List of German military equipment of World War II

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 capitulation of Germany to the Allied forces.

The Germans used a number of type designations for their weapons. Usually, 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 designation, at which point one must reference the calibre to differentiate.[1]

Knives and bayonets
Name Image Issued Notes
Kampfmesser 42 1944–1945 Never produced in large quantities
S84/98 III 1935–1945
Seitengewehr 98

Small arms

Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)
Name Image Issued Notes
Bodeo Model 1889
ČZ vz. 27
Dreyse M1907
Luger P08 pistol
Mauser HSc
Nazi belt buckle pistol
Sauer 38H
Steyr M1912 Occupied Austrian production. Converted to 9mm Parabellum as the P12(Ö)
Vis pistol (also known as Radom wz.35 Vis) - occupied Polish production
Volkspistole
Walther P38
Walther PP
Astra 300 (imported from Spain)
Astra 400 (imported from Spain)
Astra 600 (imported from Spain)
Browning Hi-Power (occupied Belgian production)
FÉG 37M Pistol (imported from Hungary)
Star Model B (imported from Spain)
FN 1922 (occupied Belgian production)
Kongsberg Colt (Occupied Norwegian Production)

Automatic pistols and submachine guns

Rifles
Name Image Issued Notes
Gewehr 41 1941–1945
Gewehr 43 1943–1945
Gewehr 98 1935
HIW VSK 1944–1945
Karabiner 98k 1935–1945 Main German rifle during World War II
M30 Luftwaffe drilling 1941–1942 Shotgun and rifle
vz. 24 1939–1942 Upgraded to Karabiner 98k standards, occupied Czech production
vz. 33 1939–1942 Occupied Czech production
ZH-29

Grenades and grenade launchers

Mines

Recoilless rifles

Flamethrowers

Machine guns

Infantry and dual-purpose machine guns

Vehicle and aircraft machine guns

Artillery

Demolition charges

Infantry mortars

Heavy mortars and rocket launchers

Field artillery

Fortress and siege guns

Anti-tank guns

Anti-tank weapons (besides anti-tank guns)

Anti-aircraft weapons

Light anti-aircraft guns

Heavy anti-aircraft guns

Vehicles

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

Tankettes
  • AMR 35 - captured from French, some converted to mortar carrier

Tanks

Self-propelled guns

Tank-based

Other

Diana

Armored cars

Armored carriers
  • Sd.Kfz. 3 (early) - unarmed personnel carrier of the 1920s
  • French Somua MCG/MCL mittlerer gepanzerter Zugkraftwagen S307/303(f)
  • French Unic P107 leichter Zugkraftwagen U304(f))
  • Gepanzerter Mannschaftstransportwagen 'Kätzchen' - 2 built
  • Munitions Selbstfahrlafette auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Wespe chassis as ammunition carrier)
  • Munitionspanzer 38(t) (sf) Ausf.K (Sd.Kfz..138/1)
  • Sd.Kfz. 252 half-track ammunition carrier
  • Borgward B III - armoured ammunition carrier

Engineering and command
  • Springer vehicle (demolition vehicle)
  • Borgward IV (demolition vehicle)
  • Goliath tracked mine
  • Räumer S (mine clearance vehicle, prototype only)
  • Brückenleger auf Panzerkampfwagen II (bridge layer on Panzer II chassis)
  • Minenräumer III (also known as Minenräumpanzer III) - mine-clearing vehicle on Panzer III chassis
  • Kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen (command version of Panzer I)
  • Panzerbefehlswagen III (command version of Panzer III)
  • Panzerbefehlswagen IV (Pz. Bef. Wg. IV) (command version of Panzer IV)
  • Befehlspanzer Panther (command version of Panther tank)
  • Kugelpanzer - cable-laying vehicle, supplied to Japan
  • Sd.Kfz. 247 - armored command car
  • Sd.Kfz. 253 half-track artillery observer
  • Infanterie Sturmsteg auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen IV (infantry assault bridge version of the Panzer IV)
  • Instandsetzungskraftwagen I (maintenance vehicle version of the Panzer I)
  • Strabokran - tank-lifting maintenance crane

Trucks

Passenger cars

Motorcycles

Tractors and prime movers

Miscellaneous vehicles
Main article: List of Kriegsmarine ships

Aircraft
Main article: List of World War II military aircraft of Germany

Secret weapons
Main article: Wunderwaffe

Radars

Missiles and bombs

Cartridges and shells

50 cal shells

See also

References
  1. "World War 2 Weapons". Military Dictionary. Archived from the original on 2008-12-06. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  2. John Walter, Guns of the Third Reich, Greenhill Books, 2004, p. 163
  3. John Walter, Guns of the Third Reich, Greenhill Books, 2004, p. 163
  4. John Walter, Guns of the Third Reich, Greenhill Books, 2004, p. 163
  5. Panzerabwehrkanonen

Further reading
  • Chamberlain, Peter & Gander, Terry. Light and Medium Field Artillery. New York: Arco, 1975
  • Gander, Terry. Heavy Artillery of World War II. Wiltshire: The Crowood Press, 2004 ISBN 1-84037-414-4
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