What weapons were issued to pilots, whether it be American, Japanese, or German?

[Sturzkampfflugzeug]

I know some pilots were given survival rifles, but what were the names of the weapons?

 

[Glider]

I believe that HS123 pilots had an MP40 amongst their emergency and during the BOB the British found a rifle plus bayonet in the Italian bombers that were shot down.

 

[Sturzkampfflugzeug]

Interesting. Excellent to knwo!

 

[Airframes]

Luftwaffe aircrew standard sidearm was normally the Walther PP or PPK, mainly fighter pilots, with the bomber and transport either the P08 or Walther P-38.
Bf109s in North Africa carried a Kar-98K in the rear fuselage, along with the survival and first aid kit.
RAF crews didn't normally carry a weapon, but, on the Continent in 1944, fighter pilots had the option of carrying a Webley or Enfield .38 revolver, and some the Browning HP 9mm.
Standard US sidearm for aircrew was the Colt 1911 .45 pistol, and I believe some multi-engine aircraft may have had a M1 carbine onboard.

 

[GrauGeist]

Luftwaffe crews in North Africa had the Saur M30 "Drilling" (triple barrel) shotgun.

USAAF crews had an M4 .22 rifle.

 

[Sturzkampfflugzeug]

Wasnt the Drilling the shotgun with a rifle round too?

 

[GrauGeist]

Yes, the M30 was a three barreled weapon:
Two 12 gauge barrels side-by-side and a 9mm barrel beneath and between.
If memory serves right, the left 12 ga. barrel had a modified choke while the right 12 ga. was unchoked in order to fire slugs.

 

[Sturzkampfflugzeug]

Thank you for the info!

 

[MIflyer]

In the movie King Kong Skull Island I was amused when the Japanese pilot hauls out a Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" to shoot at the American. I thought,"'What, couldn't they find a Nambu pistol in the prop shop?" But in the book Fighter Squadron at Guadalcanal they say that the C96 was a common item carried by Japanese fighter pilots shot down in the area. That was the last movie I'd have ever thought that would have taken pains with authenticity!

 

[A.G. Williams]

RAF crews didn't normally carry a weapon, but, on the Continent in 1944, fighter pilots had the option of carrying a Webley or Enfield .38 revolver

In close combat these would make reasonable clubs, while at slightly longer ranges the best tactic was to throw them at the enemy

 

[Airframes]

Agreed !
Probably more effective to blow one's nose in their general direction, and tell them that their fathers smelled of elderberries !!

 

[MIflyer]

In close combat these would make reasonable clubs, while at slightly longer ranges the best tactic was to throw them at the enemy

Well, I think it probably was the noise as the main effect.

We were told in that USAF that aircrew were issued the .38 revolver rather than the .45 Model 1911, because the Air Force did not want its downed aircrew engaging in gun battles that they were likely to lose but rather just hiding and awaiting the SAR forces. A case related to us was that of a downed pilot hiding in Vietnam who had a NVA walk right up and look at him. The pilot realized he had his .38 ready and probably could shoot the guy but might not kill him. The NVA clearly was thinking that he did not have his AK pointed right at the American and, while the pilot would not escape his fellow soldiers, he himself probably would be dead. So. without exchanging a word they parted. The American was rescued later.

 

[special ed]

While not involving an issue weapon, my ex father in law (a B-17 crewchief 19th BG Australia) told of his acquisition of a pearl handled, nickel plated .38 Colt revolver from a USN flyer. He told him that the Japanese killed pilots picked up with soft nosed bullets and got several other Army types to verify. The .38 was traded for a G.I. .45 and sometime later traded to an Aussie civilian. Probably melted down 65 years later.

 

[Micdrow]

It's not uncommon to find Thompson machine guns and 45's with B-25 Mitchell crews along with other weapons. You can find some of the info in MACR documents along with the serial numbers of the guns as you can see below

 

[Micdrow]

Bf-109 with rifle mount.

 

[bdefen]

The Luftwaffe version of our "Easy Rider Rifle Rack".

 

[GreenKnight121]

The USN and USMC in WW2 issued their flyers what the Smith & Wesson "Victory" revolver.

Known as the Smith & Wesson .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police, the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, or the Smith & Wesson Model 10 after 1957, it is a K-frame revolver of worldwide popularity. In production since 1899, the Model 10 is a six-shot, .38 Special, double-action revolver with fixed sights.

The S&W M&P military revolvers produced from 1942 to 1944 had serial numbers with a "V" prefix, and were known as the Smith & Wesson Victory Model. Early Victory Models did not always have the V prefix. During World War II 590,305 of these revolvers were supplied to the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa under the Lend-Lease program, chambered in the British .38/200 caliber already in use in the Enfield No 2 Mk I Revolver and the Webley Mk IV Revolver. Most Victory Models sent to Britain were fitted with 4-inch or 5-inch barrels, although a few early versions had 6-inch barrels. The 5-inch barrel was standard production after 4 April 1942. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) supplied thousands of these revolvers to resistance forces. Thousands of Victory Model revolvers remained in United States Army inventories following World War II for arming foreign military and security personnel.

An additional 352,315 Victory Model revolvers chambered in the well-known and popular .38 Special cartridge were used by United States forces during World War II. The Victory Model was a standard-issue sidearm for United States Navy and Marine Corps aircrews, and was also used by security guards at factories and defense installations throughout the United States during the war. Although the latter personnel could use conventional lead bullets, Remington Arms manufactured REM UMC 38 SPL headstamped cartridges loaded with a 158 gr (10.2 g) full metal jacket bullet for military use in overseas combat zones. Tracer ammunition was manufactured for signaling purposes.

