Formations equiped with HP-s?

[file]

Given that the Germans were very precise with keeping things in order, did anyone hear about any kind of records which units got which batch of HP-s, or something like that?

[Bob Reed]

Hello,

From what I've read and judging by the photos I've seen; it looks like the majority of High Powers went to Fallschirmjäger Divisions and the Hitlerjugend.

Good question, File, - hopefully someone has some solid info to add, it would be interesting to know. And yes, I'm sure the Germans kept records like you mentioned.

[file]

It crossed my mind that it would be interesting to know who brought my pistol to Yugoslavia, and did he survive the war...

When we are on that topic, I'll ask here. What are your toughs, is this the original finish or was it reblued? Letters seams to be too shallow to be original...

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[tnorris]

Sept 21, 2023 16:37:51 GMT -5 file said:

It crossed my mind that it would be interesting to know who brought my pistol to Yugoslavia, and did he survive the war...

When we are on that topic, I'll ask here. What are your toughs, is this the original finish or was it reblued? Letters seams to be too shallow to be original...

Good evening, File,

I can only offer you a similar photo of my "a suffix" 1943 pistol for comparison. I believe mine was brought to the US as a war trophy and no improvements were made nor was much care given.

I might guess that if your pistol had been re-blued, it may have also been polished a bit, unless it was produced earlier in the war and had a better finish to begin with.

Cheers,

Tim

[CXM]

Everything I have seen suggests the SS got the biggest share, with some going to the Luftwaffe (of which the paratroopers were a part... not the army.) I have seen one photo that showed a navy officer with a HP but it is impossible to tell much about it and it could easily be a captured gun from Belgium (footnote I have also seen several photos showing navy personnel with Radom P35 pistols.)

I have seen quite a number of pix with SS using HPs on what I believe was the eastern front and at least one from the battle of the Bulge.

It isn't too unusual to see a photo of Russian troops with captured HPs in use by them (possibly Finnish too) Here is a photo of a HP in use by Russian partisans being instructed by Russian soldiers in how to use the HP.





Also here is a pic of a HP in use by Finnish soldier, presumably in the mini war (not so mini actually) from about 1939. Russian seems to be surrendering to the Fin.




On the subject of record keeping by Germans they do love to keep records. Because of the allied bombing of Germany, particularly in 1944-5 a lot of the carefully prepared records were to lost to fire and other risks. Berlin was particularly heavily bombed and lots and lots of records lost... others exist in the Bundesarkives (they were in Bonn... don't know if they moved post reunification) that have never been sorted and cataloged. A lot have simply been tossed in the trash since the end of the war and things like equipment purchase orders were seen as worthless except maybe to burn for heat.

In the first half of the 1970s I was stationed in Germany in what had been a large German quartermaster depot. I recall dumpster loads of purchase/issue records being tipped into dumpsters as being without value.

Some records may still exist, but whether or not they will ever be cataloged remains problematic.

As to how your pistol got to Yugoslavia I'd feel pretty safe in saying it came there with German troops. Yugoslavia had very active resistance and partisan activities so my first guess would be the gun was taken from a German who no longer needed it (for one reason or another.) The other would be the Germans abandoned the gun when the war ended. All German troops were disarmed in place for the most part. If I had to bet how it came to be in civilian hands I'd bet on the first explanation.


FWIW

Chuck



FWIW

Chuck