Military hardware of other nations in WW2?

World War II Other Military Units
#1

So far I have tried using wikipedia and a bit of guesswork to figure out the right combinations, but it’s getting difficult, especially since there is almost no info on them:

Turkey, Greece, Iran, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Scandinavian Nations, Arab kingdoms, Argentina, Brazil
I’ve thought of the following hypotheses:

  • French equipment from the Interbellum would have been an obvious choice for many nations, possibly such as Greece and the Netherlands; but German equipment would also have been used if cheaper - I know this was the case to some extent for the Scandinavians, the Arabs and Brazil.
  • Nations affiliated with England like Portugal would have received British-manufactured weapons like the Valentine.
  • The Soviets were active in China as suppliers. Would they have supplied anyone else during the period of 1930-40?

Anyone know where these guys would have sourced their weapons from? I would have done the research myself, but I live in a nation which doesn’t care much about the Second World War (or militaria itself) - and the internet only seems to bring up snippets and little more.

#2

Try this site:

http://www.tankhistory.com/

I am surprised that you had a hard time to find soemthing about Polish armour, wiki has it relatively detailed.

Greece I think didn’t have a single tank, atleast when the war between Greece and Italy broke out.

Argentina had a bit German equipment as well as a bit US equipment and built own tanks.

Brazil was in a similar situation like Argentina, except that they didn’t really build own tanks.

All this is from the top of my head now. Hope it helps you.

#3

This may give you a starting place

Tanks of the Nations

#4

Since you mentioned China and since I lived among them [the Chinese] for many years, I can tell you that in the period 1930-1940 before and during Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese military was outfitted from both Germany and Soviet Union. German trademarks like the ‘signature’ German helmet and rifles were widely used. The Russian almighty Nagan was the close quarters combat weapon of choice for all Chinese officers and NCOs.

#5

What kinds of hardware are you talking about – small arms? AFVs? Artillery? Gear (e.g., helmets)? Naval ships? Aircraft? A little specificity about what you’re looking for, regarding which country may help. For instance, Bofors (Sweden) supplied and licensed numerous artillery pieces, to both major and minor powers. Czech AFVs were wide spread among minor powers. China – depending on whether you mean the Nationalists, the Communists, or the Warlords – probably used every make of small arms then known to man, including “local” bamboo spears and broadswords. Naval materiel and aircraft are probably equally complicated, but about which I know little. If you’re talking about major alliances/arms suppliers, Poland traded heavily with France, but also made use of German, Swedish, US, and things of their own manufacture, just off the top of my head. Romania pre-war dealt heavily with the French and the Czechs, but after the fall of Poland, shifted in at least a few categories to things German. And so on…

#6

These might help you get started.
Norway: http://hem.fyristorg.com/robertm/norge/Norw_weapons.html
Finland: http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/MAIN.html
Poland: http://derela.republika.pl/index.htm
Holland: http://www.waroverholland.nl/index.php?page=armament-and-equipment
Greece: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=85&t=82323

#7

French equipment was fairly widely distributed in Central/Eastern Europe in states in alliance with France, or considered “Francophile” (notably Poland, Romania, to some extent Czechoslovakia). Czechoslovakia had a substantial arms industry located in what is now the Czech Republic, and manufactured substantial quantities of tanks, small and company-level weapons and motor vehicles, not only for her own use, but for export. As for Greece - the pre-war Metaxas dictatorship was pro-British and favoured British armaments. However, the Greeks were vulnerable to German pressure in the mid to late-1930s (they were highly dependent on exports of tobacco to Germany to obtain foreign exchange), and the Germans were in a position to “persuade” Greece to use some of their Reichmarks on buying German weapons. The Greek government was, clearly, well aware of German manipulation, and did its best to maintain a balance in favour of British armament imports. Best regards, JR.

#8

Netherlands, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Poland (to name a few) manufactured a lot of weapons by themselves before 1940.
PLanes, ships,subs, armoured cars, tank(ette)s, rifles, artillery,anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank guns…

Sometimes however, they needed a sudden surge of weapons owing to international threats (just like today) and then they had to shop. …and didn’t get delivered…just like today.
But that doesn’t mean their home made weapons were inferior per sé to those of France, UK and Germany…far from it.

#9

During the conflict, the Allies outpaced the Axis powers in most production categories. French equipment from the Interbellum would have been an obvious choice for many nations, possibly such as Greece and the Netherlands.German army training during WWII differed from that of other combatant of both physical conditioning and military skills, compared to those of other nations had branches that provided specialized training in piloting aircraft and gliders;The war was one of very defined heroes (the Allies) and villains (the Axis powers), each supporting their respective freedoms and tyranny while others played.Like many of the infantry weapons made available to American.Military reference cataloguing weapons throughout history.The secret of American victory in World War II was quantity and quality.It also helped the hard-pressed U.S. Army at the Battle of the Bulge.Much of this aid flowed to the United Kingdom and other nations already at war resources on a single project, to a degree that no other nation could match.During World War II, the United States began to provide significant military.

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