WOW thats a lot of Mausers!!

[mrclark303]

To be fair and to balance things up, (in fighting aside) the resistance fought bravely under the Nazi jackboot for 4 years, at a great cost in lives, assisting allied aircrew escape and providing intelligence/ attacking key targets etc and the growing number of Free French forces in Britain certainly made a good account of themselves when let lose on the Germans.

The issue in 1940 France, was one of poor leadership and slow reactions,Blitzkrieg took everyone by surprise...

To many in France, the thought of another war, only twenty years after 'the war to end all wars', with its massive French death toll, probably also coloured and slowed their response to a degree.

Information

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[GeeRam]

Well, heading back to Norwegian Mausers……
As promised, as few photos of my 1940 Mauser-Borsigwalde produced K98k, originally issued to the Kriegsmarine and post WW2 to the Royal Norwegian Navy. A ‘g’ block number probably means it was made around May/June 1940 so didn’t go to Norway during the initial invasion of April 1940, and likely ended up there later on. Who knows, it may have even got there aboard the Bismark, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst etc.
Its all matching (even down to the original floor plate screws) with the exception of the bolt assembly and the butt plate. Bizarrely, the bolt assembly is very close in number being a similar high 9000 number, but in the next letter block, although lack of Waffenamt codes on everything other than the safety lever suggest a later than 1940 bolt? And also strangely, the butt plate is also a high 9000 number as well, but ‘o’ block, and is a ‘37’ code JP Sauer marked one, but probably 1939/40 timeframe so similar to the rifle. I suspect that maybe a post Norwegian service replacement though.

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[mrclark303]

Well, heading back to Norwegian Mausers……
As promised, as few photos of my 1940 Mauser-Borsigwalde produced K98k, originally issued to the Kriegsmarine and post WW2 to the Royal Norwegian Navy. A ‘g’ block number probably means it was made around May/June 1940 so didn’t go to Norway during the initial invasion of April 1940, and likely ended up there later on. Who knows, it may have even got there aboard the Bismark, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst etc.
Its all matching (even down to the original floor plate screws) with the exception of the bolt assembly and the butt plate. Bizarrely, the bolt assembly is very close in number being a similar high 9000 number, but in the next letter block, although lack of Waffenamt codes on everything other than the safety lever suggest a later than 1940 bolt? And also strangely, the butt plate is also a high 9000 number as well, but ‘o’ block, and is a ‘37’ code JP Sauer marked one, but probably 1939/40 timeframe so similar to the rifle. I suspect that maybe a post Norwegian service replacement though.

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That's a beautiful K98.... Absolutely Superb!

[Gil Boyd]

See the last few seconds of the video the British lad had sorted himself out a decent looking German rifle slung over his shoulder

[GeeRam]

See the last few seconds of the video the British lad had sorted himself out a decent looking German rifle slung over his shoulder

Well spotted.

I bet he never got it back home though.

My Dad said his RE unit made use of captured MP40's when on Jeep patrols and for initial POW sorting and guarding while they were trying to get as many German Pioneer troops out of POW camps to assist the RE's in clearance and building works of services, sewers etc. Dad said the folding stock and ability to carry the MP40 slung at the ready meant it was so much better than carrying a STEN or a rifle. After a couple of months when it became clear there was little need to be armed full time, the cache of MP40's and MP44's his units had "acquired" had to be 'surrendered'.
Dad admitted though that when he returned to the UK in early 1946, he tried bringing back a Luger and a P38, but the MP search teams on the troopship out of Kiel were very thorough in their searchs and all rifles, pistols and the odd MP40 found among their kit were all thrown over the side once out to sea. All he brought back were his collection of ceremonial German dress daggers and a few medals acquired, which he lost when he was on his 12 months tour in Palestine, as his younger brothers found them at home, and nicked them taking them to school and swapping them all for cigarette cards etc....
In the 80's and 90's I'd take him with me to Sunday morning militaria fairs, to get him out the house etc., as he never lost the interest, and he got very grumpy when he'd see a dealer with a dagger he had brought back and what they were then worth...