Chiang kai shek and the nationalist chinese were mostly all equipped and trained by the germans prior to ww2. Most people have no idea just how close the nazi's and nationlist chinese were at the time. Chiang kai-sheks son prior to ww2 was a german panzer commander in the whermacht itself.
A very large portion of the nationalist chinese army was whermacht supplied and trained, down to the k98's, c96's, stielhandgranates even their boots. Other than the oriental facial features you wouldn't have been able to tell the difference from the rear. These troops were the nationalist elite's, bearing the vast brunt of fighting against the japanese during ww2.
Just how close the Chinese were to being part of the axis powers is a fascinating blind spot in history by most these days. Germany had lots of industrial interests as well as close friendly relations with the nationalists. It was only Hitler's ideology with teh japanese as well as japan was decades ahead of china in terms of industrial/millitary prowess that swayed the Germans to go with Japan instead of China. There were even hitler youth camps in China at the time.
There's an quick overview on it all thats quite fascinating.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-German_cooperation_(1911–1941)
Here's some pics out of a war film I found with Nationalist forces in it...gives you a sense of what kind of life that rifle has I suppose...
A very large portion of the nationalist chinese army was whermacht supplied and trained, down to the k98's, c96's, stielhandgranates even their boots. Other than the oriental facial features you wouldn't have been able to tell the difference from the rear. These troops were the nationalist elite's, bearing the vast brunt of fighting against the japanese during ww2.
Just how close the Chinese were to being part of the axis powers is a fascinating blind spot in history by most these days. Germany had lots of industrial interests as well as close friendly relations with the nationalists. It was only Hitler's ideology with teh japanese as well as japan was decades ahead of china in terms of industrial/millitary prowess that swayed the Germans to go with Japan instead of China. There were even hitler youth camps in China at the time.
There's an quick overview on it all thats quite fascinating.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-German_cooperation_(1911–1941)
Here's some pics out of a war film I found with Nationalist forces in it...gives you a sense of what kind of life that rifle has I suppose...
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