# Another WWII  Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwii-question/781344>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 3, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwii-question/781344 "2017-03-03T23:04:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwii-question/781344/41 "2017-03-10T02:43:28Z")

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> [@Martini\_Enfield](#):
>
> Good luck tracking one down! I’ve only ever seen three - one in a museum, one which a re-enactor was carrying (and which had been rendered inoperable) and one which belonged to an acquaintance. I gather they’re easier to find in Canada though. 😛

I’m eye-balling one on an auction site - Mind you, it’s a MkII-triple-star, but that’s close to the absolute best version of the Ross, over all - A double-star is the only better choice.

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**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwii-question/781344/42 "2017-03-10T02:50:42Z")

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> [@Tranquilis](#):
>
> I’m eye-balling one on an auction site - Mind you, it’s a MkII-triple-star, but that’s close to the absolute best version of the Ross, over all - A double-star is the only better choice.

As long as it’s chambered for .303 and loads from charger clips you should be fine 🙂

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**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwii-question/781344/43 "2017-03-10T14:48:54Z")

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Aircraft, too!

Gemany’s KG-200 squadron:

> [@wikipedia](#):
>
> Due to the lack of German aircraft with sufficient range, some recon missions used captured American B-17s or B-24s and Soviet Tu-2s. For the most part, these machines were used for re-supply roles (dropping in supplies to German forces operating behind Soviet lines), or transporting important personnel.

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**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwii-question/781344/44 "2017-03-10T15:35:05Z")

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> [@Martini\_Enfield](#):
>
> As long as it’s chambered for .303 and loads from charger clips you should be fine 🙂

It is, and it is. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwii-question/781344/45 "2017-03-10T16:06:40Z")

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> [@dolphinboy](#):
>
> During WWII, for any given battle did the winners confiscate the weapons of the fallen enemy soldiers and use those confiscated weapons in future engagements?

Not only did that happen a lot (as has already been amply demonstrated), the winners sometimes confiscated the \*soldiers \*of the enemy.

The most famous case these days is probably [this Korean soldier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Kyoungjong). He was conscripted by force in Manchuria by the Japanese, who sent him to fight the Russians. The Russians captured him, then sent him against the Germans. Who captured him, and sent him to man the Atlantic Wall. He then proceeded to thoroughly confuse the Americans who captured him :).  
It happened quite a bit, although rarely to this Kafkaian extent.

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**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwii-question/781344/46 "2017-03-10T16:31:17Z")

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> [@Asuka](#):
>
> The British Sten SMG had the ability to accept German MP40 magazines, presumably so British troops could immediately use captured German magazines and ammo without having to give up their own SMG’s.

It wasn’t an “ability”, it was designed specifically for that (and in fact the STEN magazine was a direct copy of the MP-38 one).

The idea was that you could airdrop thousands of those cheap suckers across an occupied country with a handful of bullets and mags, with a message to the partisans to “go raid a police HQ or something” (since German police forces also used Schmeissers)

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