List of World War II weapons of France

This is a list of French military equipment in the Second World War. This focuses primary on weapons issued to the French Army and Free French forces. Weapons used by the French Resistance vary but generally consist of French, Allied, and captured German weapons, alongside various miscellaneous equipment.

Handguns

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Rifles

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    Berthier Mle 1907/15 M16 rifle. Many late world war I era French rifles such as this Berthier rifle and other late World War I variant of Berthier and Lebel rifles were still in heavy use by French forces in World War II due to newer French rifles the MAS-36 and MAS-40(not in production) not being available in sufficient quantities for the French military. French forces used some Berthiers and Lebels rechambered for the new 7.5 French round.
    Berthier M1907/15 M16, Mousqueton M1916, and M34
  • Fusil Automatique Modele 1917
  • Fusil MAS-36
  • Lebel M1886/93, M27, and R35
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    MAS-36. Most modern rifle in widespread French military service in World war II. Only small numbers were produced before the war so only available in small numbers for French forces during World War II.
    M1917 Enfield (supplied by the US through Lend-lease to Free French forces)
  • M1 Carbine (Free French forces)
  • M1 Garand (Free French forces)
  • Mauser K98k (captured)
  • Meunier rifle

Submachine guns

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Machine guns

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FM24/29 light machine gun commercially known as MAC 24/29. Was prioritised by the French and as a result unlike other French weapons designed after WW 1 production started quite early in the 1920's and so it was available in large quantities at the start of world war II allowing it to be widely used by French forces in World war II as their main light machine gun. This was the standard squad automatic weapon of the French infantry and cavalry in the battle of France
 
French Hotchkiss model 1914 machine gun. Used by the French in the later stages of World war I and as their standard medium machine gun in battle of France as they did not see any reason to replace it.

Anti-Tank weapons

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Anti-Aircraft weapons

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Artillery

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Grenades and mines

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Mortars

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Armoured vehicles

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Armoured cars
 
Rear view of Lorraine 38L armoured personnel carrier. Was created from the Lorraine 37L armoured tank supply vehicle. Only armoured personnel carrier in battle of France
Armoured personnel carriers

Armoured personnel carriers

Armoured utility vehicles

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Tanks

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Light tanks
Medium tanks
Cavalry tanks
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    SOMUA S-35.One of the best tanks of its time in armour and firepower and outclassed German Tanks such as the Panzer III and IV in this respect. However overall they(Panzers) were better tanks as they granted far better vision, communication and ergonomics than French tanks which were mostly pretty bad in this regard due to things like a one man turret crew.
    SOMUA S35[1]
  • Char G1 (Prototype)
Armoured combat tanks
Heavy tanks
  • Char B1
     
    Char B1 bis variant. Originally the Char B1 was conceived as breakthrough tank using its Hull mounted gun to attack fortifications. Eventually became a Char de Bataille or battle tank that was meant to take on enemy armour. Heavily armoured and armed for its day and was inpenetrable to ordinary German Anti-tank Guns.
  • Char 2C
  • AMX M4 (Prototype for the AMX 50.)
  • AMX 50 (Later replace with the AMX 30.)
  • FCM F1 (Prototype)


See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Beckhusen, Robert (5 September 2019). "France's Somua S35 Was a Better Tank, so Why Did Nazi Germany Beat Them?". The National Interest. Retrieved 26 April 2020.