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WW2 Greek Ski Battalion and the Steyr-Solothurn S1-100 SMG
The Rheinmetall (Steyr_Solothurn ) SMG, was the most elaborate of the German machine pistols. Restrictions on the armaments manufacture within the 1919 Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany from manufacturing certain types of weapons, such as light automatic firearms (designated as SMGs with barrels in excess of four inches (102 mm) and magazines holding more than eight rounds). To circumvent the Treaty, Rheinmetall acquired the Swiss company Waffenfabrik Solothurn in 1929 and began secret production of the Louis Stange prototype. What was to become the MP34 was originally designated as ‘S1-100’ using the company’s standard naming convention. Due to the Solothurn Company being unsuited for mass production, Rheinmetall took a controlling interest in Waffenfabrik Steyr, an established arms manufacturer in Austria. Weapons manufactured by Steyr were sold via the Zurich-based trade company Steyr-Solothurn Waffen AG to both the commercial and military markets. The MP34 was manufactured from the very best materials available and finished to the highest possible standard. It was so well manufactured that it has often been nicknamed the "Rolls Royce of submachine guns".
Steyr was the first submachine gun that was accepted in Greece. In 1937, the then Deputy Minister K. Maniadakis of the State Security of the I. Metaxas dictatorship ordered from the Austrian company Steyr undetermined number of such weapons to equip special branches of the Gendarmerie and the Police (notably the mechanized Gendarmerie in 9 x 23 Steyr calibre). The smg bears on the butt the seal of the Greek national emblem and the inscription "Deputy Ministry of Public Security", while on the left side of the base of the slide, next to the magazine well was strangely engraved with the letters EΣ=Ελληνικός Στρατός=Greek Army instead of EX=Ελληνική Χωροφυλακή=Greek Gendarmerie.
Following the beginning of the 1940-1941 War, the Deputy Ministry of Public Security ordered the establishment of Military Police Detachments granted each of them with one tricycle and two Steyr submachine guns with 3,000 rounds.
Also with Steyr smg’s were equipped 20 motorcycle drivers of the Police that there sent to the front to perform Military Police tasks.
Finally, a number of such smg’s granted to the Greek Ski Battalion, which moved to Peristeri Mountain in January 1941 and later took part to the guarding of the Μνήμα της Γριάς-Mní̱ma ti̱s Griás-Old Woman Grave Pass at an altitude of 2,120 m., which was the most advanced outpost of the Greek Italian War.
In the picture, except the weapon, can be seen the special skiers cap and the white tunic cover, both KD made.


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