List of World War II weapons of France

This is a list of weapons used by the military forces of the French Third Republic in WW2.

Handguns

Rifles

  • Berthier Mle 1907/15 M16 rifle. Many late world war I era French rifles such as this Berthier rifle and other late world war I variant of Berthier and Lebel rifles were still in heavy use by French forces in world war II due to newer French rifles the MAS-36 and MAS-40(not in production) not being available in sufficient quantities for thee French military..French forces used some Berthiers and Lebels rechambered for the new 7.5 French round.
    Fusil Automatique Modele 1917
  • Lebel and Berthier rifles
  • Fusil MAS36
  • Fusil MAS36 CR39
  • MAS-36. Most modern rifle in widespread French military service in World war II. Only small numbers were produced before the war so only available in small numbers for French forces during World War II.
    M1917 Enfield, supplied by the US through Lend-lease to Free French forces
  • M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle
  • Meunier rifle

Submachine guns

  • MAS-38 French submachine gun. Production of this gun had just started in 1940 when the Germans occupied France. They used the gun as a substitute weapon. Somehow one of the guns was obtained by a partisan who use the MAS-38 to execute Benito Mussolini the Fascist leader of world war II Italy.
    MAS-38
  • Erma EMP-35
  • Thompson M1928 and M1928A1
  • MP 18
  • MP40 Captured from German troops
  • Delacre machine pistol
  • Sten

Machine guns

Anti-Tank weapons

Anti-Aircraft weapons

Artillery

Grenades and mines

Mortars

Armoured vehicles

Armoured cars
  • Panhard 178 which was the main French armoured car during Battle of France that was built to be a reconnaissance vehicle
    AM Gendron SOMUA 39
  • AMC Schneider P16
  • AMD Laffly 80AM
  • AMD Panhard 165
  • AMDL Panhard
  • Laffly S15 TOE (théâtre d'opérations extérieures: "overseas theatre of operations") used by French forces in North Africa. Used by Free French forces in the Capture of Kufra
    Berliet VUDB
  • Berliet VUDB4
  • Citroen-Kegresse M23
  • Laffly S15 TOE
  • Laffly 50AM
  • Panhard 178
Rear view of Lorraine 38L armoured personnel carrier. Was created from the Lorraine 37L armoured tank supply vehicle. Only armoured personnel carrier in battle of France
Armoured personnel carriers

Armoured personnel carriers

Armoured utility vehicles

Light tanks

Medium tanks
Cavalry tanks
  • SOMUA S-35.One of the best tanks of its time in armour and firepower and outclassed German Tanks such as the Panzer III and IV in this respect. However overall they(Panzers) were better tanks as they granted far better vision, communication and ergonomics than French tanks which were mostly pretty bad in this regard due to things like a one man turret crew.
    SOMUA S35[1]
  • Char G1 (Prototype)
Armoured combat tanks
Heavy tanks
  • Char B1
    Char B1 bis variant. Originally the Char B1 was conceived as breakthrough tank using its Hull mounted gun to attack fortifications. Eventually became a Char de Bataille or battle tank that was meant to take on enemy armour. Heavily armoured and armed for its day and was inpenetrable to ordinary German Anti-tank Guns.
  • Char 2C
  • ARL 44 (Prototype)
  • AMX M4 (Prototype for the AMX 50.)
  • AMX 50 (Later replace with the AMX 30.)
  • FCM F1 (Prototype)

    See also

    Notes

    1. Beckhusen, Robert (5 September 2019). "France's Somua S35 Was a Better Tank, so Why Did Nazi Germany Beat Them?". The National Interest. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
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