Yep, no question, a Nambu.

US pilots typically carried either M1911/1911A1 or S&W 38 Spl revolvers (rather than M1917s for revolver armed guys). We were still foisting 38 Spl revolvers (almost all of them S&W K-frames, M&P Models or left-over Victory Models from WWII production) onto flyers in the Vietnam years.

 

I assume that American fighter pilots were armed with 1911's or 1917 revolvers. Did any of them have Samurai swords?

Very few American pilots carried swords.

The S&W M&P revolver was widely issued to Marine and Navy aircrew in the Pacific. I don't know whether that was true in Europe. The M1917 revolver was carried mainly by military police.

JT

 

I never saw a pilot with a sword except at a wedding. And then it was more often than not - borrowed.

 

Would sort of hard to get it into the airplane, considering available space.

 

I'll have to call you on that Clyde. My Dad (retired Marine Pilot), gave me his sword the day I was commissioned. I carried it through my entire career, and in a couple of months it will stand over my fireplace in NM. It's cut a lot of cake (I was married twice. lol.).

 

Oh, Misguided Children don't count. They are infantrymen first and have the Mameluke sword just in case.

 

Just to show dive1tom that I'm not pulling his leg, here are a couple of photos.

MPs on New Guinea - M1917 - Colts from the look of the butt.

USS Essex.

JT

 

Japanese pilots also carried Type 94 Nambus and Spanish Stars (or was it Rubys?).

 

Swords are long and thin - not that hard to find a place to store one in the airplane (sort of like my stick - it goes next to the seat in the car). Now WEARING one in an airplane or using one in an airplane...

 

On the old forums, there was a threat in the Japanese collector's forum about a Japanese pilot having a Ruby-pattern Astra

 

With Garfield around, there is always "a threat in the Japanese collector's forum"!
Man, he's going to kill me when he reads this!

 

Only if you do not run away fast.

 

Japanese Pilots personal Sidearm

Most Japanese Pilots privately acquired a .32 cal Auto pistol (FN, etc) or carried a T14 Nambu; T94 were also available. Berwetta also supplied M934s towards end of the war.

As to Blades, I would suppose a small Tanto-type blade for (a) Cutting para shrouds and (b) last resort Seppukku, would be de rigeur, especially towards the end of the War.

Regards,
Doc AV
AV Ballistics.