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

Handguns

MAB Model D pistol The MAB model D is a pistol produced by MAB (Manufacture d'Armes de Bayonne) from 1933 to 1963 (.32 ACP) and 1982 (.380 ACP); it was inspired by the Belgian Browning FN pistol 1910/22. Design It was developed with the smaller "MAB C", also made ...

* Modèle 1935 pistol *

Star Model 14 The Star Model 1914 was produced by Star Bonifacio Echeverria S.A., and largely an improved version of the Star Model 1908, particularly in terms of ergonomics. This model was chosen by the French Army in 7.65mm Browning calibre, also called ...

* MAS 1873 revolver *

Modèle 1892 revolver The Model 1892 revolver (also known as the "Lebel revolver" and the "St. Etienne 8mm") is a French service revolver produced by Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne as a replacement for the MAS 1873 revolver. It was the standard issue sidearm f ...

Ruby pistol The Ruby pistol was a semi-automatic pistol of .32 ACP calibre made by Gabilondo y Urresti and other Spanish companies. It saw use in both World Wars as the service weapon of the French Army under the name ''Pistolet Automatique de 7 millim.65 ...

* Beretta Model 1935 *

Luger P08 The Pistole Parabellum—or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), commonly known as just Luger or Luger P08 is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol. The Luger was produced in several models and by several nations from 1898 ...

Walther P38 The Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the costly Luger P08 ...

Walther PPK The Walther PP (german: Polizeipistole, or police pistol) series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols, developed by the German arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It features an exposed hammer, a traditional double-a ...

Smith & Wesson Model 10 The Smith & Wesson Model 10, previously known as the Smith & Wesson .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police or the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, is a K-frame revolver of worldwide popularity. In production since 1899 ...

Nagant M1895 The Nagant M1895 Revolver is a seven-shot, gas-seal revolver designed and produced by Belgian industrialist Léon Nagant for the Russian Empire. The Nagant M1895 was chambered for a proprietary cartridge, 7.62×38mmR, and featured an unusual "ga ...

* FN M1910 * FN M1922

Rifles

Fusil Automatique Modele 1917 Fusil may refer to: *Fusil, a light flintlock musket used by a fusilier Fusilier is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While fusilier is derived from the 17th-century French word ''fusil ...

* Lebel and Berthier rifles * Fusil MAS36 * Fusil MAS36 CR39 *

M1917 Enfield The M1917 Enfield, the "American Enfield", formally named "United States Rifle, cal .30, Model of 1917" is an American modification and production of the .303-inch (7.7 mm) Pattern 1914 Enfield (P14) rifle (listed in British Service as Rifle No. ...

, supplied by the US through Lend-lease to Free French forces *

M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle The Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) is a family of American automatic rifles and machine guns used by the United States and numerous other countries during the 20th century. The primary variant of the BAR series was the M1918, chambered for the ...

* Meunier rifle *

De Lisle Carbine The De Lisle carbine or De Lisle Commando carbine was a British firearm used during World War II that was designed with an integrated suppressor. That, combined with its use of subsonic ammunition, made it extremely quiet in action, possibly one o ...

M1 carbine The M1 carbine (formally the United States Carbine, Caliber .30, M1) is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine that was a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The M1 carbine was produced ...

M1 Garand The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the U.S Army during World W ...

* Mauser k98k * Ross Rifle *

STG 44 The StG 44 (abbreviation of Sturmgewehr 44, "assault rifle 44") is a German assault rifle developed during World War II by Hugo Schmeisser. It is also known by its early designations as the MP 43 and MP 44 (''Maschinenpistole 43'' and ''44''). ...

Submachine guns

MAS-38 * Erma EMP-35 * Thompson M1928 and M1928A1 * MP 28 *

MP40 The MP 40 (''Maschinenpistole 40'') is a submachine gun chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. It was developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by the Axis powers during World War II. Designed in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with i ...

Captured from German troops *

Delacre machine pistol Lulu Delacre (born December 20, 1957 in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico) is the author/illustrator of many award winning children's books. Some of her most famous works include ''Arroz con leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America'', ''Vejigant ...

Sten The STEN (or Sten gun) is a family of British submachine guns chambered in 9×19mm which were used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War. They had a simple design and very low production cos ...

Machine guns

Breda Model 30 The ''Fucile Mitragliatore Breda modello'' 30 was the standard light machine gun of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. Design The Breda 30 was rather unusual for a light machine gun. It was fed from a fixed magazine attached to the righ ...

