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The Leuchtpistole 34 or
flare gun A flare gun, also known as a Very pistol or signal pistol, is a large-bore handgun that discharges flares, blanks and smoke. The flare gun is typically used to produce a distress signal. Types The most common type of flare gun is a Very (s ...
in English was introduced into German service before
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and served throughout World War II.


Design

The Leuchtpistole 34 was a
single shot In firearm designs, the term single-shot refers to guns that can hold only a single round of ammunition inside and thus must be reloaded manually after every shot. Compared to multi-shot repeating firearms ("repeaters"), single-shot designs ha ...
,
break action Break action is a type of firearm action in which the barrel(s) are hinged much like a door and rotate perpendicularly to the bore axis to expose the breech and allow loading and unloading of cartridges. A separate operation may be required for ...
,
smoothbore A smoothbore weapon is one that has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars. Some examples of smoothbore weapons are muskets, blunderbusses, and flintlock pistols. ...
, flare gun designed and produced by
Walther Walther () is a masculine given name and a surname. It is a German form of Walter, which is derived from the Old High German '' Walthari'', containing the elements ''wald'' -"power", "brightness" or "forest" and ''hari'' -"warrior". The name was ...
that was a successor to the earlier Leuchtpistole 26. The Leuchtpistole 26 was of steel construction, was blued to stop corrosion, and had dyed oak pistol grips. While the Leuchtpistole 34's frame was machined from
duralumin Duralumin (also called duraluminum, duraluminium, duralum, dural(l)ium, or dural) is a trade name for one of the earliest types of age hardening, age-hardenable aluminium–copper alloys. The term is a combination of ''Düren'' and ''aluminium'' ...
, the barrel was machined from steel, was blued to stop corrosion, and had
bakelite Bakelite ( ), formally , is a thermosetting polymer, thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from a condensation reaction of phenol with formaldehyde. The first plastic made from synthetic components, it was developed by Belgian chemist ...
pistol grips. Due to the use of light alloys, the Leuchtpistole 34 was lighter than its predecessor and the trigger guard was enlarged so the user could fire the gun in cold weather while wearing gloves.


Successors

*
Kampfpistole The Kampfpistole or ''"combat pistol"'' in English was a flare gun introduced into German service during 1939 and served throughout World War II. Design The ''Kampfpistole'' was a Single-shot, single shot, break action, flare gun designed and ...
– The Kampfpistole was a rifled variant of the Leuchtpistole 34 which could fire both lethal and non-lethal rounds. *
Leuchtpistole 42 The Leuchtpistole 42 or flare gun in English was introduced into German service in 1943 and served throughout World War II. Design The Leuchtpistole 42 was a single shot, break action, smoothbore, flare gun that was a successor to the earlier ...
– The Leuchtpistole 34 was succeeded by the Leuchtpistole 42 which was made from stamped mild steel components, was galvanized to stop corrosion, and used bakelite pistol grips. The focus of the Leuchtpistole 42 was to reduce the consumption of light alloys, reduce reliance on machined components, reduce production time, and reduce production costs. The Leuchtpistole 42 could fire both lethal and non-lethal rounds.


Variants

*
Sturmpistole The ''Sturmpistole'' ("assault-pistol") was an attempt by Germany during World War II to create a multi-purpose weapon which could be used by any infantryman. It consisted of a modified flare gun (''Leuchtpistole'') which could fire a variety of g ...
– The Sturmpistole was a conversion of either Leuchtpistole 34's or Leuchtpistole 42's that added a padded buttstock and sights for firing both lethal and non-lethal rounds. * Signalpistol M/61 - A Leuchtpistole 34 reproduction, produced by WISCH for The Royal Danish Army. It has different, new grips. It serves as a replacement for Signalpistol M/58.


