[mrerick]

It was always more exciting sounding to position yourself against the evil SS and (as a lowly soldier) against a German officer. Embellishment... even with the most honest of people is also a compensation for the abject evil they witnessed and difficult experiences they participate in.

German officers didn't normally carry Lugers. As mentioned, almost always carrying smaller and lighter pocket pistols that they purchased themselves. There were rules for uniforms, and beyond that conforming to standards was more likely than doing something that made your uniform "stand out" as unusual. People like Patton both wanted to stand out, and had the power to do so. Not the average officer on either side.

No rule on this is absolute, but the government didn't routinely issue officers Lugers.

There are also stories of soldiers discarding firearms just before being captured, and disabling them prior to discarding them. A typical method for disabling a Luger is to toss out the trigger plate. That is plausible, but also unlikely since a fighting soldier would want to defend his life until the moment he's forcefully disarmed.

What's more likely is that after bringing it home, the plate was hidden to prevent accidents with children in a home previously unfamiliar with firearms.

All stories like this are anecdotal, and should be treated that way.