Flying Sidearms

by Jim "Twitch" Tittle

Article Type: Military History
Article Date: January 25, 2002

We know a lot about the planes pilots flew in all countries during World War II. There's been a lot written about their armament as well. But if a pilot was forced to bail out what protection did he have? Like pilots today, he had only a pistol for last-ditch personal defense.

COLT

More Colt 1911A1s were manufactured during WWI than any other pistol. Some 1.5-million were produced by several companies to meet the military demand. Designed by weapons genius John Browning, the 1911 was so designated for its year of birth on the small arms scene. During WWI it was more exclusively a U.S. Army officer's side arm. By WWII it was still standard issue but Army Air Corps pilots began strapping them on also.

Colt .38 used by USN Pilots

It was not difficult to master but took more practice than a .38 revolver to hit with being .45-caliber. The moving slide of the semi-automatic creates more recoil movement too, no matter what the caliber. The ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) round was, and still is a man stopper. They were usually worn in a shoulder holster rig and some pilots wore two. It was a big pistol at 8.5" in length and weighed 39 oz. without ammo. Seven rounds were housed in the detachable magazine with an eighth in the firing chamber. It was single action in design meaning that the hammer had to be cocked manually for the first round to be fired. Thereafter, the recoil-operated system chambered the subsequent rounds. With the hammer back and the safety engaged it was quite safe for carry.

P-38 pilot Ralph Wandery related to me his tales of he and his fellow pilots hunting wild boars in New Guinea. It was a welcome addition to the powdered eggs, he said. He still has his military issue .45 though most U.S. military personnel were not allowed to bring back war souvenirs.

While U.S. Navy pilots also carried the 1911, a goodly number were armed with the Colt Positive Special six shot revolver models in .38 caliber. A revolver mechanism can stand up to water better than the semi-auto with its tighter tolerances. It was the same length as the 1911 at 8.5" but weighed only 20 oz. empty. The cylinder swung out for reloading. It was double action in operation meaning that the hammer cocked and dropped on a live round every time the trigger was pulled. Double action triggers require a greater pull strength compared to a semi-auto.

WEBLEY

Royal Air Force pilots used the same shoulder holster for their splendid Webley .38 Mark IV. Over 100,000 were made during the war for Royal Army officers' and RAF pilots' use. The six shot, double action revolver had a forward breaking mechanism for reloading. In addition the star shell extractor simultaneously pushed up the spent shell casings for easy removal. It weighed 26 oz. but had various barrel lengths making its overall length range from 10-13".

Colt 1911 & Webley Mk IV

When they could wangle them, the 1901 model Webley .455 was an RAF pilot's prize possession. It functioned exactly like the .38 but had more punch with the larger caliber cartridge. It was as heavy as the Colt 1911 at 40 oz. unladen. With a 6' barrel it overall length was 10.5". Webleys featured lanyard rings on the butt stocks.

NAMBU

It is a well-known fact that Japanese small arms were of poor design and quality during WWII. The Nambu 14th Year Type 8mm semi-auto pistol's production began in 1916. With a few improvements it was manufactured until the end of the war with about 233,000 being made. It had a "Luger look" and was slim in appearance and was just under 9" in length. It weighed 32 oz. unladen and had a detachable box magazine housing eight rounds with another in the chamber. Imperial Japanese Army and Navy pilots used it, along with infantry officers, as s side arm.

The MAB & the Nambu

TOKAREV

Russian pilots had at their disposal the Tokarev TT-33 7.62mm recoil operated semi-auto pistol. The TT-33 was a favorite of tank crewmen and was issued to Soviet officers in all branches also. It was a slim design and only 7.7" in length weighing a heavy 36 oz. without its 7-round magazine. 1.74 million were estimated to have been produced during WWII.

TOZ

VVS pilots carried another pistol at times. The TOZ was a tiny 6.35mm with a blowback operation that uses the inertia of the recoiling bolt to eject the shell from the firing chamber from the pressures produced upon firing. It was only 5" in total length and weighed less than 14 oz. It had an eight round magazine.

The Ubiquitous 'Tok' & TOZ

BAYONNE

Early in the war, while they were on home turf, the French pilots favored a compact MAB Model B 7.65mm semi-auto blowback pistol. The Model B began production in 1932 and a Model C was later chambered in 9mm. The hammerless "B" was flat in cross section and weighed a scant 9.5 oz without its eight-round magazine. Overall length was less than 9' making for a small defense package.

CZ

Ceska Zbrojovka made some trim semi-auto pistols beginning in the mid-1920s. The author knows only one Polish pilot who mentions his compatriots' use of the CZs as side arms though many were used by the Polish military. The Model 1924 was recoil operated and chambered for the 9mm Short (Kurz in German). This is the .380 caliber we know it as today. The 1924 was 6' in length and weighed 24 oz. without the eight-round magazine. It had a lanyard ring on the butt.

CZ 1924 & well-known Luger

PARABELLUM

Though it is automatically assumed that the famed Luger was the standard officer's side arm in WWII Germany, it is not the case. Some were produced for the Luftwaffe in the 1930s but most were used by Naval officers and to a lesser extent Army officers. The M1908 (P.08) was a recoil operated semi-auto with an eight-round magazine with eight rounds of 9mm Parabellum ammo. Its toggle bolt hinged up as each round was fired, ejected and a new round fed into the chamber. It was 8.75" long and weighed 30 oz. Most importantly, its ergonomic handle grip was angled for the perfect natural aim when the arm was extended.

WALTHER

Waffenfabrik Walther actually made the standard officer's pistol in the P.38 model supplanting the Luger by 1942. Over a million were made and some found their way into Luftwaffe use. The P.38 was also a 9mm Parabellum and recoil operated, double action. Its eight round magazine slid into the handle that offered good "pointability." It weighed 33.7 oz and was 8.5" in length.

The P.38 9mm & the 7.65mm PP

But the favored weapon of Luftwaffe pilots was the 7.65mm model PP (Polizei-Pistole). The blowback semi auto, double action began production in the late 1930s. It weighs 24.5 oz. and has an overall length of just 6.7". An eight-round magazine has a small extension that allows the little finger to rest perfectly on it for comfortable grip and point. 9mm Kurz versions were also produced. Both are flat in cross section and were handily used by Gestapo personnel as the perfect pocket pistol.

Stuka pilot Hans Rudel favored an earlier Model 9 6.35mm six shot while one of his long time rear gunners took to the air with a 7.65mm PP.

TODAY

The Colt 1911 is still produced and is one of the most popular pistols in the civilian market remaining the same sound design it was when John Browning first made it. Colt recently announced that it was ceasing production of firearms altogether. Webleys are highly sought after collector pieces now like the Nambus. Tokarevs were produced in the 1950's and can be found in excellent condition easily by collectors. The TOZ described is a collector's item now as is the MAB Model B. Bayonne made other firearms, including a pistol for the French military, into the 1980s before closing. CZ still makes quality firearms today but the Model 1924 is a collectable now. The P.08 Luger design lives on as a "new-old" pistol produced by a U.S. company. Walther continues to make the excellent PP and its derivatives and the P.38 was produced after the war but is no more.

Sources

• Edwards, E.S.
  Weapons of the World
  Penguin Books, GB, 1970
  
  
• Hogg, Ian & Weeks, John
  Pistols of the World
  DBI Books, IL, 1992
  
  
• Rudel, Hans
  Stuka Pilot
  Ballantine Books, NY, 1958

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