Can You Identify These Military Weapons From WWII?

By: Tasha Moore
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Can You Identify These Military Weapons From WWII?
Image: Wiki Commons by Gaius Cornelius

About This Quiz

World War II was all about the modernization of artillery. Get to know the lethal innovations that changed the way nations would battle things out on the world stage going forward. This Second World War military challenge lists an arsenal of international weapons favorites put to use during the epic battles.

The United States and Russia grew stronger militarily as a result of the munitions innovations that emerged during World War II. These nations were so adept at mastering the art of artillery that a decades-long arms race ensued after the Second World War. All of the top-of-the-line war arms technology that was left in the wake of World War II generated some serious anxiety during the Cold War, which ended in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union.

Meanwhile, Japan, who boasted a rather sound ordnance stash before World War II, didn't fare so well arms-wise after the war. Armored tanks with loads of armament scored huge points in numerous land battles. Interwar Japan had taken note of the tank's potential, but the Axis country's technology was no match for Allied tank power. The United States upgraded their tanks and other war weaponry at an astounding rate during WWII, borrowing and improving upon Axis machinery. And the U.S. dominated the market when it came to rifles and machine guns that sent Axis warriors running when they ripped.

Knock out the names of premiere World War II artillery in one sizable scroll of your digital display!


1 M1_Garand_Rifle
Wiki Commons by RenseNBM
This rifle was first issued in 1936. Can you identify this World War II weapon?
Flammenwerfer 35
M1 Garand Rifle
Brandt Mle 27/31 81mm Mortar
Maxim M1910 Machine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Canadian arms designer John C. Garand built the semi-automatic M1 Garand rifle equipped with an eight-round clip for .30-06 ammo. Many of the M1 Garand rifles made during the Second World War have been re-barreled.

2 MG42_Sideview
Wiki Commons by NotLessOrEqual
What Second World War weapon was nicknamed "Hitler's Saw"?
Shin-Gunto Sword
MG42
Breda M37 Machine Gun
Arisake Type 99
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

German soldiers used to haul around two barrels of the MG42 because the barrels became hot after 500 rounds and could not be used. Here's an interesting fact: Gunfire from the MG42 sounds like the ripping of canvas fabric.

3 Beretta_m1934
Wiki Commons by Urban Redactor
The "King of Rock and Roll" had one of these in his estate. Do you guess the correct name?
40mm Knee Mortar
Beretta Model M1934
Welrod Pistol
ZB 26 Light Machine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During the Elvis Week 2018 auction at Graceland, Lot 107 was a 1942 Beretta Model M1934 9mm Corto Caliber Pistol that was owned by General Omar Bradley and later gifted to Mr. Presley in 1970. General Bradley was the last surviving major military commander of World War II before he died in 1981.

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4 Grenade_m24pm
Wiki Commons by TwoOneTwo
Choose the most common German type of explosive for World War II.
Model 24 Stielhandgranate
Type 100 Submachine Gun
Nambu Type 14
ZB37 Machine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sometimes called the "potato masher," the Stielhandgranate ("stick grenade") was comprised of a metal canister filled with explosives on the end of a hollow wooden stick. Soldiers triggered the device by opening the cap on the handle's base and tugging a cord before hurling the grenade.

5 M1911_A1_pistol
Wiki Commons by M62
American soldiers often used the ________ during the war.
M1911
Type 11 Light Machine Gun
MP40 Submachine Gun
Thompson Submachine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The M1911A1 was another conventional weapon that the Americans used during World War II; both pistols were .45-caliber semi-automatic. John M. Browning crafted the M1911 and Colt issued the weapon on March 29, 1911.

6 PTRD Anti-Tank Gun
Wiki Commons by Alex long
The same Russian defense firm produced the Goryunov 7.62-millimeter heavy machine gun (SG-43). Try to select the name of another war weapon the firm devised.
M2 Browning Machine Gun
M1919 Browning Machine Gun
PTRD Anti-Tank Gun
M2 Flamethrower
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Founded in 1916, The V.A. Degtyarev Plant Open Joint-Stock Company mass-produced the PTRD. The initials comprise the Russian abbreviation for "Degtyarev anti-tank rifle." The company would later manufacture other war weapons, such as the Kord heavy machine gun and the Gsh-30 aircraft cannon.

