FN Mausers And The Fight For Israel

When Israel declared its independence in 1948, it acquired rifles—including some used by the Germans during World War II—from any source it could find. New Mausers made at FN saw service in the Israeli War of Independence, and on through the Six-Day War.

BY ANTHONY VANDERLINDEN

ince the creation of the United Nations, few measures have garnered as much attention as Resolution 181 (II). Radio and television sets worldwide tuned in on Nov. 29, 1947, for the vote to propose an independent Jewish state in Palestine. The controversial vote passed with the approval of 33 nations, while 13 countries voted against and 11 abstained or were absent.

Even before the United Nations resolution passed, the entire region of Palestine was engulfed in a civil war. This war morphed into the Israeli War of Independence (or ArabIsraeli War) after Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948. Jerusalem was immediately besieged on May 15. The situation quickly turned dire; the Jewish population of 600,000 was surrounded by hostile Arab countries with a population of more than 15 million. The new government relied on the members of older independence groups, most notably the Haganah, “The Defense,” which had fought to protect Jewish interests, and for independence, over a period of decades. Poorly outfitted Jewish fighters were facing well-equipped armies from Egypt, Iraq and Jordan. The Arabs vowed to annihilate the Jews. It was a fight for survival and a fight against a second Holocaust.

Three of the countries voting for the UN resolution, the United States, Czechoslovakia and Belgium, had a significant impact on the survival of the Jewish state of Israel.

Arms produced by Fabrique Nationale, and used in Israel’s fight for an independent state, include (opposite, top to bottom): A pre-war Mauser converted in Israel to K98 configuration; a pre-war Ethiopian contract Mauser with K98-style furniture converted to 7.62x51 mm NATO in Israel; a 1950s-produced Mauser supplied to Israel and converted to 7.62x51 mm NATO; a .22 Long Rifle-chambered, Mauser-style training rifle; a rare pre-war High Power pistol (l.) with fixed sights and slotted frame shipped to Tel Aviv in 1938; and a post-war Israeli presentation High Power supplied in 1954. An Israeli soldier in the early 1950s is shown (above) holding a World War II-era surplus K98 rifle.

This pre-war FN Mauser was converted in Israel to K98 con guration and remains in its original 7.92x57 mm JS chambering.

A 1950s-produced FN Mauser, this ri e was supplied to Israel and converted to 7.62x51 mm NATO chambering. Arsenal re nished in green phosphate, its matching parts include the original bolt.

Although full-size, this FN K98 Mauser-style training ri e was chambered in .22 Long Ri e. The unique design, sold only to Israel, featured an improved bolt and feed ramp. Israelis marked its stock with a “0.22” designation.

This pre-war Lithuanian-contract FN Mauser was converted in Israel to 7.62x51 mm NATO chambering and features K98-style furniture.

This pre-war Ethiopian-contract FN Mauser was also converted in Israel to 7.62x51 mm NATO chambering. Its K98-style furniture and front sight hood are characteristic of the breed.

Czechoslovakia

The Czech legation at the UN voted for the Jewish state only a few months before a Communist coup turned Czechoslovakia into a Soviet satellite state. Czechoslovakia became the most important cog in the wheel to help arm the Jewish people. Surplus German and Czech World War II guns were acquired from the Czechoslovak government and shipped to Palestine. The Czechoslovak aid is well-known; not only did it provide small arms, the country became a centralized hub for all forms of material aid. While small arms were important, the Jews needed armor and an air force to counter the Arab armies. The Czechs helped establish the Israeli air force by initially selling surplus German Messerschmitt Bf 109 ghter planes, as well as Czech clones known as the Avia S-199. Sales were later expanded to include surplus Spit res. All this aid amounted to huge nancial revenues for the Czechs. During this time, Joseph Stalin allowed continued support after the Czech communist coup, not so much to support the Jews but for the consternation of the British Empire. Belgium

The Belgians also voted in favor of the UN resolution after the socialist Belgian foreign minister Paul-Henri Spaak caused controversy by calling a Jewish state “dangerous.” Most Belgians did not share that viewpoint. Many were troubled by the fate of the Jewish people during the war, and by the 1946 British blockade against Jewish immigrants. The British internment camps in Cyprus and the detainment of Holocaust survivors were considered scandalous.

Publicly, some Belgian politicians appeased their allies, including Great Britain, who favored the Arabs while advocating for the international arms embargo. Privately, some Belgian of cials turned a blind eye toward the embargo in favor of arming the Jewish people.

