Most exotic plausible World War 2 standard-issue weapons?

[Myth]

Starting with a POD no later earlier than 1913, your goal is to arm one of the major combatants of the Second World War (Germany, Japan, Italy, Soviet Union, US, or British Empire) with the most atypical combination of weaponry possible.

But the weapons systems chosen have to be PLAUSIBLE. You can't load down an army with kugelpanzers and glider-tanks. Even normal (but fringe) weapons systems are fine if used in unusually large numbers. A 1939 Italian army equipped with 8-inch Japanese-style rocket-mortar tubes, Gurkha kukris, trench shotguns in lieu of submachine guns, and the like, would still be pretty weird.

 

[FrangibleCover]

Japan captures significant numbers of Federov Avtomats in the RCW and decides that, as a weapon in 6.5 Arisaka, it's actually quite good. FA production replaces Type 38 Arisaka and butterflies Type 99 Arisaka. This gives Japan a good near-assault-rifle-thingy before they get a competent LMG or anywhere near an SMG, so Japan goes to an all-rifle squad and never looks back. The decreased reach of the FA equipped squad is noticeable so the Type 89 Grenade Discharger is issued more heavily as a cheap solution to long range squad firepower.

Honestly I can't think of much weirder to do to their armour or artillery parks than they had but lets try. Give them the Swedish style external mortars on tanks which are operated by supporting infantry for Vague Swedish Reasons? Turn the Type 97 ATR into a proper portable autocannon in a similar role to the M2 Browning in the US? Beyond that I'm out of ideas, you can't give them an Army-operated LHA equipped with artillery spotting autogyros because they already have that, you can't give them suicide shaped charge weapons on poles because they already have that, you can't give them rocket mortars because they already have that and you can't give them an anti-tank gun capable of piercing any Medium tank in the world because it's weirder that they never made one!

 

[Father Maryland]

Japan captures significant numbers of Federov Avtomats in the RCW and decides that, as a weapon in 6.5 Arisaka, it's actually quite good. FA production replaces Type 38 Arisaka and butterflies Type 99 Arisaka. This gives Japan a good near-assault-rifle-thingy before they get a competent LMG or anywhere near an SMG, so Japan goes to an all-rifle squad and never looks back. The decreased reach of the FA equipped squad is noticeable so the Type 89 Grenade Discharger is issued more heavily as a cheap solution to long range squad firepower.

Honestly I can't think of much weirder to do to their armour or artillery parks than they had but lets try. Give them the Swedish style external mortars on tanks which are operated by supporting infantry for Vague Swedish Reasons? Turn the Type 97 ATR into a proper portable autocannon in a similar role to the M2 Browning in the US? Beyond that I'm out of ideas, you can't give them an Army-operated LHA equipped with artillery spotting autogyros because they already have that, you can't give them suicide shaped charge weapons on poles because they already have that, you can't give them rocket mortars because they already have that and you can't give them an anti-tank gun capable of piercing any Medium tank in the world because it's weirder that they never made one!

Gryojet rocket pistols/rifles. Not practical but theoretically doable by roughly WW2.

Who doesn't like a pistol or a rifle that fires tiny rockets.

 

[Driftless]

The USN returns to Gatling type guns as an AA type. (kudos to @marathag for that thought). Power the revolving action by local motor, to be more sure the weapon remains in action. You'd still need some form of directed fire for the system to be effective.

 

[Father Maryland]

Japan captures significant numbers of Federov Avtomats in the RCW and decides that, as a weapon in 6.5 Arisaka, it's actually quite good. FA production replaces Type 38 Arisaka and butterflies Type 99 Arisaka. This gives Japan a good near-assault-rifle-thingy before they get a competent LMG or anywhere near an SMG, so Japan goes to an all-rifle squad and never looks back. The decreased reach of the FA equipped squad is noticeable so the Type 89 Grenade Discharger is issued more heavily as a cheap solution to long range squad firepower.

