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Posted on 02/20/2026 8:14:57 AM PST by MAGA2017
American soldiers fighting in Vietnam armed with WWII German MP40s? Sounds ridiculous, but it's absolutely true. One special forces unit used a few old MP40s on operations obtained via the CIA - the famous MACV-SOG.
Well, as those of you who have followed this channel for many years will know that I have made a video about this very subject though in the case of German World War II weapons from the perspective of their use by North Vietnam and the VietCong rather than by the Americans. Then I came upon this photograph taken in the mid 1960s in Vietnam, clearly showing a U.S. soldier carrying a World War II German MP40 machine pistol. His uniform is odd and his equipment is odder,but there is a logical explanation to this image.
The soldier in the photograph belonged to a very secret military organization active in the Vietnam War, known today by the acronym MACV SOG, which stood for Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observation Group. Sounds harmless enough, but in fact, MACV SOG was one of the most lethal and effective military forces deployed by the United States to Indo-China. And it's no surprise that it was directly linked to the CIA rather than the U.S. military...
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
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Countries all over the world used old German equipment , it was free ,LOL
The M60 was a direct derivative of the MP-40
The M-60 was derived from the MG-42/MG-43.
Old NASA joke : “Our Germans are better than their Germans”
What was I thinking? That was the MG 42.
Sounds like they chose the most applicable tool for the job required.
They did Nazi that coming.
Using an MP40 hid what military the shooters were part of, and could make it seem like it was mercenaries, not regular soldiers.
Wasn’t the US M3 “grease gun” a knock off the M40? I know it looked like something made in a high school metal shop. I imagine the German weapon was better built.
Israel even used it and encountered German panzers in the Golan Heights in the 60’s.
“Fire a burst of six”.
The good old M60. Standard issue for a 1960s weapons platoon.
A lot of French sub guns left over from the previous conflict. I remember them as being fairly well regarded.
An example, would be that for some reason his weapon was rendered unworkable, so he grabbed up one from a dead enemy combatant that was encountered during the process of an engagement currently be carried out.
From the movie The Right Stuff IIRC.
MACV SOG did use the grease gun in Vietnam. I dont know if it was based on the 40, perhaps the Sten if anything.
The US was looking for a cheap close quarters auto weapon instead of the heavy and expensive Thompson in WW2
SOG carried all types of weapons from WW2, like the Thompson, M1 carbine with various mods like a foregrip handle and a chopped stock.
The Karl Gustoff Swedish K- a foreign version of the S&W 76
They also carried NVA weapons with their ammo to give them that extra second in combat, perhaps friendly units are firing upon us?
A favorite NVA weapon they carried was the 7.62 RPD light machine gun. In SOG fashion they modified it by chopping down the stock and barrel. SOG enjoyed the slower rate of fire and the large capacity drum magazine.
“Get Some!”
US also had S&w make the model 76 IIRC, which was a copy of the Swedish K. (another 9mm submachine gun), because Sweden wouldn’t
sell them to us during iet Nam. They were highly regarded
If anyone used to read Soldier of Fortune magazine, they would have seen lots of MACV SOG stories/references there.
The M60 was not derived from the MP40; it was a hybrid from the Maschinengewehr 42.
Interestingly, enough, the MG 42 is still in use with the German armed forces, it’s chambered in 7.62 x 51 NATO and is now called the MG3.
IOW, if it ain’t broke… Don’t fix it.
And one more interesting thing… The MP40 is often called “Schmeiser“… but Hugo Schmeiser had nothing to do with it. Hugo Schmeiser designed the MP 18 and the upgraded MP 28… Berthold Giepel at ERMA actually designed the MP38/MP40 series. “Schmeiser” was just a nickname that’s stuck because of the original MP18 submachine guns he designed late in World War I (those were also called “Bergmann’s”).
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