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7 Sturmgewehr_44
Wiki Commons by Stonda~commonswiki (talk | contribs)
Just about every nation used a modern version of the highly effective ________.
Lee-Enfield Rifle
M1917 Browning Machine Gun
Walther PPK
StG 44
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The StG 44 was the first assault rifle that Germany adopted and produced on a grand scale. Initially unveiled as the MP43, the StG 44 designation adhered to Sturmgewehr ("assault rifle") naming protocol rather than a pistol classification.

8 Goryunov-SG43-batey-haosef-1
Wiki Commons by Bukvoed
Do you notice the option that best suits this medium machine gun?
Mauser C96 Pistol
M3 Submachine Gun
SG-43
Beretta Model 38
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Russian V.A. Degtyarev Plant Open Joint-Stock Company mass assembled the SG-43, which is the Goryunov 7.62-mm machine gun, in a short period. The SG-43 inspired the SA-43 semiautomatic firearm.

9 MK2 Hand_grenade_002
Wiki Commons by FieldMarine (talk | contribs)
Are you confident that you understand this contraption that was produced during the final months of World War I?
Stielhandgranate
SG-43
Arisake Type 99
Mk 2 "Pineapple Grenade"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Adopted in 1918, the United States military used Mk 2 grenades during World War I through the Vietnam War. The one-pound, five-ounce "pineapple grenade" was ideal for close-range battle.

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10 Nagant_Revolver
Wiki Commons by Mascamon at Luxembourgish Wikipedia
The weapon that you see had been in service for close to a half-century before World War II. What name do you give it?
M-1895 Nagant Revolver
40mm Knee Mortar
Walther PPK
Type 100 Submachine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Belgian gunmaker Henri-Leon Nagant designed the M-1895 Nagant revolver for Russian Czar Nicholas II's army. In a twist of ill-fate, during the Russian Revolution in 1917 the same weapon was used to assassinate the czar and his family.

11 Soldier_with_Bazooka_M1
Wiki Commons by U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph
To General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the ________ was one of several crucial "tools of victory"?
MP40 Submachine Gun
Flammenwerfer 35
Bazooka
Vickers Machine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The United States entered World War II with the military mission of penetrating German tank armor. Lieutenant Edward Uhl was fresh out of college when he helped engineer the shoulder-mounted anti-tank rocket known as the bazooka, in 1942.

12 Karabiner_98k
Wiki Commons by Antique Military Rifles
How do you identify this Mauser, the main German assault tool of World War II?
Browning Automatic Rifle
M2 Flamethrower
Karabiner 98k Rifle
Tokarev SVT-40 Rifle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Germans equipped snipers with a standard arsenal that included the Karabiner 98 rifle and 1.5-power scopes. Snipers complained that the scopes were not sufficient, and many preferred seized Mosin Nagants over the Mauser Karabiner 98k rifle, which is a smaller version of the Gewehr 98.

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13 Panzerschreck Anti-Tank Rocket
Wiki Commons by Andrew Bossi
The United States 82nd Airborne Division preferred a captured ________ to its own M1A1 bazooka?
M18.28 Submachine Gun
M2 Flamethrower
Lee-Enfield Rifle
Panzerschreck Anti-Tank Rocket
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A Broadway adaptation of the World War II D-Day invasion of Normandy went awry during the musical's "live-fire exercise." Titled "The Longest Day: The Musical," the play's onstage German Panzerschreck anti-tank rocket inadvertently misfired, blowing a hole in the rear of the 42nd Street theater.

14 Japanese_Type_92_Heavy_Machine_Gun
Wiki Commons by Nemo5576 (talk | contribs)
World War II Allies perceived this machine gun as highly competitive. Do you determine the exact name?
Webley Mk VI Revolver
Stielhandgranate
Type 92 Machine Gun
Springfield M1903A4 Sniper Rifle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service outfitted the Aichi E13A reconnaissance floatplane, which Allies codenamed "Jake," with one Type 92 machine gun in the rear cockpit. The Aichi E13A flew at a maximum speed of 235 miles per hour and could carry a bomb load of 551 pounds.

