The following is a list of German military equipment of World War II which includes artillery, vehicles and vessels. World War II was a global war that was under way by 1939 and ended in 1945. Following political instability build-up in Europe from 1930, the Germans, which aimed to dominate Europe, attacked Poland on 1 September 1939, marking the start of World War II. The war in Europe ended 8 May 1945 with the unconditional surrender of Germany to the Allied forces.
The Germans used a number of type designations for their weapons. In some cases the type designation and series number (i.e. FlaK 30) are sufficient to identify a system, but occasionally multiple systems of the same type are developed at the same time and share a partial designation.[1]
| Seitengewehr 42 | Combat knife/ bayonet | Close combat | 17.95 cm (7.07 in) | 1944 | Never produced in large quantities | | S84/98 III bayonet | Combat knife/ bayonet | 25.1 cm (9.9 in) | | 1935
|
|-
| Seitengewehr 98
| Combat knife/ bayonet
| Close combat
| 50 cm (20 in)
| 1898
| First incorporated into the German army as a bayonet for the Mauser M1898 rifle
|}
Name/designation | Type | Role/s | Action | Origin | Manufacturer/s | Cartridge/s | Effective firing range (m) |
From (year) | Estimated wartime quantity |
Unloaded mass (kg) |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gewehr 41(M) | Rifle | Front-line/Assault | Bolt-action/Gas trap, rotating-bolt | Nazi Germany | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1941 | 6,673 | |||
Gewehr 41(W) | Rifle | Front-line/ Assault | Gas trap, flapper locking | Nazi Germany | Walther | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 400 | 1941 | 145,000 | 4.9 | |
Gewehr 43 | Rifle | Front-line/ Assault | Short-stroke piston, flapper locking | Nazi Germany | Walther | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 500 | 1943 | 402,713 | 4.4 | |
Gewehr 43 sniper rifle | Sniper rifle | Long-Range precision | Short-stroke piston, flapper locking | Nazi Germany | Walther | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 800 | 1943 | 53,435 | 4.4 | |
Gewehr 98 | Front-line infantry | Bolt action | German Empire | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 500 | 1898 | ? | 4.09 | ||
Karabiner 98a | Carbine | Front-line | Bolt action | German Empire | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1908 | ? | |||
Karabiner 98b | Rifle | Front-line | Bolt action | German Empire | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1923 | ? | |||
Gewehr 98 sniper rifle | Sniper rifle | Long-Range Precision | Bolt action | German Empire | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 800≥ | 1935 | ? | 4.09 | |
HIW VSK | Rifle | Front-line infantry | Bolt-action | Nazi Germany | Hessische Industrie Werke | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1944 | ? | |||
HIW VSK Carbine | Carbine | Front-line infantry | Blow forward | Nazi Germany | Hessische Industrie Werke | 7.92×33mm Kurz | 1944 | ? | |||
Karabiner 98k | Rifle | Front-line infantry | Bolt-action | Nazi Germany | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 500 | 1935 | 14,000,000~ | 4.1 | Main German rifle during World War II |
Karabiner 98k sniper rifle | Sniper rifle | Long-Range Precision | Bolt-action | Nazi Germany | Mauser | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1000≥ | 1935 | 132,000 | 4.1 | |
M30 Luftwaffe drilling | Combination rifle/shotgun | Hunting/self-defence | Blitz lock system | Nazi Germany | Sauer | 9.3x74mmR, 12 Gauge |
1941 | 2456 | 3.4 | Issued to Luftwaffe aircraft as survival weapon | |
Gewehr 98/40 (FÉG 35M) | Rifle | Front-line | Bolt-action | Hungary | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1941 | 138,000 | 3.98 | Imported from Hungary | ||
Gewehr 24(t) (vz. 24) | Rifle | Front-line infantry | Bolt-action | Czechoslovakia | Zbrojovka Brno | 7.92×57mm Mauser, 7×57mm Mauser, 7.65×53mm Mauser |
1939 | 330,000 | 4.2 | Upgraded to Karabiner 98k standards, occupied Czech production | |
StG 44 (Sturmgewehr 44) |
Assault rifle | Front-line/assault | Long-stroke piston, tilting-bolt | Nazi Germany | Mauser | 7.92×33mm Kurz | 450 | 1945 | 1200 | 4 | |
vz. 33 as Gewehr 33(t) |
Rifle | Front-line infantry | Bolt-action | Czechoslovakia | Zbrojovka Brno | 7.92×57mm Mauser | 1939 | 131,503 | 3.1 | Occupied Czech production |
Nazi Germany had captured many models of foreign equipment. In the list below, only most prominent captured models are listed. For full listing of captured vehicles see List of foreign vehicles used by Nazi Germany in World War II
Anti-aircraft
Anti-tank
Assault & infantry guns
Self propelled artillery
Motorcycles were often paired with a sidecar as a Wehrmachtsgespann
.50 cal shells