1944 Spreewerke Rig

1944 Spree Werk POW Camp Rig

LAYAWAY

From first glance this is just a 1944 Spreewerk P38 with what looks like a home-made holster. But this P-38 comes with a documented story that makes it a very unusual piece of history. It came from Camp Sutton outside of Monroe NC at a German POW Camp. (1678)

NOTE: Photographs taken today with the high mega-pixel camera show more than we sometimes can see with the human eye. Magnified close-ups show us tool marks and natural surface conditions that one normally doesn't see in the ordinary handling of the weapon. Photographs are copyrighted, all rights reserved, any extraction, reproduction or display of gun pictures without the express consent of the Phoenix Investment Arms is strictly prohibited. Thank you for your cooperation.

Camp Sutton NC was Opened on March 7, 1942, three months after America's entry into World War II, Camp Sutton was among the largest military training facilities in North Carolina (and the nation) during the war. Each of the installations was also the site of a prisoner of war camp.

Camp Sutton was organized as a training site for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and opened as a temporary “tent” camp in the spring of 1942. The base covered 2,296 acres about three miles northeast of Monroe in Union County. The installation was named in honor of Frank H. Sutton, a Monroe native who was killed over Libya in 1941 while serving as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Camp Sutton was deactivated in January 1945, but the last of the German POWs were not shipped out until the spring of 1946 (nearly a year after the war ended). After the war, buildings on the property housed facilities used to treat polio patients. (A precursor to the nearby hospital.) Very few of the original buildings exist today.


Spreewerk was involved in weapons production from its formation until April 1945 at the Spandau complex; and from June 1942 to April 1945 at the Grottau, Czechoslovakia factory.The Waffenamt inspector at Spreewerk Grottau was assigned code WaA88. The Waffenamt stamp applied to Spreewerk produced P.38 pistols was an Eagle over 88 (e/88). Spreewerk produced P.38 pistols were marked with the "cyq" manufacturer's code


From an engineering perspective the P38 was a semi-automatic pistol design that introduced technical features that are found in other semi-automatic pistols like the Beretta 92 and its M9 sub-variant adopted by the United States military.


The P38 was the first locked-breech pistol to use a double-action/single-action (DA/SA) trigger (the earlier double-action PPK was an unlocked blowback design, but the more powerful 9x19mm Parabellum round used in the P38 mandated a locked breech design). The shooter could load a round into the chamber, use a de-cocking lever to safely lower the hammer without firing the round, and carry the weapon loaded with the hammer down. A pull of the trigger, with the hammer down, fired the first shot and the operation of the pistol ejected the fired cartridge case, loaded a fresh round into the chamber and cocked the hammer for single-action operation for each subsequent shot, all features found in many modern day handguns. Besides a DA/SA trigger design similar to that of the earlier Walther PPKs the P38 featured a visible and tactile loaded chamber indicator in the form of a metal rod that protrudes out of the top rear end of the slide when a round is present in the chamber.

The Waffenamt inspector at Spreewerk Grottau was assigned code WaA88. The Waffenamt stamp applied to Spreewerk produced P.38 pistols was an Eagle over 88 (e/88). Spreewerk produced P.38 pistols were marked with the "cyq" manufacturer's code

The holster made by a prisoner of war is in unique in that he used the leather from a discarded book and parts there of to fashion the holster. At one time it was probably supported by two rings and a strap over the shoulder so it could be work under the clothing. The brass loops were fashioned through the ring loops to fit the US web belt that required this type of arrangement.

The holster has a symbol that has lost us in time. We assumed the POW was from a sea-going port but examination of German records failed to turn up a similar state or heraldic symbol that was a ""tinnie" and stitched onto the holster.

CAMP SUTTON

"The foreign prisoners of war, however, made the biggest impression on the local citizens. Hundreds of German POWs from the Africa Corps, and later Normandy, were interned at Camp Sutton. The inmates worked hard, and maintained discipline within their ranks in keeping with their former military hierarchy. The final stage is usually considered the P. O. W. Camp for the German enlisted prisoners which began in March 1944. Used as contracted labor in the local area, many here had their first direct contact with their former enemy. Life long friendships occurred from this contact."

German POW's in Captivity

Camp Sutton was deactivated in January 1945, but the last of the German POWs were not shipped out until the spring of 1946 (nearly a year after the war ended).


The is an extraordinary find P-38 by Spreewerk as most of the 1944-45 model made at the end of war showed much more machining marks and the bluing was thinner or even a phosphate finish has been found on these end of war guns.

The P-38 was manufactured by Carl Walther and accepted in 1938 with over a million produced during the war by Walther, Mauser and Spreewerk. The gun weighed 800g (1 lb. 12 oz) with overall length of 216mm and a barrel length of 125mm. It fired the 9x19 Parabellum with a muzzle velocity of 365m/sec. (1200 ft./sec.) with an 8 rnd magazine with the iron sights set for 55 meters.

The thumb safety with the white "S" for safe and the red "F" (Feuer) Fire also served as a de-cocking lever. When a round was in the chamber there was an extruded piece of metal seen on the above right picture over the hammer to tell the shooter the gun was loaded. Even with the gun cocked to fire depressing the safety moved a metal block in front of the hammer and de-cocked the gun so it would not fire. This was a very advanced yet mechanically simply system.

LAYAWAYS: Sometimes our "significant other" doesn't understand the beauty, craftsmanship and investment potential of one of these investor grade weapons. In these circumstances where discretion becomes the better part of valor we will accept layaways of up to one year with at least 20% down and some activity occurring monthly to insure that after one year the sale is completed. Cancellations of layaways forfeit 33% if done within two months, otherwise 100%. You can transfer a layaway to a consignment sale at any time. See "Legal" for exact terms.

See Credits, Bibliography, Notices and Disclaimers.

3 Day Return Policy

We honor a three day return policy. We will answer any questions, send you any pictures, as detailed as you want, to insure that what we are showing you is what you want to see, before you buy it. See Legal.

FIRING ANY WEAPON NEGATES ANY CHANCE OF RETURN!

WARNING: We do not represent these guns as safe to fire. They are not test fired before sale; they are sold as collectibles only. Prior to firing you should have it inspected by a qualified individual and abide by all safety requirements.

Genuine Lugers Sales - Luger History - Luger Accessories - Luger Holsters - Parabellum