UBB.threads Forums General Militaria Historic and Period Firearms Forum POLICE USE OF THE FLARE PISTOL IN GERMANY -Part I

THE POLICE USE OF THE FLARE PISTOL IN GERMANY 1920-1945

I wrote this short article a number of years ago for the magazine of the “National Automatic Pistol Collectors Association”. I have revised it a bit and prepared it for this internet forum presentation. Unfortunately, it contains information about the police gas pistols that I had published on this forum already.

Perhaps our forum members can add information or correct my text with subsequent posts. I wish to thank Greg Baker and Howard Reznick for sharing their collection data.


With the end of WWI, revolutions racked Germany while newly created governments attempted to maintain law and order by supplementing their remnants of the urban Imperial constabulary with militarized police formations called the Sicherheitspolizei (security police). While this method worked for a short time, the International Military Control Commission in its capacity as supervisor of the implementation of the Versailles Treaty soon forced the disbandment of these forces because of their obvious military organization.

In their place arose around Germany the peacetime urban Schutzpolizei (protection police) now uniformed in "peace time" blue. Restricted in number and equipment, these police forces would seem to have had no need for the flare pistol. Yet the Prussian government did procure them for their police forces. The State of Prussia possessed the greatest territory and population in Weimar Germany, as well as the far greatest number of police forces, totaling almost twice the combined number of the other German state police forces.

By 28 April 1923, police forces in Prussia were equipped with a Leuchtpistole, one for each fifty men, to be procured and distributed by the Prussian Ministry of the Interior. For each pistol were issued ten Leuchtpatronen weiss (white illumination flare shells), six Signalpatronen rot (red signal flare shells), grün (green) and gelb (yellow). Each Flugwache (airport guard) unit received two Leuchtpistolen (flare pistols) with the same apportionment of shells, excepting that signal flares were evenly divided single and double stars.

On 16 December 1925, the Prussian Ministry of Interior requested all subordinate police authorities to report stocks of flare pistols, but distinguished between Pistolen alter Art (old model pistols) and neuer Art (new model). The old model was defined as having a left side push button to open the breech and having no trigger guard: the Druckknopf model.



The new model was apparently the World War I issue Hebel (lever) style.

This Leuchtpistole became the standard police issue in the 1925 issue (4th Auflage) of Gustav Schmitt's Waffentechnischen Unterrichtsbuch f. d. Polizei Beamten (Ordnance Training Manual for Police Officials), the standard text for police training in most Weimar states including Prussia. The Hebel model pictured in the manual is the WWI variety with a bore of 26.65mm, length of 358mm and weight of 1.8kg. Photographic evidence indicates some of these pistols were carried in a canvas belt holster reinforced with leather, though if no holster was issued, the pistol was to be carried on the bread bag strap or in the belt.


Both Leucht and Signal munitions were produced for the police for this pistol in single and double signal star variety, respectively 80mm and 135mm with a diameter of 26.3mm. The cases were made of waterproof paper body with a lacquered steel base. Some varieties of some star shells were made with zinc casing, while zinc was used with all double star cartridges. Single star shells had no markings on the closure disk while longer double star size shells were marked with a single dark stripe across the center of the closure disk. The color of these discs corresponded to the respective light star colors. The metal bases of the shells were marked according to the color displays. White stars had a smooth white base, red bases featured a serrated edge, green ones were marked with a stripe pattern and yellow ones had six yellow marks on the base. The shells were packed in paper in quantities of ten, 14cm x 85cm x 6.5cm for the 80 mm rounds and 14cm x 14cm x 6.5cm for the 135mm shells. Quantities of 100 packs of shells were cased with colored paper labels designating quantity, color, type of cartridge and manufacturer. In 1932, new Prussian regulations stipulated the re-marking of flare pistols, as well as other equipment, with letters and numbers on the grip straps to indicate the weapons the property of respective police units.


The Hebel style signal pistol continued in use by the German police after the election of the Nazi Party to power on January 30, 1933, even with the adoption of the more efficient Walther system by the Heer (Army) in 1928. But gradually state police forces now under control of the NSDAP like those in Prussia began to adopt the more technically advanced Walther design LP. Prussia contracted with Waffenfabrik Carl Walther to supply their newly designed LP to Prussian Schutzpolizei Bereitschaften and the Landespolizei. The first guns of this contract appear in the 13000 serial range and were marked with the Prussian sunburst acceptance stamp.