Honestly I can't think of much weirder to do to their armour or artillery parks than they had but lets try. Give them the Swedish style external mortars on tanks which are operated by supporting infantry for Vague Swedish Reasons? Turn the Type 97 ATR into a proper portable autocannon in a similar role to the M2 Browning in the US? Beyond that I'm out of ideas, you can't give them an Army-operated LHA equipped with artillery spotting autogyros because they already have that, you can't give them suicide shaped charge weapons on poles because they already have that, you can't give them rocket mortars because they already have that and you can't give them an anti-tank gun capable of piercing any Medium tank in the world because it's weirder that they never made one!

Never heard about the Swedish external mortars. Got a link?

 

[Myth]

Reading "plausible" as "some army actually used it successfully," there are a lot of options here, although the path to getting any of them into use by WW2 into a single army is a different problem. Some options include:

* Italian small infantry mortars with magazines (Italy, WW2)

* Japanese 8 inch rocket mortars (Japan, WW2)

* Sorcouf cruiser submarines (French, interwar)

* Multi-turret heavy tanks (Soviet, WW2)

* Medieval swords! (Japan, WW2; many ersatz.)

* Dutch jungle cutlass (Dutch colonial, up to WW2, inclusive.)

* Winged antitank grenade (German, WW2)

* Sappenpanzer infantry armor (German, WW2)

* Combat shotguns (American; WW1, WW2, Moro Revolt)

* Coup-coup knives (French colonial)

* Pneumatic mortars (various, WW1)

* Long Russo-Japanese War vintage bayonets, complete with obsessive Russian bayonet fencer on the other end (Russo-Japanese War)

* Dynamite Gun (USA, Spanish American War)

* Japanese battalion gun (Japan, WW2)

* High velocity Uruguay Polish antitank rifle (Polish, WW2)

* Explosive-launching WW1 trench ballista (various)

* M1895 Winchester lever action rifle (Russian army, WW1)

* Air dropped metal antipersonnel darts (WW 1)

* Bicycles (WW1, interwar, WW2)

...Just to give a few ideas among many.

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

How about this. I don't know if it actually happened but it wouldn't surprise me.

June 1940 A newly formed Local Defence Volunteers platoon commandeers the local girls boarding school's archery equipment pending the eventual arrival of rifles and ammunition and for a few months trains as a platoon of bowmen?

 

[Myth]

How about this. I don't know if it actually happened but it wouldn't surprise me.

June 1940 A newly formed Local Defence Volunteers platoon commandeers the local girls boarding school's archery equipment pending the eventual arrival of rifles and ammunition and for a few months trains as a platoon of bowmen?

Obligatory Jack Churchill reference incoming in 5...4...

 

[Driftless]

How about this. I don't know if it actually happened but it wouldn't surprise me.

June 1940 A newly formed Local Defence Volunteers platoon commandeers the local girls boarding school's archery equipment pending the eventual arrival of rifles and ammunition and for a few months trains as a platoon of bowmen?

Tully Bascomb is seconded from Grand Fenwick as a technical advisor.

Actually, I'm surprised that some form of this idea wasn't put into operation

 

[Father Maryland]

How about this. I don't know if it actually happened but it wouldn't surprise me.

June 1940 A newly formed Local Defence Volunteers platoon commandeers the local girls boarding school's archery equipment pending the eventual arrival of rifles and ammunition and for a few months trains as a platoon of bowmen?

Not platoon strength but I have read about a few LDV/Home Guard members who were archery hobbyists and actually intended to use their longbows in the event of invasion. And of Course Mad Jack Churchill carrying a Scottish Claymore sword, bagpipes, and long bow on top of all his regular gear.

And I do remember at least a few LDV/HG platoons built their own and intended to use small field catapults. Ones intended to fling a five gallon jug of gasoline (basically a jerry can sized molotov cocktail) up to I think like 200 yards. Considering AT wise that was a big improvement over their previous best AT gear (getting close enough to a tank to toss a regular bottle sized molotov cocktail). And for a WW2 German tank getting hit with a five gallon sized molotov cocktail wouldn't be pretty.

Perhaps also the Soviet AT dog weapons and the US programs working on bat bombs and pigeon guided bombs.

