries in World War 2 that are non-aligned but sent volunteers. Two for example are Sweden for The Winter War and The Spanish State during The Advance Towards Moscow.

Sidearms

Submachine Guns

Rifles

Machine Guns

See also

Notes

    References

    Bibliography

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