Captured from Italian troops *

Bren light machine gun The Bren gun was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also used ...

- supplied by the British *

Chauchat The Chauchat ("show-sha", ) was the standard light machine gun or "machine rifle" of the French Army during World War I (1914–18). Its official designation was "Fusil Mitrailleur Modele 1915 CSRG" ("Machine Rifle Model 1915 CSRG"). Beginning i ...

* FM-24/29 * MAC 1931 *

MAC 1934 The MAC 1934 is a machine gun of French origin. It is effectively the aircraft variant of the Reibel machine gun. History In 1934, the ''Manufacture d'Armes de Châtellerault'' (Châtellerault weapons manufacturing company, often shortened to ' ...

* Model 1924/1929D machine gun *

St. Étienne Mle 1907 The French St. Étienne Mle 1907 (french: Mitrailleuse Mle 1907 T) was a gas operated air-cooled machine gun in 8mm Lebel which was widely used in the early years of the First World War. The "St.Etienne Mle 1907" was not derived from the Hotchkiss ...

Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié machine gun The Hotchkiss M1909 machine gun was a light machine gun of the early 20th century, developed and built by Hotchkiss et Cie. It was also known as the Hotchkiss Mark I, Hotchkiss Portative and M1909 Benét–Mercié. Design It was based on a design ...

* Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun * Reibel machine gun *

13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun The Hotchkiss 13.2 mm machine gun (french: Mitrailleuse Hotchkiss de 13,2 mm, ''Mle 1929'', ''Mle 1930'', etc), also known as the Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun, and the like, was a heavy machine gun, primarily intended for anti-aircraft use, de ...

* Hotchkiss M1922 machine gun *

Darne machine gun The Darne machine gun is a machine gun of French origin. Development The French gun-making company Darne, which became famous for its innovative shotguns, began making military weapons in 1915, when it was contracted by French government to man ...

Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

MG 42 The MG 42 (shortened from German: ''Maschinengewehr 42'', or "machine gun 42") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II. Enter ...

* Madsen * Vicker

Anti-Tank weapons

Boys anti-tank rifle The Boys anti-tank rifle (officially Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys, and sometimes incorrectly spelled "Boyes"), is a British anti-tank rifle used during the Second World War. It was often nicknamed the " elephant gun" by its users due to its ...

25 mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gun *

47 mm APX anti-tank gun The 47 mm APX anti-tank gun was a French anti-tank gun that saw service in the first years of the Second World War. Development In the 1930s the French Army sought a replacement for the derivatives of the 75 mm mle 1897 field gun it used as ...

* AC 37 anti-tank gun *

AC 47 anti-tank gun The AC 47 was a French anti-tank gun of 47 mm calibre. It was principally used in the ''ouvrages'' and casemates of the Maginot Line The Maginot Line (french: Ligne Maginot, ), named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, is a li ...

47 mm Model 1931 anti-tank gun The Royal Cannon Foundry 47mm anti-tank gun Model 1931 (french: Canon anti-char de 47mm Fonderie Royale de Canons Modèle 1931, abbreviated to ''C.47 F.R.C. Mod.31'') was an artillery piece developed in 1931 for the Belgian Army which saw widespre ...

* Canon de 75 modèle 1897 modifié 1933

Anti-Aircraft weapons

War Museum Athens - Hotchkiss 25mm AA gun - 6767

Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun The 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun model 1929, often simplified to Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun, and the like, was a heavy machine gun designed and manufactured by Hotchkiss et Cie from the late 1920s until World War II which saw service with v ...

Oerlikon 20 mm cannon The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models em ...

25 mm Hotchkiss anti-aircraft gun The Hotchkiss 25 mm anti-aircraft gun was an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the French firm of Hotchkiss. It served in World War II with French, Japanese and other nations' forces. Other than the designer company and the calibre, this ...

* * Canon anti-aérien de 75mm modèle 1939

Artillery

Canon d'Infanterie de 37 modèle 1916 TRP Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western can ...

Lahitolle 95 mm cannon The Lahitolle 95 mm cannon (Mle 1875) was a French cannon of the 19th century, developed in 1875 by the artillery commander de Lahitolle. The Lahitolle 90 mm was the first French field cannon made of steel, and one of the first to be eq ...

Canon Court de 105 M(montagne) modele 1909 Schneider The Canon Court de 105 M(montagne) modèle 1909 Schneider (105 mm mle.1909) was a French mountain gun, manufactured by Schneider et Cie. According to ''Kennblätter fremden Geräts'', Germany used the former French gun as the 10.5 cm ...

