News Update #46: A Relic of Another Time

Beutewaffen of the Wehrmacht: Part Two

Following our last update "A French Gem" we continue our exploration of some of the lesser known weapons which will be seeing action in the game.

As discussed in the previous update, the German Army in France was made up of a minority of well equipped and trained units plus a majority of garrison and occupation units relying mainly on whatever armaments had been "liberated" during the German conquest of mainland Europe. These occupation units were often supplied with captured arms, most commonly coming from the country they occupied in order to ease supply issues and logistical constraints caused by the failures of German industry. Thus, the Gewehr 301(f), more commonly known as the Lebel M1886, was pressed into service with many German infantrymen guarding the beaches of Normandy. The significance of this can be illustrated by outlining the history of this weapon.

The Lebel had been cutting edge when it was first introduced in 1886. Though not the first magazine fed rifle to see service with a European military, it was the first to use smokeless powder, imparting a massive advantage to the C19th French soldier. Fed by an 8 round magazine (plus another round on the feed ramp), it featured a very sturdy construction and would see service throughout the First World War despite the obsolescence of its late 19th Century tubular magazine which slowed reload compared to stripper clip fed rifles.

The Lebel soldiered on past World War One, playing a major part in the French Colonial Wars of the 1920s, and even seeing some service with rear line personal in 1939 and 1940, though it had been superseded by the Mas36 and Berthier among frontline troops. However due to German demands for her occupation soldiers, the Lebel would fight on as occupation, garrison, and artillery soldiers found themselves issued with it, re-named as the Gewehr 301(f), along with other French weapons.

To this day, the Lebel can still be found being used in various insurgencies around the world, making it one of the longest serving rifles of all time. The AK47 is a baby in comparison.

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