15 TT_33_Pistol
Wiki Commons by Soviet_TT_M1933_automatic_pistol.jpg: Joe Mabel
Pick the name of the lethal gadget that Fedor Tokarev designed?
TT Pistol
Beretta Model 38
Pps-43 Submachine Gun
Walther PPK
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Low water levels caused by a drought revealed the remains of a Soviet fighter-bomber plane and two of its crew members in the tributary of the Bzura River near Kamion, Poland in 2015. Germans shot down the plane during a World War II air fight in 1945. The pilot's TT pistol was recovered, as well.

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16 SKS_carbine
Wiki Commons by Antique Military Rifles
This device wasn't used very much in Russia, where it was produced. Name the military weapon that later gained notoriety in the United States?
SKS Carbine
SG-43
Welrod Pistol
Degtyaryov Machine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Designed by Sergei Simonov, the SKS carbine stands for "Samozaryadnyj Karabin Simonova" or "Simonov self-loading carbine." The "idiot-proof" World War II weapon flooded the U.S. gun market in the 1980s.

17 PIAT_cropped
Wiki Commons by Ranger Steve
Do you remember the ordnance that releases a huge blast?
Nagant Revolver
PIAT Anti-Tank Weapon
Type 99 Light Machine Gun
ZB 26 Light Machine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The British adopted the shoulder-mounted PIAT, Projector Infantry Anti-Tank Mk I, rocket-propelled grenade launcher during World War II. Soldiers complained that the PIAT often jammed and was no good for distances past 50 yards.

18 PPSh-41_from_soviet
Wiki Commons by Lposka
After the Second World War, the weapon shown here was used regularly by the Viet Minh during the French war in Indochina. Name the assault tool?
Nambu Type 14
PPSh-41 Submachine Gun
Type 11 Light Machine Gun
Walther PPK
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Soviet engineer Georgy Semyonovich Shpagin designed the PPSh-41 submachine gun to resemble the PPD-40, and the gun was simpler to manufacture than Degtyarev's model. Soviets assembled the PPSh-41 in less than half the time it took to produce the PPD-40.

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19 Einstossflammenwerfer 46
Wiki Commons by War department
Guess the materiel that weighed roughly 42 pounds?
Mauser C96 Pistol
M3 Submachine Gun
Einstossflammenwerfer 46
Beretta Model 38
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1944, Germans adopted the Einstossflammenwerfer 46, which had lightweight cylindrical tubing. The model emitted a single burst of flame that lasted for less than one second. The German army uses a disposable version of the one-shot flamethrower today.

20 Mannlicher-Carcano Rifle
Wiki Commons by User:Bukvoed
How well do you remember the weapon that war historians believe was likely leftover from Italy's colonization of Libya between the First and Second World Wars?
Mauser C96 Pistol
Walther PPK
Mannlicher-Carcano Rifle
Mosin-Nagant 91/30
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Italian World War II Mannlicher-Carcano rifle was the preferred weapon of the German Volkssturm in the final days of the war. Critical users dubbed it the "humanitarian rifle" and reported that the weapon was not very reliable.

21 Mg_34
Wiki Commons by Franco Atirador
Germany designed the _______ for the sake of "blitzkrieg," its preeminent tactical assault theory during wartime?
MG34
Shin-Gunto Sword
M3 Submachine Gun
Arisake Type 99
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The German MG34 machine gun preceded the MG42. Without its mount, the MG34 weight a little over 42 pounds. In the years leading up to the Second World War, the gun was used defensively as tank artillery and an anti-aircraft weapon.

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22 Walther P38 Pistol
Wiki Commons by Askild Antonsen
Among the options, do you notice this Nazi German innovation?
DShk
Walther P38 Pistol
Mauser C96 Pistol
M1917 Browning Machine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The double-action German Walther P38 auto pistol was the second most preferred enemy weapon among Allied forces. The German 9mm P08 Luger automatic was the most favorite seized combatant gun.

