1911

alanint · 07-13-2012, 11:53 PM

[QUOTE=postino;216585]I've always wondered...What did the Germans (of either war) think of the M1911[A1]??? Was it a desirable souvenir??? Did they seek them out, look for rare mfgs, send them home to friends/relatives???

Several personal accounts I have read indicate that the Germans where VERY impressed by the .45, but by the pistol, not necessarily the TSMG or M3 Greasegun.

When prisoners or displaced persons after the war needed to be introduced to the muzzle of a 1911, they would smile and say, "grosse" and become immediately compliant. The Germans were very impressed by the caliber in a pistol, but found the Thompson heavy and cumbersome, versus their own SMG or STG offerings.
The TSMG was a prized souvenir mostly in North Africa, where the Germans were almost 100% motorized and did not have to carry them around. These were captured British 1921-28 Thompsons, with the vertical foregrip and the drum magazines. Germans loved this version in part because they were fascinated by the US gangster era, thanks to Hollywood films. They had little or no emotional connection to the standard GI 1928, M1 or M1A1 TSMG.

07-13-2012, 11:53 PM	#32
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,917 Times in 1,193 Posts	[QUOTE=postino;216585]I've always wondered...What did the Germans (of either war) think of the M1911[A1]??? Was it a desirable souvenir??? Did they seek them out, look for rare mfgs, send them home to friends/relatives??? Several personal accounts I have read indicate that the Germans where VERY impressed by the .45, but by the pistol, not necessarily the TSMG or M3 Greasegun. When prisoners or displaced persons after the war needed to be introduced to the muzzle of a 1911, they would smile and say, "grosse" and become immediately compliant. The Germans were very impressed by the caliber in a pistol, but found the Thompson heavy and cumbersome, versus their own SMG or STG offerings. The TSMG was a prized souvenir mostly in North Africa, where the Germans were almost 100% motorized and did not have to carry them around. These were captured British 1921-28 Thompsons, with the vertical foregrip and the drum magazines. Germans loved this version in part because they were fascinated by the US gangster era, thanks to Hollywood films. They had little or no emotional connection to the standard GI 1928, M1 or M1A1 TSMG. Last edited by alanint; 07-14-2012 at 07:11 AM.