[Guest]

Hello all,

Some of you may have seen my question about the IMA Artillery rig in the holster section...I described a little about the Erfurt Artillery I recently picked up. I will post another post after this weekend with pics...

However a question I have now is was there any kind of widespread use of Artillery Lugers in WWII? Just curious, as I explained the bulk of my collecting direction lies in WWII German combat gear and weapons. I've had some earlier stuff come in and out of my hands over the years including a really nice all matching 1904 Danzig G. 98 w/ bayonet, and several Commission 88's and a 71/84. I always ended up getting rid of them as my collection grew out of hand, and I tried to regain some control.

In any case, I won't be getting rid of my Artillery, since I have always thought they were one of the best looking guns ever made, but I was curious as to if they were used in WWII. I am assuming the Germans were allowed to keep some stocks of Artilleries after the war, or were they only allowed to keep the regular 4" Lugers? I don't think I have ever seen any photographic evidence of Artilleries in WWII, so I figured I'd ask here....

 

[huggiebear]

The LP08 was in use by the Kreigsmarine in WW2, but don't recall any other services using them. I have a 1941 P.38 holster converted over to use with a LP08 and is KM marked so we know that they used them, mostly on assualt boats or Q Boats as far as I know. There are some known 1935 dated LP08 Reichsmarine [ RM ] holsters as well. All of the LP08's that I have seen are with RM anchor over M with N property marks. O property specimens are rare and know of only two examples and both only had the O property marks with no eagles or anchors.

 

[Fritz]

Hi,

for your pleasure a rare pic. I think, they used it not only in the Kriegsmarine.

Fritz

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[jeff mullins]

I remember reading that the Luft. ordered and recieved approx 100 Model 1914, long barrelled Lugers in the mid 1930's....

jeff

 

[keoki7]

quote:Originally posted by jeff mullins

I remember reading that the Luft. ordered and recieved approx 100 Model 1914, long barrelled Lugers in the mid 1930's....
jeff

Jeff, I would be very interested to know where you read the above. "Mid 1930's" and "ordered" might coincide with 1936 production of contract LP08s by Mauser. Is there any indication in your source that the order was filled?

 

[Guest_V]

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This is a picture of Capt. Gerald Montanaro, Royal Engineers Commando in France during WWII.

Goerz als comments on a "Reihenfeuer" (full auto) LP 08 captured by the French Resistance during an anti-insurgency operation by German forces during WWII.

Patrick

 

[Guest]

A lot of interesting information...at least now I can tell myself without a guilty conscience that it could possibly fit into my WWII collection!

It would seem logical that Artilleries were used in WWII, but like I said, I had never read about it, nor have I saw actual pics...now I have.

 

[henry]

Hello pzjgr
What do you have in your ww2 gun collection?

 

[Guest]

Hello Henry, well I do have quite a bit, and as far as the guns go, not all German. Just the German stuff, I have 16 kar 98k's, mostly bringbacks, no Russian captures, the 1940 dated P08, a 43 dated P38, a Browning Model 1922 in a luft drop holster with the capture papers. Also a few dummy MG's (no live MG's in NY), a MG-34 and MG-15...But I also collect WWII German combat gear and uniforms, so everything together is a pretty big collection. I posted some pics on the regular gunboards forum, in the Ordnance collectors section....and the 98k section...

 

[lugercollector]

I purchased a 1917 Artillery that was captured from a German soldier in WW2......it came with an original unusual Holster with no markings that fitted it perfectly.....I also had all the documentation as to the actual incident in which it was taken.....(in May 1945)I suspect that in this case, it was a last ditch weapon taken from storage and then pressed into service......

 

[Guest_V]

Peter,

that´s exactly the reason Goertz gave for the Reihenfeuer LP 08 found in France.

Patrick

 

[keoki7]

quote:Originally posted by lugercollector

I purchased a 1917 Artillery that was captured from a German soldier in WW2......it came with an original unusual Holster with no markings that fitted it perfectly.....I also had all the documentation as to the actual incident in which it was taken.....(in May 1945)I suspect that in this case, it was a last ditch weapon taken from storage and then pressed into service......

May we see a photograph of the holster? I have an Artillery holster that came from Austria. I'm almost certain that it dates from the second war.

 

[jeff mullins]

Geo,
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I'm a cyclist and when the weathers this pretty... Anyway, the book reference to model 1914's being ordered by the German luft is found in "The Luger Pistol", Datig, Page 162. They have copies of German Luft orders for the Long Barrells and the replies. It appears that they ordered 2,000 LBP08's and were shipped 1800 C96 Schnell guns and 200 LBP08.s

jeff mullins

 

[Guest_V]

yes, but this surely refers to WWI (?)

Patrick

 

[Dwight Gruber]

March-April, 1940.

--Dwight

 

[Gercolctor]

In 1995 I purchased a all matching LP-08, made by DWM, from a gun shop. The shop owner bought it from the recent widow, who I later talked to and she informed me her husband was a member of the US Army and he picked it up in the last weeks of the war in Germany. It had a SE/63 non matching magazine.

It has Imperial Army unit markings on the front grip.

Based upon the widow's "story", this Luger was used during the final days of the war. While there is no way to formally document her story, she had no interest/reason in making it up.
Joe

 

[lugercollector]

Geo....I sold the rig to a fellow collector in Canada...I don't think I have any photos left....If I find some....will post them....

 

[franck]

hello,
About use of LP08 in ww2,I have photo in a french gun magazine of ss soldier with an LP08 in france in 1944,there is also an other article about P08,also in a french magazine,the author of this article display his personnal DWM 1917 Lp08 taked in 1944 in normany on a 9ss panzer division destroyed tiger.
best regards
Franck

 

[jeff mullins]

Franck,
Welcome to the forum!! Could you please post the picture of the SS man with the long barrel??

thanks!!

jeff

 

[franck]

Hi
You can go on luger-pistol.com,you will see photo of this ss man with LP08
best regards