Canon Court de 105 M(montagne) modele 1919 Schneider *

Canon de 105 court mle 1934 Schneider Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western can ...

Canon de 105 court mle 1935 B Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western can ...

* Canon de 105 L mle 1936 Schneider *

Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider The Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider was a French artillery piece used in World War I and World War II by many European countries. History In the early 1900s, the French company Schneider began a collaboration with the Russian company Putilov. ...

Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 St. Chamond *

Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider The Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider, often abbreviated as the ''C17S'', was a French howitzer designed by Schneider. It was essentially the ''Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 Schneider'' fitted with a different breech to use bagged propellant r ...

* Canon de 155mm GPF * Canon de 194 mle GPF * Canon de 65 M (montagne) modele 1906 *

Canon de 75 M(montagne) modele 1919 Schneider The Canon de 75 M (montagne) modèle 1919 Schneider (75 mm mle.1919) was a French mountain gun designed as a replacement of the 65 mm mle 1906. The mle 1919 was manufactured by Schneider et Cie and used during World War II. For transport, t ...

Canon de 75 M(montagne) modele 1928 The Canon de 75 Montagne modèle 1928 (75 mm M mle.28) was a French mountain gun, used by France, Poland and Nazi Germany during World War II. History It is a derivative of the Canon de 75 M(montagne) modele 1919 Schneider, upgraded based ...

Canon de 75 modèle 1897 The French 75 mm field gun was a quick-firing field artillery piece adopted in March 1898. Its official French designation was: Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897. It was commonly known as the French 75, simply the 75 and Soixante-Quinze (Frenc ...

Mortier de 280 modèle 1914 Schneider The Mortier de 280 TR Modèle 1914 Schneider was a French siege howitzer manufactured by the Schneider et Cie company, used during World War I. The howitzer had its origins from a Russian Army policy to upgrade its artillery park after the poor ...

Grenades and mines

F1 grenade (France) The F-1 grenade is a hand grenade mass-produced by France during and after WW1, used en masse in the majority of European countries throughout the First and Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviat ...

* Modèle 1939 (mine)

Mortars

Brandt Mle 1935 The Brandt Mle 1935 60-mm mortar (french: Mortier de 60 mm Mle 1935) was a company-level indirect-fire weapon of the French army during the Second World War. Designed by Edgar Brandt, it was copied by other countries, such as the United States ...

Brandt mle 27/31 *

Lance Grenades de 50 mm modèle 37 The Lance Grenades de 50 mm modèle 37 was a French light infantry mortar designed and produced shortly before the Second World War. Design The modèle 37 was issued during 1939 to replace rifle grenades in infantry platoons. It was a simple ...

* Mortier de 150 mm T Mle 1917 Fabry

Armoured vehicles

;Armoured cars * Panhard AMD 178 Saumur

AM Gendron SOMUA 39 AM or Am may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * A minor, a minor scale in music * ''A.M.'' (Chris Young album) * ''A.M.'' (Wilco album) * ''AM'' (Abraham Mateo album) * ''AM'' (Arctic Monkeys album) * AM (musician), American musicia ...

AMC Schneider P 16 The AMC Schneider P 16, also known as the AMC Citroën-Kégresse Modèle 1929 or the ''Panhard-Schneider P16'', was a half-track that was designed for the French Army before World War II. Development The P 16 was developed in 1924 by Citroën fro ...

* AMD Laffly 80AM * AMD Panhard 165 * AMDL Panhard * Laffly 15toe

Berliet VUDB * Berliet VUDB4 * Citroen-Kegresse M23 * Laffly S15 TOE *

Laffly 50AM Laffly was a French manufacturer of trucks and utility vehicles. Founded in 1849, the Laffly company began manufacturing utility vehicles in Billancourt in 1912. From the mid-1930s and until World War II, the company also manufactured a range of ...

Panhard 178 The Panhard 178 (officially designated as ''Automitrailleuse de Découverte Panhard modèle 1935'', 178 being the internal project number at Panhard) or "Pan-Pan" was an advanced French reconnaissance 4x4 armoured car that was designed for the ...

;

Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-055-1568-25, Frankreich, Straße mit zerstörten Fahrzeugen

Armoured personnel carriers Armoured personnel carriers *

Lorraine 37L The Lorraine 37L or , ("tank supply tractor 1937 L") is a light tracked armoured vehicle developed by the Lorraine company during the interwar period or ''interbellum'', before the Second World War, to an April 1936 French Army requirement for a ...