Ammunition

The primary roles for the Leuchtpistole 34 were signaling, illumination, target marking, or concealment with a
smoke grenade A smoke grenade is a canister-type grenade used as a signaling device, target or landing zone marking device, or as a screening device for unit movements. Smoke grenades are generally more complex and emit a far larger amount of smoke than sm ...
. Later during World War II, explosive rounds were developed to give German troops a small and lightweight grenade launcher for engaging targets from close range which could not be engaged satisfactorily by infantry weapons or artillery without endangering friendly troops. Available projectiles included: * Multi-Star Signal Cartridge – This was a multi-star signal flare that contained three red and three green stars that could be set for six different color combinations. *
Panzerwurfkörper 42 The Panzerwurfkörper 42 was a High-explosive anti-tank warhead, HEAT grenade that was developed by Germany and used by the Wehrmacht during World War II. The Panzerwurfkörper 42 was designed to be fired from a ''Leuchtpistole'' (or flare gun, ' ...
– This was a
HEAT In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
grenade that could be used against enemy armor. It had a range of and could penetrate of RHA. It was similar in layout to the Wurfkorper 361 and used a rifled cartridge case. * Wurfgranate Patrone 326 – This was a small, breech loaded, fin stabilized, explosive grenade, with a nose fuze that was designed for short range low angle
direct fire Direct fire or line-of-sight fire refers to firing of a ranged weapon whose projectile is launched directly at a target within the line-of-sight of the user. The firing weapon must have a sighting device and an unobstructed view to the target, ...
missions. It was not recommended for use beyond 180 m (200 yd) due to inaccuracy or less than 46 m (50 yd) due to the risk from shell fragments. * Wurfkorper 361 – The Wurfkorper 361 was formed by screwing a bakelite or wooden stem into an Eierhandgranate 39 which allowed it to be fired from a Leuchtpistole. A brass or aluminum shell casing with propellant was first loaded into the breech of the gun. The stem was then slid down the muzzle until it slipped into the shell casing, the breech was then closed and the gun could be fired. The Wurfkorper 361 was used for high angle
indirect fire Indirect fire is aiming and firing a projectile without relying on a direct line of sight between the gun and its target, as in the case of direct fire. Aiming is performed by calculating azimuth and inclination, and may include correcting ...
where its shrapnel would be useful. The Wurfkorper 361 was not recommended for use at less than 46 m (50 yd) due to the risk from shrapnel and its maximum range was limited to around 78 m (85 yd) at 45° because the grenade had a 4.5 second time fuze.


Gallery

File:Leuchtpistole IMG 1728.JPG, Leuchtpistole 42. File:MULTI-STAR SIGNALCARTRIDGE.jpg, Schematic of Multi-Star Cartridge components. File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-732-0121-09A, Russland, Soldat der Division "Großdeutschland" (cropped).jpg,
Sturmpistole The ''Sturmpistole'' ("assault-pistol") was an attempt by Germany during World War II to create a multi-purpose weapon which could be used by any infantryman. It consisted of a modified flare gun (''Leuchtpistole'') which could fire a variety of g ...
with Panzerwurfkörper 42. File:Wurfgranate Patrone 326 Leuchtpistole.jpg, Schematic of Wurfgranate Patrone 326 components. File:Wurfkorper Leuchtpistole.jpg, Schematic of Wurfkorper 361 components. File:Victory show Cosby Leicestershire UK 2011-09-03 zaphad1 IMG 3862 WWII re-enactment event Nazi Germany military equipment replicas Wehrmacht flare signal gun pistol Leuchtpistole cartridges.jpg, Flare gun with holster and cartridges in leather case displayed at a
World War II reenactment World War II reenactment is the historical reenactment of the various combatants involved in World War II. Types The types of events include living history, which emphasises the garrison life of the average serviceman or servicewoman, and tactic ...
event in 2011


References

{{WWIIGermanInfWeapons Grenade launchers of Germany Rifle grenades Flare guns World War II infantry weapons of Germany Military equipment introduced in the 1930s