Really it's plausible the US could have had Bat Bombs ready for use earlier in the war. I wonder how effective they would be against German cities.

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

Not platoon strength but I have read about a few LDV/Home Guard members who were archery hobbyists and actually intended to use their longbows in the event of invasion.

It beats the bread knife lashed to a broom handle that many L.D.V's started with or the pikes !!!! that were built and issued in 1941 after everyone actually had a rifle.

 

[Driftless]

An American license-built 20mm Hispano HS.404 autocannon that actually works consistently by 1941. (ducks for cover).

A purpose-built, or easily modified cargo submarine by 1939. (There were some useable mods made from existing large subs OTL - so it's not completely crazy)

 

[CalBear]

Obligatory Jack Churchill reference incoming in 5...4...

Anyone who was using a longbow and a Claymore (sword, that is) in 1944 France DEMANDS a mention.

 

[Father Maryland]

Anyone who was using a longbow and a Claymore (sword, that is) in 1944 France DEMANDS a mention.

Did he carry the Longbow, the Claymore, and the Bagpipes on top of his normal gear? I mean if nothing else that's like another 15-20 pounds of gear.

 

[cortz#9]

Not platoon strength but I have read about a few LDV/Home Guard members who were archery hobbyists and actually intended to use their longbows in the event of invasion. And of Course Mad Jack Churchill carrying a Scottish Claymore sword, bagpipes, and long bow on top of all his regular gear.

And I do remember at least a few LDV/HG platoons built their own and intended to use small field catapults. Ones intended to fling a five gallon jug of gasoline (basically a jerry can sized molotov cocktail) up to I think like 200 yards. Considering AT wise that was a big improvement over their previous best AT gear (getting close enough to a tank to toss a regular bottle sized molotov cocktail). And for a WW2 German tank getting hit with a five gallon sized molotov cocktail wouldn't be pretty.

Perhaps also the Soviet AT dog weapons and the US programs working on bat bombs and pigeon guided bombs.

Really it's plausible the US could have had Bat Bombs ready for use earlier in the war. I wonder how effective they would be against German cities.

The Bat Bombs were intended to be used against Japan where many buildings were made of wood.

 

[Father Maryland]

An American license-built 20mm Hispano HS.404 autocannon that actually works consistently by 1941. (ducks for cover).

A purpose-built, or easily modified cargo submarine by 1939. (There were some useable mods made from existing large subs OTL - so it's not completely crazy)

I kind of like the FN souped up M2 Browning design chambered on a 13.2mm cartridge derived from the .50BMG. It had almost the same power as a good 20mm auto cannon round but in a cartridge size closer to a .50BMG. Belgium getting ovverun and the market being flooded in cheap US or Soviet 12.7mm MG's killed that.

So think of say the US P40s in say 1940-1940 packing six of these 13.2mm MG's that can pack as much power as a 20mm round while allowing you to carry almost as much ammo as a .50BMG.

The US could also adopt the Swedish/Polish upgrade of the BAR with a top loading machine gun belt feed, quick change barrel, and the like.

Or hell develop something truly like say the MG34 or MG42 chambered in 30:06.

Bazookas and panzerfausts would also be doable.

Hell you could start the war with recoilless rifles and something like the 40mm M79 grenade launcher.

 

[tonycat77]

Brazil mass produces a copy of the gewehr 43 in 30-06.

 

[Father Maryland]

Hmm how about for AT purposes discarding sabot rounds made from Tungsten (too early for depleted Uranium.)?

 

[SealTheRealDeal]

that one weird Nambu SMG with he forward angled pistol grip is adopted?

 

[Driftless]

How about this. I don't know if it actually happened but it wouldn't surprise me.

June 1940 A newly formed Local Defence Volunteers platoon commandeers the local girls boarding school's archery equipment pending the eventual arrival of rifles and ammunition and for a few months trains as a platoon of bowmen?

Revisiting that theme..... Why not have the furniture makers/small ironmongers work on a quicky crossbow for the volunteers? The basic design is dirt simple (apart from whatever mechanism to draw back the string) and it's intuitive to aim.