List of World War II infantry weapons


This is a list of World War II infantry weapons.

Kingdom of Albania

In 1939, the Albanian Kingdom was invaded by Italy and became the Italian protectorate of Albania. It participated in the Greco-Italian War in 1940, under Italian command. After the Italian armistice in 1943, German military forces entered Albania, and it came under German occupation. Albanian troops were mostly equipped by Italians, and Albanian partisans used weapons from various sources.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Commonwealth of Australia

The Second Australian Imperial Force that served in Mediterranean and Middle East and Pacific theatre

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Federal State of Austria

The Austrian Bundesheer was incorporated into the German Wehrmacht after the Anschluss in 1938.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Mortars

Grenades

Kingdom of Belgium

Before being conquered by Germany, the Belgian Army used their own equipment up to 1940. Free Belgian forces were equipped by UK, however colonial troops of Force Publique in East Africa had to use outdated weaponry.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light machine guns

Medium machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

3rd Brazilian Republic

The Brazilian Expeditionary Force, under US command, served in Italy from 1944.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light machine guns

Medium machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades

Anti-tank weapons

Kingdom of Bulgaria

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Grenade launcher

Grenades

State of Burma

The State of Burma was a puppet government set up by Japanese after they occupied Burma in 1942. It lasted from 1943 to March 1945 when the Burma National Army revolted and joined the allies.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Dominion of Canada

Weaponry used by Canadian Army that fought on the side of the Allies

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

During the Second World War Canada produced grenades types with Numbers 36 and from 67 to 89.

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons and explosives

Republic of China

Weapons used by the National Revolutionary Army, as well as Communist forces and Chinese warlords. Chinese Forces also received a large amount of equipment from Lend-Lease during Burma campaign.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light machine guns

Medium machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades and grenade dischargers

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Independent State of Croatia

Independent State of Croatia was a puppet-state established in 1941 after fall of Yugoslavia. Croatian Legion and Light Transport Brigade served on Eastern Front under German and Italian commands.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Automatic rifles

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

1st Czechoslovak Republic

Weaponry used by Czechoslovak armies in exile that served under British and Soviet commands. For weapons used and produced in interwar period by First and Second Czechoslovak Republic see list below.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Anti-tank weapons

Grenades

Mortars

Kingdom of Denmark

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Shotguns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Republic of Estonia

In 1940, Estonia was annexed by the Soviet Union and thus its army absorbed into the Red Army. When Germany launched its attack on the USSR, many Estonians joined the fight as many as 20'000 volunteers as SS soldiers.

Sidearms

Machine guns

Rifles

Submachine guns

Anti-tank guns

Mortars

Grenades

Mines

  • TM-34
  • TM-37

Ethiopian Empire

Ethiopian Empire was defeated by Italy in Second Italo-Ethiopian War and became Italian Ethiopia from 1937. Ethiopians continued a guerrilla war as the Arbegnoch until British forces took Italian Ethiopia in 1941 as part of the East African campaign

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Republic of Finland

Weaponry used by Finnish Defence Forces during Winter War, Continuation War and Lapland War.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Automatic and battle rifles

Light Machine guns

Heavy Machine guns

Grenades

Flamethrowers

Anti-tank weapons

French 3rd Republic

Weaponry used by French Army up to 1940 and by French Liberation Army.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

  • F1 M1915 grenade
  • O.F. grenade
  • Grenade incendiaire et fumigène automatique (Modèle 1916)
  • Grenade incendiaire à main. (Modèle 1916.)
  • Mle 1937 offensive
  • Mle 1937 defensive
  • Tromblon VB grenade launcher

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

German Reich

In addition to the weapons listed here, German armed forces also used a wide variety of weapons captured from defeated enemies.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Foreign weapons produced under occupation

  • Pistole 12
  • Pistole 24
  • Pistole 27
  • Pistole 39
  • Pistole 625
  • Pistole 640
  • Pistole 641
  • Pistole 645 / P35
  • Pistole 657

Submachine guns

Foreign weapons produced under occupation

Automatic rifles

Rifles

Foreign weapons produced under occupation

  • Gewehr 24
  • Gewehr 29/40 and Gewehr 29
  • Gewehr 33/40
  • Gewehr 211

Sniper rifles

Machine guns

Foreign weapons produced under occupation

  • Maschinengewehr MG 26
  • Maschinengewehr MG 30
  • MG37
  • Schweres Maschinengewehr 258

Grenades and grenade launchers

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Anti-aircraft rocket launcher

Guided explosive weapons

Miscellaneous guns

Kingdom of Greece

Weaponry used by Hellenic Army during World War II. After World War I Greece received a large quantities of French weaponry. After fall of Greece elements of the Greek Armed Forces that managed to escape to the British-controlled Middle East formed Greek Armed Forces in the Middle East, these forces were reequipped by UK. Partisans and resistance movement used weapons from various sources but mainly used captured Italian and German weapons from Greco-Italian War and German invasion of Greece, they were also supplied by UK and OSS.

