WWII German rounds found in IRAQ

[TheLongshot00]

While deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in 2008 (my 3rd as an EOD tech) our operations routinely located and had us destroying insurgent weapons caches. During one of these operations one of my buddies noticed a handful of rounds that were odd. After we took a closer look we realized what we were looking at was German 8mm rounds, stamped 1938 and adorned with the Nazi Eagle. I have to say I don't think these rounds were ever used against us, that the insurgents were just hording any and all types of ammo regardless of weapon system. But its pretty interesting to see these things floating around another battlefield after 70 years.

Information

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[gunner]

Hi Longshot,

Have the rounds a red bullet tip? I couldn`t see it right.

Regards

Gunner

[arado]

8x56 rounds used in the straight pull Austrian issue 95. Not issue to German Army.. Kick like a bloody mule in the Steyr carbine.. Gary

[JBS]

They look to be in very good condition.

[boyt44]

My son was there with the Marines in 2005 and 2006. In searching homes for various suspects,they came across all sorts of old milsurps. He regretfully destroyed many old WW2 German Mausers and British Enfields,usually by wrapping them around a tree.

[TheLongshot00]

None of the rounds we found had red tips. We also routinely found Enfields, Sterlings and even a Wembley revolver. The Enfields would regularly have the stock and barrel cut down very short and would some times be decorated with brass tacks in patterns.

[x westie]

None of the rounds we found had red tips. We also routinely found Enfields, Sterlings and even a Wembley revolver. The Enfields would regularly have the stock and barrel cut down very short and would some times be decorated with brass tacks in patterns.

Must of been some real heavy duty recoil, when that cut down Lee Enfield was fired

[1886lebel]

What is interesting was when I was in Iraq in 2005 at COB Speicher near Tikrit we were building a compound and low and behold we found both WWII German and Italian Bombs where we grading for the compound. There about 6of these BOMBS found still intact. I did some research and found out that both German and Italian aircraft were at this airfield back then. This is was even mentioned in the book "The Golden Carpet" by Somerset DeChair who had fought in that campaign at that time. I read this book while there and was able to tell the EOD guys of why they were there, they though that was COOL and they even read the book which they had no idea of WWII bieng in Iraq.
I will see if I can dig pictures of these bombs we found there.
Patrick

[boyt44]

Along those same lines, my son also told me how one of the turret gunners in one of the team's Humvees found a STEN gun,and kept it in the turret to use in case someone got too close for him to depress the turret gun. My son found an M3 Greasegun wrapped up and concealed along the banks of the Euphrates,but the bolt was rusted too badly-he couldn't free it up. He wanted that one for his turret.

[42MB]

Wow!! I have 6 of the very same rounds (no red tip) that I found at the bottom of my dads old home-made wood ammo storage box. He thought he picked them up, plus a bunch more in New Brunswick back in the early 1960's at CFB Gagetown. The Sgt. mess got a hold of a bunch of old bolt action Military rifles from a number of different countrys to use as decoration.

Dad remembers shooting a number of different ones and said "they all kicked like a mule!!" and also remembers how stiff his shoulder was the next morning!!

I wonder what they would be worth to a collector??

42MB