Because of the rarity of this contract, I do not have enough reported examples to gauge a total production range if in fact there was a large contract. The production would date to 1933-1935 based on the appearance of this acceptance marking on period Sauer Behorden pocket pistols. Supply of these LPs continued from Walther with examples reported in the 15000 and 19000 range. This later range is marked with the Prussian sunburst K acceptance stamps that is also found on Sauer Behordens and holsters, P08 holsters and .22 caliber training rifles.


But what was to be done with those obsolete Hebel pistols being replaced by the new Walther pistols? On 4 June 1936, the use of tear gas guns was introduced to the Prussian Schutzpolizei (Protection Police) in major cities across Germany. A grenade was adopted, as well as two types of cartridges to be fired from tear gas guns, one cartridge for closed rooms and the other for open areas along with the grenade. Type A cartridges were to be fired from Hebel model flare guns modified with fore-stock and a simple sight system.


A bore liner was installed to handle the special gas cartridge. The B cartridge could be fired from the flare pistol. One modified pistol was to be issued to each emergency squad in major cities, apportioning to each twenty type A shells and ten type B and 10 grenades.

It was evident that the militarized police units contemplated by the SS-Police High Command would need larger quantities of signal pistols for anticipated police battalions. Orders to the Erma Werke (Erma Arms Factory) soon followed and a version of the Walther design was introduced in 1937 for issue to police forces. This initial contract produced a blackened aluminum version with a distinctive serial range with the prefix "P".


Several hundred were produced in the first run and accepted by police Inspection Offices K and F (E/K and E/F marking) of the Gruppe Waffen-und Gerätewesen (Weapons and Equipment Materials Group) in 1937. The contract designation was subsequently modified and the prefix removed.

The recorded serial range for this 1937 contract is reported at P137-666. These several hundred pistols produced in 1937 were usually issued with either a black or brown holster and shoulder strap, with attached combination cleaning rod/case ejector.


Production continued with almost 2000 units produced in 1938 (recorded serial range 1099-2989). Police Inspection Offices K and L participated in the acceptance of these weapons.

Later in 1938, the RFSSuChdDtPol (National Commander SS and Chief of the German Police) ordered the design and creation a holster for those gas pistols in inventory

and calling in all remaining Leuchtpistolen a. Art for conversion to tear gas gun at the main arsenal in Berlin, to be accomplished no later than 31 January 1939. Some of these tear gas guns have been reported with markings of Police Acceptance Office C. The 1938 police budget supplement anticipated 300 more flare pistols for 1939 at an individual cost of RM60,00 for the pistol, holster and accessories. It is not known if any of this anticipated contract was fulfilled, as no 1939 dated Erma manufactured flare pistols with police acceptance marks have been reported. With the expansion in the use of SS-Police forces as occupation troops and for anti-partisan duty, Erma expanded production from 1940 to over a thousand a year through 1942.

Cartridge boxes were issued in either black or brown.

As the role of militarized police troops continued on all fronts, their use of the multi-purpose Walther design continued. Official police combat weapons and training manuals established two flare pistols to be issued for each Zug (platoon) with an issue of twenty each white and red shells and ten green ones, totaling six flare pistols per company, with two more to be issued for each of the three MG Zug (machine gun platoon). If the battalion contained a Berittene Zug (Mounted Platoon), then two more flare pistols were issued for that platoon. With the establishment at twenty four pistols per battalion excluding the mounted platoons and with over three hundred police battalions in the field until regimental formations appeared in1942, it would require an estimated 7200 flare pistols for combat use of the Schutzpolizei.

Shortly before the outbreak of WWII, Walther had instituted model modifications at the request of the Wehrmacht. Such changes as narrowed hammer, thinner grip plates, simplified lanyard ring pin and loaded indicator resulted in a design referred to by collectors as the Wartime Finish, as opposed to the original standard Heer finish. However, Erma Erfurt did not introduce these changes in their police contract until sometime between 1940 production weapon 4136 and 1942 production weapon 6342. 1942 was the last dated aluminum Erma production pistol, followed in serial sequence by zinc pistols which exhibit the Wartime Finish. So it would seem that zinc production began in late 1942 or in 1943.