Edged weapons

  • Y:1903 Bayonet

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light machine guns

Medium machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Kingdom of Hungary

Weaponry used by Royal Hungarian Army that fought on the side of the Axis powers

Edged Weapons

  • 1890/1931.M Bayonet
  • 1935.M bayonet

Sidearms

Submachine gun

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

  • 5 cm Granatwerfer 36
  • 39 M. 5 cm gránátvető
  • 36 M. és 36/39 M. 8 cm aknavető
  • 43 M. 12cm aknavető

Anti-tank weapons

British Raj

The British Indian Army under UK command.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Imperial State of Iran

Weapons used by Imperial State of Iran during Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in 1941

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Kingdom of Iraq

Weapons used by Kingdom of Iraq during Anglo-Iraqi War in 1941

Sidearms

Rifles

Machine guns

Kingdom of Italy

Weaponry of Royal Italian Army up to 1943 and National Republican Army from 1943.

Edged weapons

  • M1891 sciabola baionetta
  • M1891/38 pugnale baionetta
  • M1939 pugnale

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light machine guns

Medium machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Japanese Empire

Weaponry used by Imperial Japanese Armed Forces during World War II. Japan officially joined the conflict in 1941 but was still involved in Second Sino-Japanese War.

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light Machine guns

Heavy Machine guns

Grenades

Grenade dischargers

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Guided explosive weapons

Republic of Latvia

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Republic of Lithuania

Sidearms

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Anti-tank weapons

Empire of Manchuria

The Manchukuo Imperial Army served under Japanese Command in Second Sino-Japanese War and during Invasion of Manchuria in 1945.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light Machine guns

Heavy Machine guns

Grenade dischargers

Mengjiang United Autonomous Government

The Inner Mongolian Army served under Japanese Command in Second Sino-Japanese War and during Invasion of Manchuria in 1945.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Mexico

Sidearms

Rifles

Machine guns

Submachine guns

Grenades

Mongolian People's Republic

The Mongolian People's Army, under Soviet Command, served in Manchuria in 1945 and in the Battles of Khalkhin Gol in 1939

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Kingdom of the Netherlands

The weaponry used by Royal Netherlands Army up to 1940 and colonial troops of Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) up 1942. After occupation Dutch government continued in exile. Free Dutch Forces were equipped by Western Allies - Mainly British Commonwealth.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Light Machine guns

Medium Machine guns

  • Schwarzlose M.08

Heavy Machine guns

Grenades

  • Eihandgranaat No.1
  • Eihandgranaat No.3
  • Hexiet Rookhandgranaat
  • Mk.2 fragmentation hand grenade
  • Offensieve handgranaat No.2 1928
  • Offensieve Handgranaat No.3 1941

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Dominion of New Zealand

The 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force that served in Africa, Mediterranean and Pacific theatre

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Kingdom of Norway

Weapons used by Norwegian Army during the Norwegian campaign in 1940. Norwegian resistance movement used weapons from various sources, Commandos primarily used British equipment. Norwegian police troops in Sweden were recruited from refugees and trained in secret camps by Swedish military and used Swedish equipment, they originally intended to help maintain order in a post-war Norway however they partially participated in Liberation of Finnmark

Edged weapons

  • M/1894

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Commonwealth of the Philippines

Weaponry used by Philippine Army in Commonwealth period. Philippine Army mainly used the old American equipment from Philippine–American War. In 1941 Philippine Army was placed under command of USAFFE.

Edged weapons

Bayonet

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Shotguns

Rifles

Sniper rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Grenade launcher

Anti-tank weapon

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

2nd Polish Republic

Before Germany conquered Poland the Polish army was chiefly equipped with weapons of its own making. After the German and Soviet occupation, the Polish government continued in exile. Polish armed forces in the West were equipped by the Western Allies, principally the UK and those formed in the East under the USSR were equipped with Soviet equipment, Polish Army in France was equipped with French equipment. Within occupied Poland the Polish resistance forces were equipped with weapons from many sources.

Edged weapons

*

Sidearms

Submachine gun

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Grenade launchers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Kingdom of Romania

Romania joined the Axis Powers in 1940 and the Romanian Royal Army fought on that side until August 1944. After a coup d'état in August 1944 Romania fought alongside the USSR against Germany and Hungary.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

  • MAN 1939
  • Granát vz.34
  • Geballte Ladung
  • CIAG smoke grenade
  • Unknown Romanian grenade

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

First Slovak Republic

Weaponry of First Slovak Republic participating in the conflict from 1939 to 1944 on the side of Axis powers.

Edged weapons

  • Bodák vz. 24

Sidearms

Rifles

Submachine guns

Light machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Union of South Africa

The Union of South Africa serving under UK command. Served in East Africa, North Africa, Madagascar, and Italy.

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Soviet Union

Weaponry used by Red Army during World War II.

Edged weapons

Handguns

Submachine guns

Automatic rifles

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Grenade launchers

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Kingdom of Thailand

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Grenade dischargers

Anti-tank weapons

United Kingdom (including colonies)

Edged weapons

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Rifles

Sniper rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Obstacle clearing explosive charges

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

United States of America

Blade weapons

Sidearms

Shotguns

Commonly used by the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific theater, limited use in Europe.

Submachine guns

Automatic Rifles

Rifles

Sniper rifles

Machine guns

Grenades

Grenade launchers

Obstacle clearing explosive charges

Flamethrowers

Mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Sidearms

Submachine guns

Automatic rifles

Rifles

Light Machine guns

Medium Machine guns

Heavy Machine guns

Grenades

Mortars

Flamethrowers

Anti-tank weapons

Non-Aligned Volunteers

There are countries in World War 2 that are non-aligned but sent volunteers. Two for example are Sweden for The Winter War and The Spanish State during The Advance Towards Moscow.

Sidearms

Submachine Guns

Rifles

Machine Guns