Only three threads on here that mention Welrod pistols, and none specifically devoted to 'em. How queer... I'd better start one. TIMELAPSE.DK Welrod pistol | Forgotten Weapons Anyone got any more decent reference to actual use of Welrods 'in anger'? ~A
The Welrod is still in use by Special Forces today - really good for close up sentry elimination, the deLisle .45 Carbine was good at longer ranges
The Welrod is still in use by Special Forces today Really? I had no idea. Any idea if it's still exactly the same pattern? I suppose the validity of such a thing doesn't fade away. (Funny that I'm surprised at that, but have never been even mildly surprised at other weapons with a long history still being in use.)
It is the same pattern and probably WWII stocks comes in 7.65mm and 9mm Short calibres I believe that the Americans also use it on occassion -
The Welrod is still in use by Special Forces today - really good for close up sentry elimination, the deLisle .45 Carbine was good at longer ranges Mention of it here being used during Desert Storm. At least one Welrod was taken by SAS Land Rover columns into Iraq during Desert Storm with such a use in mind. SAS - Weapons - Welrod
Good couple of mentions there Jason. So not quite as forgotten as that rather good 'Forgotten Weapons' blog may imply. Fair few mentions in here, along with other intriguing silenced weapons: The Quiet Killers Looks like quite an interesting book, but I can't get on with large texts onscreen. I'd not heard of the 'Librod' either (mentioned and illustrated in the above) - Canadian synthesis of the Liberator Pistol and a Welrod. (Seems to be almost no other mention on the web on a brief Google, which often makes me a tad cautious on how accurate the original mention might be, but they certainly have a picture of something that's neither one nor the other...) Interesting stuff on technology of silencers here: 20285035 Department of the Army Silencers Principles Evaluations
Otto Skorzeny who headed up the German SF after July '44 (though always with a Brandenburger of equal rank as his CoS) used to demonstrate British silenced weapons such as the Silenced Sten and Welrod at one of the German Schools in Holland by having someone shoot ducks in a pond just behind visiting VIPs. The SS used many captured British weapons later in the war. While on the subjects of silencers a silent mortar waqs developed in the 1970s, I believe the British Government purchased the company and the patents to keep the technology 'in house'.
I must confess the thought of a silenced mortar just made me laugh... there's bound to be a bit of a bang at some point. Presumably more to do with hiding the location of the firing point than the impact. The more I search, the more silenced weaponry pops up. I'm a tad suspicious about some of them, particularly 'unique' WW2 German stuff, what with there apparently being a certain level of fakery in rare/valuable smallarms from that quarter, but there's not been exactly a lack of effort put into killing people with the least possible noise. Welrod internals: Welrod .32 ACP pistol - U.S. Militaria Forum
Regarding the silenced mortar - I was at a firepower demo of it in 1978 - the firing point was beind the viewing stand (abount 20m) and the first the people viwing knew was seeing the impact on the target - they were then requested to turn round and see the mortar line behind them - I'll post more on this later as I still have the blurb on it somewhere!
Scary stuff! - blurb would be interesting. I suppose we'd be pretty remiss in discussing such things without giving the Sleeve gun a separate mention too: BBC - History - World Wars: British Special Operations Executive (SOE): Tools and Gadgets Gallery TIMELAPSE.DK I was going to scan this page in from a facsimile of the SOE catalogue I have, but thanks to the NA I don't have to - they'll even read it for you: The National Archives Learning Curve | World War II | Western Europe 1939-1945: Resistance & SOE | What was the role of Special Operations Executive and what kind of people worked for it? (Really must look a bit deeper at their education resources - some good stuff there.)
Adam you like me you start a thread then delve deeper and post more info and find the wierd and wonderful, before we all have a chance too!
And these guys are talking of modifying existing pistols to make a Welrod! SilencerTalk • View topic - Any interest in a modern welrod as an open source project?
On perusing the Burma Missions in the SOE histories at TNA Kew this week discovered that many of the SOE Missions carried silenced .22 Mossberg Rifles as part of their equipment, am trying to find which model of rifle was used and if the silencer was a WEL Silencer or an American model.