Initial production of 65,000 4-inch-barreled revolvers for Navy aircrew bypassed standard procurement procedures, and quality suffered without traditional inspection procedures. Quality improved when Army ordnance inspectors became involved in early 1942, and the design was modified in 1945 to include an improved hammer block after a sailor was killed by a loaded revolver discharging when accidentally dropped onto a steel deck. Many aircrew preferred to carry the revolver rather than the heavier M1911 pistol. Pilots often preferred a shoulder holster in the confined space of a cockpit, but a hip holster was also available for security personnel.

Some of these revolvers remained in service well into the 1990s with units of the United States Armed Forces, including the United States Air Force and the Coast Guard. Until the introduction of the Beretta M9 9mm pistol in 1990, U.S. Army helicopter crew members and female military police officers were equipped with .38 caliber Victory Model revolvers. Five-hundred revolvers with two-inch barrels were delivered on 22 August 1944 for Criminal Investigation Division agents. The Victory Model remained in use with Air National Guard tanker and transport crews as late as Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and with United States Navy security personnel until 1995.

 

[pararaftanr2]

The USN and USMC in WW2 issued their flyers what the Smith & Wesson "Victory" revolver.

Known as the Smith & Wesson .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police, the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, or the Smith & Wesson Model 10 after 1957, it is a K-frame revolver of worldwide popularity. In production since 1899, the Model 10 is a six-shot, .38 Special, double-action revolver with fixed sights.

The S&W M&P military revolvers produced from 1942 to 1944 had serial numbers with a "V" prefix, and were known as the Smith & Wesson Victory Model. Early Victory Models did not always have the V prefix. During World War II 590,305 of these revolvers were supplied to the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa under the Lend-Lease program, chambered in the British .38/200 caliber already in use in the Enfield No 2 Mk I Revolver and the Webley Mk IV Revolver. Most Victory Models sent to Britain were fitted with 4-inch or 5-inch barrels, although a few early versions had 6-inch barrels. The 5-inch barrel was standard production after 4 April 1942. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) supplied thousands of these revolvers to resistance forces. Thousands of Victory Model revolvers remained in United States Army inventories following World War II for arming foreign military and security personnel.

An additional 352,315 Victory Model revolvers chambered in the well-known and popular .38 Special cartridge were used by United States forces during World War II. The Victory Model was a standard-issue sidearm for United States Navy and Marine Corps aircrews, and was also used by security guards at factories and defense installations throughout the United States during the war. Although the latter personnel could use conventional lead bullets, Remington Arms manufactured REM UMC 38 SPL headstamped cartridges loaded with a 158 gr (10.2 g) full metal jacket bullet for military use in overseas combat zones. Tracer ammunition was manufactured for signaling purposes.

Initial production of 65,000 4-inch-barreled revolvers for Navy aircrew bypassed standard procurement procedures, and quality suffered without traditional inspection procedures. Quality improved when Army ordnance inspectors became involved in early 1942, and the design was modified in 1945 to include an improved hammer block after a sailor was killed by a loaded revolver discharging when accidentally dropped onto a steel deck. Many aircrew preferred to carry the revolver rather than the heavier M1911 pistol. Pilots often preferred a shoulder holster in the confined space of a cockpit, but a hip holster was also available for security personnel.

Some of these revolvers remained in service well into the 1990s with units of the United States Armed Forces, including the United States Air Force and the Coast Guard. Until the introduction of the Beretta M9 9mm pistol in 1990, U.S. Army helicopter crew members and female military police officers were equipped with .38 caliber Victory Model revolvers. Five-hundred revolvers with two-inch barrels were delivered on 22 August 1944 for Criminal Investigation Division agents. The Victory Model remained in use with Air National Guard tanker and transport crews as late as Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and with United States Navy security personnel until 1995.

When the US entered WW2, the .45 automatic was the standard sidearm issued to USN and USMC aircrew. The only holster available at the time was the M1916 hip holster, which required a web waist belt to carry. These were easily lost if ditching was necessary, so many pilots and aircrew procured their own shoulder holsters, either commercial products, or "rigger made". When the Army's demand for the .45 auto increased, the Navy switched to the .38 special "Victory" revolver in 1943. It was initially supplied with a leather hip holster, but that was quickly replaced by an issue shoulder holster. This combination was standard issue through the end of the war. The USMC, being the smaller service, chose to retain their .45 auto pistols, which most Marine fliers preferred, although the .38 revolver was available to them if they so desired. Leather shoulder holsters were available for both guns. Rather than self defense, the "Victory" revolver proved to be a more practical means of emergency signaling and .38 special tracer ammo was supplied in large amounts. It was very common for ammo loops of elastic, or fabric, to be sewn to the strap of the shoulder holster to carry additional amounts of the tracer ammo.

 

[GrauGeist]

The Colt M1917 revolver was also used by U.S. airmen during WWII.

 

[XBe02Drvr]

Five-hundred revolvers with two-inch barrels were delivered on 22 August 1944 for Criminal Investigation Division agents.

My Uncle Ned (former TBM jeep carrier pilot) was issued one of these when he joined the foreign service (USIA) in 1946 and surrendered it when he retired in 1979. My brothers and I sometimes accompanied him to the gravel pit to help him burn up his mandatory 90 day allotment of ammo. As a fed and an alleged spook, he wasn't welcomed at any of the local police ranges. That big snubnose .38Sp was a bit much for a skinny 13 year old to handle, and I think I could have thrown it more accurately than I could shoot it. He said he never carried that hand cannon in the field, preferring his own .25 Berreta, and added: "If you have to use a gun at all, you've already screwed the pooch and your prospects are NOT looking good".