\ 38L

Armoured utility vehicles

Renault UE Chenillette The Renault UE Chenillette is a light tracked armoured carrier and prime mover produced by France between 1932 and 1940. In 1930 the French Infantry decided to develop a light armoured vehicle able to tow and supply small cannon and mortars. I ...

Tanks

;Light tanks *

AMR 33 The Automitrailleuse de Reconnaissance Renault Modèle 1933 (AMR 33 or Renault VM) was a French cavalry light tank developed during the Interbellum and used in the Second World War. Developed by Renault from 1932, the type was ordered by the Fre ...

AMR 35 The Automitrailleuse de Reconnaissance Renault Modèle 35 Type ZT (AMR 35 or Renault ZT) was a French light tank developed during the Interbellum and used in the Second World War. It was not intended to reconnoitre and report as its name suggests ...

FCM 36 The FCM 36 or ''Char léger Modèle 1936 FCM'', was a light infantry tank that was designed for the French Army prior to World War II. It had a crew of two and was equipped with a short 37 mm main armament and a 7.5 mm coaxial machine g ...

Hotchkiss H35 The Hotchkiss H35 or was a French cavalry tank developed prior to World War II. Despite having been designed from 1933 as a rather slow but well-armoured light infantry support tank, the type was initially rejected by the French Infantry becaus ...

, and derived variants *

Renault FT The Renault FT (frequently referred to in post-World War I literature as the FT-17, FT17, or similar) was a French light tank that was among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history. The FT was the first production tank to ...

* Renault R-35 * Renault R-40 *

Char D1 The Char D1 was an Interwar French light tank. The French plan of 1926, calling for the creation of a Light Infantry Support Tank, led to the development of the existing Renault NC1 prototype into the Char D1. One hundred and sixty vehicles of t ...

;Medium tanks *

Char D2 The Char D2 was a French medium tank of the interwar period. In 1930, at a time the Char D1 had not even entered production, the Renault company agreed to build a better armoured version called the Char D2. By not using old-fashioned rivets, it ...

;Cavalry tanks * SOMUA S

SOMUA S35 The SOMUA S35 was a French cavalry tank of the Second World War. Built from 1936 until 1940 to equip the armoured divisions of the Cavalry, it was for its time a relatively agile medium-weight tank, superior in armour and armament to its Frenc ...

Char G1 The Char G1 was a French replacement project for the Char D2 medium tank. Several prototypes from different companies were developed from 1936 onwards, but not a single one had been fully completed at the time of the Fall of France in 1940. The ...

(Prototype) ;Armoured combat tanks *

AMC 34 The AMC 34 was a French tank built originally for the French Army cavalry units. Its production was cut short, and the few vehicles produced were out of service by the time of the Battle of France in the Second World War. Development Alarmed by th ...

AMC 35 The AMC 35 (from ''Automitrailleuse de Combat Renault modèle 1935''), also known under a manufacturer's designation Renault ACG-1, was a French medium cavalry tank of the later Interwar era that served in the Second World War. It was developed as ...

;Heavy tanks *

Char B1 The Char B1 was a French heavy tank manufactured before World War II. The Char B1 was a specialised break-through vehicle, originally conceived as a self-propelled gun with a 75 mm howitzer in the hull; later a 47 mm gun in a turre ...

Char 2C The Char 2C, also known as the FCM 2C, was a French heavy tank, later also seen as a super-heavy tank. It was developed during World War I but not deployed until after the war. It was, in total volume or physical dimensions, the largest operat ...

ARL 44 The ARL 44 was a French heavy tank, the development of which started just before the end of the Second World War. Only sixty of these tanks were ever completed, from 1949 onwards. The type proved to be unsatisfactory and only entered limited ser ...

(Prototype) * AMX M4 (Prototype for the

AMX 50 The AMX 50 (official designation) or AMX-50 was a French heavy tank designed in the immediate post Second World War period. It was proposed as, in succession, the French medium, heavy, and main battle tank, incorporating many advanced features. I ...

.) *

(Later replace with the

AMX 30 The AMX-30 is a main battle tank designed by Ateliers de construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX, then GIAT) and first delivered to the French Army in August 1966. The first five tanks were issued to the 501st ''Régiment de Chars de Combat'' ...

.) * FCM F1 (Prototype) * * * * * *

Notes

{{Weapons

Weapons A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

France World War II Military history of France during World War II