A notorious international arms dealer negotiated with the Belgian government for the purchase of all available surplus wartime German small arms. The extent of the government’s involvement in the arms deal is still cloaked in secrecy, but export permits were granted. It was not the rst time the Belgian government had gone against the wishes of Great Britain. In the 1930s, Fabrique Nationale (FN) had sold arms to Abyssinia while Belgian military of cers were advising and forming modern military ghting units to counter the growing threat from fascist Italy.

The arms dealer most likely sold the surplus guns at enormous pro t. The desperate situation of the Jews in Palestine was well-known, and fundraising events were held worldwide. Financing the arms purchases was not the problem, purchasing arms and getting them to the region was far more dif cult.

The United States

President Harry S. Truman was an essential supporter of the UN resolution and had exed political muscle in order to garner international support. The support came, however, after Truman wrote Congress on April 15, 1947, to restore the Neutrality Act. Consequently, an international arms embargo went into effect on Dec. 5, 1947.

It was illegal for United States citizens to sell equipment to, or ght for, the state of Israel. The Israelis lacked pilots, so recruiting former U.S. airmen in secrecy was a high priority. Despite the restrictions and risks, several American veterans answered the call and made their way to Czechoslovakia in order to y combat missions for Israel. Clandestine groups in the U.S. were focusing on acquiring surplus World War II planes. A fake Panamanian airline company was established in order to mislead the U.S. government about the true purpose of these acquisitions. Some Curtiss C-46s and a few military Lockheed Constellations were purchased and own to Panama before making their way to Israel (via Brazil, Morocco, Italy and Czechoslovakia). American veterans ew and fought for Israel at great peril, the U.S. State Dept. had warned that these men would lose their citizenship if caught breaking the Neutrality Act. That was of little concern to those in combat—with some paying the ultimate price. Others remained in Israel after the war to help build the country, especially the Israeli Air Force and El Al airline.

Receiver markings on Israeli FN Mausers include: (l.-r.) A pre-war “FN” crest; a pre-war Ethiopian crest with added “7.62” marking; a pre-war Lithuanian crest with “7.62”; a 1950s IDF crest with “7.62”; and the same crest on a trainer chambered in .22 Long Ri e.

Israel’s Arms

The Israeli War of Independence was, ironically, fought with large quantities of arms manufactured by Nazi Germany. Small arms included thousands of K98 Mauser ri es, Luger pistols, P38 pistols, pre-war and wartime FN-Browning pistols, Radom VIS pistols, MG 34 machine guns, and surplus Czech arms, including CZ pistols and machine guns among others. Large quantities of British arms were also used, speci cally (captured) En eld ri es, Bren light machine guns, Sten submachine guns and Webley revolvers. The simplicity of the Sten made it a perfect candidate for domestic manufacture, copies were already being manufactured in Palestine before the War of Independence. Surplus U.S. arms, such as the Thompson submachine gun, M1 carbine and Garand, were also used extensively. All arms were vital, no matter how challenging the logistics. Despite origin and connotation, German wartime markings were rarely defaced by arsenals. American pilots were issued wartime German ight suits and asked to ght in German planes. Signs of Nazi Germany were present on much of the equipment.

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FN Mauser Ri es: Arming Belgium and the World

Devoted to the history, models, variations, contracts and accessories of Mauser ri es and carbines built by Fabrique Nationale and Belgian arsenals, FN Mauser Ri es: Arming Belgium and the World, by Anthony Vanderlinden, is the result of more than seven years of research. It was made possible by the cooperation of Fabrique Nationale, the Ars Mechanica Foundation, museums and private collectors.

This 8¾"x11½" hardbound book has 428 pp. and covers the classic line of FN military Mauser ri es and carbines, including contracts for the Model 1889, the Spanish Mauser (1893), Model 1922, Model 1924, Model 1930 and variants as well as Belgian arsenal models, training ri es and even bayonets. Sporting ri es, including the Deluxe and Supreme, are included with particular attention paid to those imported into the United States. The book has more than 1,250 images, including period photographs never previously published.

FN Mauser Ri es is available from Wet Dog Publications (Dept. AR), 5603-B W. Friendly Ave., Suite 166, Greensboro, NC 27410; (336) 394-4138; fnbrowning.com. The price is $68.95 plus shipping, and NRA members receive an autographed copy and $10 discount by mentioning this review or entering the code “NRA” online.