While the main weapon of the German army was the Kar98k bolt action rifle there were times when a pistol was a practical weapon for a soldier to be issued. Primarily these were issued to officers and NCOs in positions of authority but they were also issued based on role. A machine gunner for example was issued a pistol as a backup weapon. The two most common pistols issued by the German army were the Walther P38 and the iconic P.08 Luger. In addition to these two 9mm workhorses, the German military made extensive use of other pistols, many of which were produced in factories in occupied nations. Many of the other popular firearms used by the German army were chambered in .32 auto. Included in this group would be the Mauser HSC, German Walther PPK, Belgian Browning 1922, Hungarian Femary M37, Czech CZ27, French Mab, and many more. Several additional firearms in 9mm were also used including the Browning Hi-Power and the Radom Wz vz.35. Furthermore, a host of captured pistols from other nations and a bevy of obsolete pistols from the First world war saw action in ww2. 

These photographs and information were taken from a number of online sources and auction sites.  They are presented here for educational purposes.