23 FP-45_Liberator
Wiki Commons by Rama
Determine the U.S.-born device, whose wordless cartoon operating instructions are just as much a collector's item as the weapon itself?
Gewehr 43
Ptrs-41 Anti-Tank Rifle
Mosin-Nagant 91/30
FP-45
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The single-shot FP-45, .45-caliber "flame projector," was the idea of the U.S. Army Joint Psychological Committee. A division of General Motors engineered the pistols for insurgents in World War II Axis regions of Asia and Europe.

24 STEN_gun_with_bayonete
Wiki Commons by Ryo Chijiiwa from Serenity Valley, CA, USA
World War II soldiers agreed that the ________ was simple to maintain?
Sten Submachine Gun
40mm Knee Mortar
Carcano Rifle
Type 100 Submachine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Adopted in 1941, the British-made Sten submachine gun was considered a crude, but effective Second World War weapon. The cheaply produced Sten was made of welded stamped steel parts.

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25 Type93torpedo
Wiki Commons by Der Messer (talk | contribs)
Is Imperial Japan's "secret weapon" obvious to you?
Nagant Revolver
Type 93 torpedo
Type 99 Light Machine Gun
Stielhandgranate
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Japan's "secret" World War II Type 93 torpedo was nicknamed "Long Lance" by war historians. The explosive device was equipped with a huge warhead and could travel more than 20,000 yards at a speed of 45 knots.

26 Thompson Submachine Gun
Wiki Commons by National Park Service
Are you sure that you can offer the label of the World War II contraption that sent German troops running upon hearing its signature sound?
Beretta M1934
Vickers Machine Gun
Thompson Submachine Gun
Flammenwerfer 35
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Between 1942 and 1945, over 1.2 million Thompson submachine guns were purchased. The gun is a roaring '20s classic, and has been featured in numerous Hollywood films in the hands of fictional gangsters played by Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney and others.

27 M3 Grease Gun
Wiki Commons by Jeff Kubina, filtered Nemo5576
Try to quickly choose this lethal option that was regarded as "ugly" compared to the Thompson it succeeded?
M3 Grease Gun
MP40 Submachine Gun
Gewehr 43
Walther PPK
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During World War II, the M3 Grease Gun's compact size was convenient for tank units. The gun was used extensively in subsequent wars as well. The M3 earned its moniker because it looks similar to the auto mechanics tool of the same name.

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28 FG42 Rifle
Wiki Commons by Rama
Do you recognize the title for this innovation that accepted the 7.92x57 millimeter service cartridge?
Beretta Model 38
Pps-43 Submachine Gun
FG42 Rifle
Arisake Type 99
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

British riflemen outgunned German paratroopers at the Second World War assault on Crete in early 1941. In response, Germany introduced the FG42 rifle to give its paratroopers longer range.

29 Bren1
Wiki Commons by National Film Board of Canada
Which artillery fired single shots sparingly?
DShk
Mauser C96 Pistol
Bren Gun
TT Pistol
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Czechoslovakian arms designer Vaclav Holek engineered the gas-powered Bren gun in 1935 for Royal Small Arms Factory. The war weapon comes standard with a spare barrel and a 20-round box.

30 KA-BAR Knife
Wiki Commons by Auckland War Memorial Museum
Try to guess the utility and fighting knife produced by Union Cutlery Company during World War II?
FP-45
KA-BAR Knife
Nambu Type 94 Gun
ZB37 Machine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The United States Marine Corps first adopted the KA-BAR knife, and other branches of the military followed suit shortly thereafter. At the start of World War II, soldiers complained that the same knives that had been issued during World War I were not easy to grip.

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31 Molotov_cocktail_5
Wiki Commons by kundl
The _______ is a bomb made by pouring highly flammable gasoline into bottles?
Molotov Cocktail
Carcano Rifle
Type 100 Submachine Gun
Nambu Type 14
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Vyacheslav M. Molotov is credited for devising the Molotov cocktail concept. Molotov also owns the distinction of having helped to negotiate the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact of 1939 that prompted Hitler to invade Poland, the event that triggered World War II.

