Rare 1938 archival photograph showing pre-war SS-Verfügungstruppe troops armed with Erma EMP 35 (Vollmer) submachine guns and early-pattern leather magazine pouches.
Pre-War SS Troops Armed with Erma EMP 35 Submachine Guns (1938)
This rare pre-war photograph, taken in Germany in 1938, captures a squad of early SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) troops in full field kit, wearing M36 grey greatcoats and steel helmets (Stahlhelm). The image is particularly significant for arms collectors and military historians due to the primary infantry armament on display: the uncommon Erma EMP 35 (Erma Maschinenpistole) submachine gun.
During the late 1930s, prior to the standardization of Wehrmacht small arms procurement, paramilitary and early armed SS formations faced severe weaponry shortages due to military supply priority given to the regular army (Heereswaffenamt). As a result, SS units separately procured commercially available small arms and police-contract weaponry.
Technical Specifications: The Erma EMP 35 (Vollmer)
Designed by Heinrich Vollmer in the late 1920s and produced by Erfurter Maschinenfabrik (Erma), the EMP 35 featured distinct mechanical characteristics:
- Wooden Front Foregrip: Unlike the later MP 38 and MP 40, the EMP 35 featured a prominent vertical wooden pistol-style foregrip integrated into the lower stock assembly, providing improved recoil control during full-automatic fire.
- Side-Feeding Magazine Well: The 32-round box magazine inserted horizontally from the left side of the receiver, housed in a heavy cast magazine well equipped with a quick-release catch.
- Telescopic Return Spring Enclosure: Heinrich Vollmer's patented telescopic main spring housing enclosed the recoil spring inside steel tubes, a revolutionary design later adopted directly into the iconic MP 38 and MP 40 submachine guns.
- Early Leather Magazine Pouches: Four of the soldiers are equipped with large, black leather magazine satchels mounted on their waist belts. These rare pre-war pouches featured a broad front closure flap designed specifically to accommodate multiple extended 9x19mm Parabellum EMP magazines.
Pre-War SS Equipment and Procurement Politics
The reliance on commercial submachine guns highlights the complex political and logistical environment of pre-WWII Germany:
- Commercial Procurement: Blocked from receiving regular army weapons allotments, SS-VT leadership negotiated direct purchases with private manufacturers like Erma Werke and Bergmann, resulting in a diverse mix of MP 18, MP 28, and EMP 35 submachine guns in service.
- Transition to War Production: Following the invasion of Poland in 1939 and the establishment of the Waffen-SS, non-standard submachine guns were gradually relegated to rear-echelon guards, police battalions, and foreign volunteer units as MP 40 production expanded nationwide.
📍 Location: Germany
📅 Date: 1938
📷 Photographer: Unknown (Private SS Unit Album)
📰 Primary Source: Historical Firearms Archives / Pre-War Military Small Arms Documentation
Recommended reading:
- Design and development history of the Erma EMP 35 (Vollmer) submachine gun
- Evolution of German submachine guns: From MP 18 and EMP to MP 38 / MP 40
- Equipment and small arms procurement of the SS-Verfügungstruppe (1934–1939)
- Identification guide to pre-war German leather magazine pouches and web gear