The German has a rather uncommon Erma MP-35, and judging from the can the unfortunate fellow in the grass was carrying magazines for a DP-28.
Semiauto pistol
Evolution of the Military Mauser HSc Pistol
Mauser had been at the forefront of military self-loading pistol design with its C96 pistol, but by the 1930s it had lost major market share to Sauer and Walther in police and commercial guns. The […]
Bolt Action Rifles
Spanish 1892: Last of the Single Stack Magazine Mausers
The Mauser 98 may have been the best bolt action design of all time, but it did not spring forth from Paul Mauser’s head fully formed. The Mauser took nearly 10 years of development and […]
Prototype
Experimental “Joint Safety” C96 Mauser at James D Julia
This particular 1902-made example of the C96 Mauser incorporates several experimental features of the design that would never go into mass production. It was an effort to make a version of the C96 that would […]
Erma MP.35’s were substitute standard weapons issued to SS, foreign, and behind the front security units. The German soldiers in this picture appear to be wearing Feldpolezi (MP) gorgets around their necks. They were known as ‘chain dogs’ by common German soldiers.
Good observation, as a military figure painter/collector I recognized the gorgets – but only after John pointed them out. John…are you a relative of the Congressman from MI???
CB in FL
Chris – Yes, distant relative.
Yup, Ketten hunde…..chain dogs. Which BTB, is a punishable offense in the Bundeswhere to call MP’s now….bad associations and all…(grin)
Are you sure about the ID on that? Everything I’ve ever seen shows the MP35 as being fed from the right hand side, not the left. That picture isn’t very clear, but it sure as heck looks to me like the mag well is on the left hand side of the weapon. Unless the negative is somehow reversed, and the gentleman carrying the weapon is left-handed, or something equally “off”.
Additionally, the stock does not look “right” for an MP35. MP35 has the foregrip extending past the magazine well, and no sign of whatever it is that the shooter is gripping with his apparent left hand. There are things in that picture that look like an MP35, but there are also some other things that make me doubt the ID.
I think you are confusing this gun with the Bergmann MP35. The gun in the photo is an ERMA MP35 which does have a vertical fore-grip. Here is a link to a photo:
http://forohistoria.creatuforo.com/-temas1087.html
Also, the holsters on their belts are right-handed holsters set up for a cross-draw, so the photo is not flipped.
The story of the Vollmer Erma MP-35 build for Spanish Republican force, issused by French “Corp francs” (free corps) in front line (PM Volmer) => and at the end for the german become Maschinenpistole 740 (f) for Allgemein SS (that include german Polizei)
* http://i36.tinypic.com/14295dx.jpg
* http://heaumes.free.fr/local/cache-vignettes/L400xH721/ermagf-01wmpf-d5522.jpg
“Leave it Hans, he’s dead!”
The image is not reversed as can be seen from the cuff titles worn by both soldiers being worn properly on the left forearm sleeve.
Interesting… Through this post, I find that a.) I don’t know my German weapons as well as I thought I did, and that b.) a reference I’ve relied on for years mis-identifies the Bergmann as an Erma. Also, that the Germans were alarmingly casual with assigning weapons IDs.