Captured equipment
- Thread starter Ultima770
- Start date
Vehicles if they run were used at least in the short term especially in places with poor supply or if the front line was moving quickly. The big use that was done everywhere was trucks, no one ever had enough unless the lines were static and no operations were ongoing. An example would be Operation Compass in the North Africa, it could only continue as long as it did because of all the captured Italian trucks. Likewise if a theater was low priority then captured kit such as artillery was pressed into use until replacements could be delivered.
I had a book on tanks in world war two and there were two images of Japanese tanks, a Type 95 and a Type 97 that had been captured by Allied troops with the words "Under New Management" written on the side. Unfortunately I don't know where that book is...
marathag
Banned
http://www.wearethemighty.com/artic...nd-stole-vehicles-in-its-drive-across-germany
The 83rdID the 'Ragtag Circus' that had everything from Tigers, to a Me-109, to German fire engine
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The British captured a German submarine, the U-570 in August 1941. Following repairs, she was brought into Royal Navy service as HMS Graph on the 19th September 1941. A long period of trials and analysis followed, as the RN, and later the USN, tried to learn everything they could about the U-boat and its performance. Once every scrap of information had been wrung out of her, Graph made three war patrols. The first started on the 8th October 1942, and took her to the Bay of Biscay, where she unsuccessfully engaged U-333, another U-boat returning from patrol. On her next, she tried and failed to find an Italian blockade runner. Her final patrol took her to Norwegian waters, where she attempted to attack German ships returning from the Battle of the Barents Sea. Following this, a shortage of spare parts and an increasing number of defects, led to her being removed from active service.
The RN also used a captured Italian submarine, the Galileo Galilei. Captured in the Red Sea, she was brought into RN service as the X-2, and served as a training ship, and as a battery charging station for submarines at Port Said.
The RN also used a captured Italian submarine, the Galileo Galilei. Captured in the Red Sea, she was brought into RN service as the X-2, and served as a training ship, and as a battery charging station for submarines at Port Said.
The 6th Royal Tank Regiment was initially equiped with italian M13/40 tanks (60, I believed) in early 1941, because they arrived in Africa without their tanks. They lasted little more than a month.
At least 2 Panthers were captured and used by allied front line units (1 US, 1 UK), and I've read that reusing half tracks and vehicles like the Kubelwagen was common practice, to help local logistics and support, being ran untill they broke down.
At least 2 Panthers were captured and used by allied front line units (1 US, 1 UK), and I've read that reusing half tracks and vehicles like the Kubelwagen was common practice, to help local logistics and support, being ran untill they broke down.
The Tank Brigade that Rommel faced in Op Sonnonbaum comprised one 'Regiment' (Battalion for those of you who are hard of British Empire) of Worn out Cavalry tanks and another Regiment of Italian tanks - their commanding officer warned his superiors that they would be unlikely to last more than a day in combat before breaking down - he was actually wrong as IIRC a single Cavalry tank was still running on day 2.
Edit: I do recall a story told by the son of one of the 'Originals' - they had all sorts of German kit but the one story that sticks in my mind (other than the one about them knocking off German Banks before the Germans retreated past them) is that they had an E-Boat - never got the full story but I understand that Mischief was produced.
there is a US Ordnance Manual on how to safely use the 88mm Anti-aircraft gun...
the US Army used tons of captured equipment, oddly enough such things as rethreaded spark plugs...as well as using whatever artillery and ammunition they captured
the US Army used tons of captured equipment, oddly enough such things as rethreaded spark plugs...as well as using whatever artillery and ammunition they captured
The British operated a couple Me-108 aircraft, but they were bought, not captured. The Fieseler Storch, on the other hand, was captured and very popular with RAF and Army bigwigs. Heinkel He-115s were used for clandestine missions, but I can't recall if they were captured ones or not. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
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IIRC, Australian and New Zealand units used anything they could get their hands on, no matter the manufacturer. If it wasn't nailed down, it was used, If it could be pried up with a claw hammer, it wasn't nailed down.
Panzerfausts were popular, too.
Other popular captured equipment included cigarettes and alcohol.
Panzerfausts were popular, too.
Other popular captured equipment included cigarettes and alcohol.
Might not be what you're looking for, but France had a tank regiment fully equiped with Panthers and two other regiments operated them until 1949.
Soviets used captured tanks, especially in early days. They even made their own version of StuG on chassies of captured Pz III, dedicated small units was armed With Captured Panthers - huge white stars were painted on turrets.
Bf 109s were used from time to time - mostly as recon planes to fool Germans. However then pilots were often more in danger frim their own side. If I recall Pokryshkin mention 109 flown in by Slovak deserter to be use this way. Soviets also often used capture German APCs. Use of capture trucks was common.
Bf 109s were used from time to time - mostly as recon planes to fool Germans. However then pilots were often more in danger frim their own side. If I recall Pokryshkin mention 109 flown in by Slovak deserter to be use this way. Soviets also often used capture German APCs. Use of capture trucks was common.
The American and German 105mm howitzers could actually fire each other's ammunition.
Agreed if you have an equipment for a brigade you may want to use a batallions worth of it and use the rest as replacements.
Except trucks. You used the trucks you could find and hopefully they were Ford's no matter who they originally belonged to.