Erma-Erfurt reported serial ranges:

1940 3106-5078 E/L,E/F and E/K
1941 5304-5904 E/K
1942 5977-6792 E/K and E/F
Zinc 7150-7898 E/F

While it appears that Erma-Erfurt provided the bulk of LPs used by German police forces before and during WWII, Waffenfabrik Walther continued production of their LP under police contract through the late 1930s and into the war. But the lack of reporting makes it difficult to establish dates and serial number ranges. E/K examples have been reported in the 27000L range as well as the 50000L through 56000L range, with the later examples being Zink frame production.

The Leuchtpistole neu Art was also issued to units of the Sicherheitspolizei (SIPO), except the Kriminalpolizei, and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD), along with black holster, metal cleaning rod/case ejector and wood cleaning stick. The replacement cost of this pistol was RM46.20. These units were of course involved in the Einsatzgruppen and anti-partisan warfare on both fronts. As the these units shared police weapon resources with the regular police, there is no question Erma-Erfurt police proofed flare pistols saw service with them.


Between 1941 and 1943, police units were schooled in the use of the W.Gr.Patrone, a grenade cartridge designed to be used with the Leuchtpistole. However, the addition of a shoulder stock fabricated of tubular metal affixed by claw mount behind the hammer was deemed necessary because of heavy recoil. The introduction of the Kampf Pistole (combat pistol) also known as the Z-Pistole found favor with police units which often found themselves in defensive positions. Extracts of police correspondence from the RFSS records at the U.S. National Archives indicate the supply of the Kampfpistole to SS-Police Regiments 2, 10, 11, and 13 on the eastern front in January 1944. Supplies for each pistol included both explosive and smoke rounds, as well as one cartridge case. The twenty-six Kampfpistolen issued to each company of certain battalions in the regiments were to be used for close combat and sudden enemy breakthroughs. Supplies came from the main arsenal in Berlin.

To date, no police accepted specimens have been reported. Undated, commercially marked ERMA-ERFURT "Z" pistols are noted in a serial range from 300 to 4289, but bear no police acceptance mark. The "Z" pistol did not enter general service until shortly before WWII, so it would seem that these "Z" pistols are of a different serial contract run than the regular police Leuchtpistolen. But, these commercial "Z" pistols exhibit the same "proof" mark on the left receiver as those with police acceptance marks, so perhaps police needs were satisfied with a direct commercial purchase without police acceptance.

In the last years of the war, German police combat units made extensive use of foreign equipment. Units of the ORPO in the Italian and Balkan theaters received the Italian 27mm flare pistol and projectiles from police arsenals , while Water Police units in Russia employed the Czech Vz.30 flare pistol.

SOURCES

1. Runderlass der Preussen Ministerium des Innern, Berlin1923 &1925.
2. Runderlass der Reichs und Preussen Ministerium des Innern,Berlin,1936,1938, 1941.
3. Waffentechnisches Unterrichtsbuch f.d. Polizeibeamten, Schmitt, Berlin, 1929.
4. Vorschrift f.d. Polizei Preussens Nr.40a, Berlin, 1932.
5. Schutzpolizei im Kampfeinsatz, Wirth und Göhler, Berlin, 1942.
6. Waffen und Schiesstechnischer Leitfaden f.d. Ordnungspolizei,
Fischer, Berlin, 1941 & 1943.
7. Records of the Reichsführer SS und Chef der Deutschen Polizei,
T-175, Captured German Documents Collection, National Archives, Washington, DC.
8. Waffen-Digest

(c) Copyright by Joseph Wotka, USA

Joe,

Thanks for posting this great illustrated narrative, outstanding!

Best!

Bill

Excellent read and visual treat.
Thanks.

--dj--Joe

Joe

Thank you for a wonder and very informative read, whilst this is not my field of collecting I still enjoyed it immensely.

Gary

Very informative. Thank you.

Agree!

PVON