32 Lewis Machine Gun
Wiki Commons by Rama
We'll be impressed if you recognize one of the most identifiable military munitions of all times?
Walther PPK
Mauser C96 Pistol
Lewis Machine Gun
SG-43
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Designated as a light machine gun, the gas-powered Lewis gun was the firearm concept of U.S. artillery officer Colonel Isaac Newton Lewis and Dr. Samuel N. McClean. The U.S. Army rejected the design, so Lewis produced the firearm through Birmingham Small Arms in the U.K.

33 Springfield M1903 Rifle
Wiki Commons by Nemo5576 (talk | contribs)
It was the main sniping rifle of World War II. Quickly pick the exact title?
Arisake Type 99
Welrod Pistol
Nagant Revolver
Springfield M1903 Rifle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The 1903 "Springfield rifle" is a derivative of the German Mauser. The United States used the bolt-action rifle in both world wars and to a limited extent in the Korean War. Gun experts are quick to point out that not all M1903 models were produced by Springfield Armory.

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34 Vickers K Gun
Wiki Commons by Bukvoed
Have you seen the gas-operated ________ before now?
Beretta Model 38
Shin-Gunto Sword
Vickers K Gun
40mm Knee Mortar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Based on the Vickers-Berthier light machine gun, the gas-powered Vicker K Gun was manufactured for the British Royal Air Force by Vickers-Armstrong. The gun was meant to be operated on in-flight, high-speed aircraft.

35 M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle
Wiki Commons by joelogon / Joe Loong, cropped and retouched by user:Atirador.
See if you can choose the lethal tool that was adopted late in World War I and used often during World War II?
Degtyaryov Machine Gun
Mauser C96 Pistol
M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle
Beretta Model 38
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Developed during World War I, the M1918 was the first Browning Automatic Rifle, or BAR. In the Second World War, every infantry squad had a "BAR man" and a soldier who hauled and supplied extra magazines for the weapon.

36 M45 Quadmount
Wiki Commons by Pa3ems
Do you recognize this cannonry with an electrically powered turret?
M45 Quadmount
Welrod Pistol
PIAT Anti-Tank Weapon
Beretta Model 38
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The M45 quadmount consisted of four .50-caliber Browning machine guns that were positioned on the sides of the electric turret. The 360-degree rotating weapon was used during World War II as the Korean War.

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37 DShK
Wiki Commons by MAPN
Choose the title for his heavy machine gun?
ZB 26 Light Machine Gun
Walther PPK
DShK
M3 Submachine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The DShK heavy machine gun is similar to the .50-caliber M2 Browning. Georgy Shpagin supplied firearms designer Vasily Degtyaryov with the "squirrel cage" to produce the DShK. The Soviet Army adopted the machine gun in 1938.

38 Webley_mk_VI-IMG_6509-white
Wiki Commons by Rama
Can you identify this service revolver from World War II?
Webley Mk VI
M1917 Browning Machine Gun
Mosin-Nagant 91/30
M2 Flamethrower
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Initially manufactured from 1915 to 1919, the Webley & Scott Mk VI service revolver took what is known today as a speedloader. The firearm also came with a bayonet, which was a rarity.

39 Winchester_1897
Wiki Commons by Asams10 at English Wikipedia
This type of Second World War gun has been called a crucial tool in the "Arsenal of Democracy." What official name do you give it?
Beretta Model 38
Lee-Enfield Rifle
Winchester 1897/97
Maxim M1910 Machine Gun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John M. Browning engineered the Winchester Model 1897, of which approximately one million were manufactured until 1957. The military standard was equipped with a hand guard. Model 1897 inspired the Winchester Model 12 firearm concept.

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40 1940_Tula_SVT40
Wiki Commons by Drake00
It's been said that the ________ was simpler to produce than previous Red Army semiautomatics?
Tokarev SVT-40
M3 Submachine Gun
Breda M37 Machine Gun
M2 Flamethrower
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Russian self-loading Tokarev SVT-40 accommodates 10 rounds of ammunition. The SVT-40 was manufactured to replace the Mosin Nagant 1891/30, but the transition never went into effect.

You Got:
/40
Wiki Commons by Gaius Cornelius