Just wondering, did ROC/KMT government collaborate with the germans? I thought they was collaborating with the U.S and bought most of the weapons from the Americans.

In the mid of 1930s, the KMT government bought 300000 M35 helmets from Nazi Germany. That's what you have seen from those pics. Another famous weapon bought from Germany is K98 mauser. It was finally reproduced locally and called 中正式 rifle in Chinese. The KMT government also purchased ZB-26 machine guns from Czech which was proved exceptional useful against the mass charge of IJA.

The government purchased about 200 or so T-26 light tanks from Soviet Russia in the same time. Those tanks, along with chinese crews, unfortunately were perished in the late occured battles in Shanghai. The KMT government also had a few tanks from England and France. Despite the buildup of KMT government, the local warlords also purchased lots of "advanced weapons" from their west supporters perspectively. Diversed types of Japanese, British, French, German, Spainish, Russian weaponary, in and out dated, from lands to the sea and sky, could be found in the first half of 20 century China.

The Germany was ahead from its western counterparts in terms of collaboration with KMT China. Hilter also sent his general and counselors delegation to China help JiangKaishek to "mordenized" his troops. The collaboration went quite well till the war between China and Japan broke out. One thing to note is that, in the first battle of Shanghai, the Chinese troops were actually commanded by German counselors to some degree.

That's not a greasegun, that's an MP 40. Much more modern, accurate, higher rate of fire than the greasegun. Look at the muzzle area

Oh, the helmet looks like French helmet during First World War and the French helmet in 1940, is that correct?

P.M Oops, I take wrong picture

A litle contribution



I have a question, do we have any evidence for the existence of Russian MOSIN-NAGANT during these years in China?

Interesting question. The major influx of Mosin Nagant 91/30s into China seems to have been in the early 1950s. So probably not many would have been used in China during the war with Japan. This does not preclude their use before of course but may simply mean that it would have been on a limited scale based on captured or selectively imported stocks (thus they may appear in certain pictures but it's hard to judge how prevalent they were from that alone).

You can consult an authoritative Mosin Nagant guide to see whether any 91/30s bore Chinese proof marks. It does seem that the pre-1945 ones all bore marks from either Tula or Izhevsk, the two places that produced them. Afterwards of course many other countries (esp. the East bloc and Finland) produced them.

The PRC also manufactured a knock off of the shorter Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine as the Type 53. As the name suggests, production began in 1953 at a factory at Chungking (Qongqing) so these only came into play as the Korean war was drawing to a close...and of course in Vietnam. There are some images of the Chinese proof marks on M44 /Type 53 receivers here: http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinMarks03.htm.

Are there any pictures of KMT's female soldiers? My mother was one of them (there were supposed to be a lot of them at the time), but she does not have any old pictures from that time -- too poor to afford cameras!!! It would be interesting to see some pictures of them instead of just those well dressed KMT male soldiers!!! You do know that the majority of the KMT soldiers were NOT as well dressed and well equipped like those soldiers in these photos, right? Actually, that was what my Taiwanese friends told me from their first impressions of KMT's soldiers from mainland China. In addition, that was also what my mother and my mother's friends told me about their experiences as well -- They were under the command of Chen Cheng, who was Chiang Kai-shek's key person in Zhejiang & nearby areas.

Ask the Great Generalissimo and your wish is granted!

Wow!

Fast delivery on that request!

Where do you happen to get your pictures anyways? You seem to have everything.

Thanks! That is fast! Where do you get those?

Because i am the Generalissimo.

Here's another.

I am not an expert on the subject, but it is very similar to many armoured helmets. The absence of webbing, backpack, or a rifle would seem to suggest this is so.

The straw hats worn with the field caps by the female soldiers in the back seem to indicate that they are a southern army unit. I know the Cantonese 19th Route Army have the same style 'coolie'-hat strapped across their backs during the 1932 Shanghai battle. That and umbrellas seem to be popular among Chinese armies from Qing-Republic.



Anyone have any pics of the 19th Route btw?

They are not KMT but Germans - see the helmet decals.

cheers, Richard