the welrod suppressor

8/13/2019 The Welrod Suppressor

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THE WELROD SUPPRESSOR

At an earlier stage, SOE had already experimented with reducing the blast from an ordinarypistol but even when successful in reducing the muzzle blast, the significant noise of theweapons working parts remained. In addition, a conventional weapon fitted with a suppressor

became disproportionately big and consequently difficult to conceal on ones person. Thedecision was therefore made to develop an uncomplicated single-shot pistolbased on a rotating breech to be worked manually.

The Welrod differentiates from others in that it is constructed around anintegrated suppressor. The entire mechanism is built into an 11.8 in. metal tubewith a diameter of 1.26 in. The roughly 3.74 in. barrel ends in a bearing

approximately halfway down the tube. Along the five-tracked rifling, 20 holeshas been drilled with a .063 in. diameter, permitting the gases to escape intothe containing cylinder housing functioning as an expansion chamber. Thebearing, best described as a sort of baffle, is provided with 12 holes equally.063 in. in diameter, enabling the gases to further circulate from the expansionchamber and into the deflector system consisting of a series of baffles andwashers.

Here a sectioned Mk.IIA, the holes perforating the barrel along the rifling can be clearly seen.Also notice the linnen/leather washeres are almost worn out.

The primary purpose of ventilating the barrel is usually to prevent the projectilefrom attaining supersonic speed thus breaking the sound barrier, andfurthermore to take the edge off the vehemently expanding gases by detouringthem into the deflector system where they are being cooled and slowed downbefore escaping through the muzzle. The 7.65mm Browning cartridge (.32 ACP)is factory born subsonic, why the ventilation of the barrel in this case merely


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serves to slow down the speed of the expanding gases.

Here the receiver and barrel com pletely str ipped and w ith the sup pressor tub e

remo ved, the ho les perforat ing th e barrel along th e ri f l ing can be clearly seen.

Also note the holes in the bear ing f i t ted o nto th e muzzle.

When fired, the projectile passes through 18 metal discs (baffles, see crosssection and diagram below) separated by 12, 0.2 inch wide spacers and threerubber washers. The baffles are of course provided with a hole to allow theprojectile to pass unobstructed, but it must be noted that four of the discs hasa hole-diameter of 0.5 inch while the other 14 are but 0.37 inch across. It isextremely important when replacing the baffles that the three baffles with thewider diameter holes are placed on the outside of the washers in order to allowthe washer material to expand as they are penetrated by the projectile.


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Notice that the three (green) baff les w ith the w ider diameter ho les are placed on

the outs ide of the washers in order to al low the w asher mater ia l to expand as

they are penetrated b y the pr oject i le.

The three washers have no holes until penetrated by the very first shot. Thepurpose of these washers are to re-seal themselves, if not entirely then asmuch as possible after the exit of the projectile, thus restraining the gases andforcing them into the deflector system. The washers are however quickly worn

resulting in a significant decrease in noise reduction. This has no greatertactical influence though as the Welrod was solely meant as a liquidationweapon and new washers could be reinserted after the mission was completed.

It was however rather difficult and laborious to reassemble all the baffles,spacers and washers in the correct succession, not just because of theimportance of maintaining maximum sound reduction, but also becausedamage to the internal parts and great bodily harm to the operator easily couldoccur if the baffles were stacked in reverse order. Due to lack of free space forthe washer to expand, this could result in the projectile exiting through the side

of the silencer tube, or it could simply get plugged up in the damaged internalparts.

Whether this was the reason for the next development I cannot say, but it is afact that a disposable silencer unit ready to insert if needed was developed. Itconsists of an enclosed brass tube 1.151" in diameter and 3.536" in length. Itcontains all the baffles, spacers and washers, the only difference being that thediscs are made from brass and the washers from solid rubber.


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The enclosed silencer unit with a loose steel baffle. Notice the rubber washer has beenencapsulated with a roll crimp and is protruding from the brass tube. The reason for this is tomake sure that the unit will fit tight in the tube and not rattle back and forth. (Photo courtesy ofINTAREX - The Netherlands)

The enclosed silencer unit shown with the steel baffle on top of the encapsulated rubber washer.To the right is the unit without the steel baffle in place. (Photo courtesy of INTAREX - TheNetherlands)

With this unit in hand, all the operator has to do is to unscrew the silencer tube end-cap, extractthe used unit and drop in the new one, top off with a steel disk from the old system, and thenscrew the end-cap back on. Its now ready for a new mission and many more suppressed shots.

An identical disposable silencer unit measuring 1.151" in diameter but only 2.476" in length wasdeveloped for the Sleeve gun.
http://www.intarex.de/http://www.intarex.de/http://www.intarex.de/http://www.intarex.de/http://www.intarex.de/http://www.intarex.de/http://www.intarex.de/http://www.intarex.de/


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The speed of sound at a temperature of 15 centigrade travels 1.115 fps. or 340m/s if you like. For every single centigrade rise in temperature, the speed ofsound increase accordingly by 1.6 fps. (0.5 m/s.) It is therefore important tomaintain a certain tolerance between the muzzle speed and the speed of soundif the optimal sound reduction is to be obtained. According to the manual, theWelrod delivers a 72 GrainKynoch projectile at a muzzle speed of 920 fps.

DECIBELReportedly the suppressor functions optimally within the first 1015 roundsfired. For those who prefer dry numbers I can inform that the American OSS (Office of StrategicService), according to a document dated February 12, 1945, performed a measurement onnoise from suppressed weapons to help evaluate their own just finished prototype, Hi-Standard

Automatic Pistol calibre .380 ACP. All measurements are performed at a perpendicular angle 10ft. from the muzzle.
http://www.timelapse.dk/kynoch.phphttp://www.timelapse.dk/kynoch.php


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From the document it can be seen that the average noise level of the Welrodpistol was at 73 dB, Hi Standard .380 ACP at 81 dB and Hi-Standard .22LR at 71dB. In comparison, a non-suppressed calibre .32 ACP pistol, has a noise levelof 105 dB. This equals, in the case of the Welrod, a noise reduction ofapproximately 32 dB. You need to keep in mind that the decibel-scale islogarithmic as opposed to linear. From 1 dB to 3 dB you double the value, 6 dB

you quadruple, 10 dB is tenfold the value and 20 dB a hundredfold. I ampersonally of the opinion that the decibel factor is too intangible a notion todeal with, why I much prefer an audio/visual explanation and comparison.Hence the sound of a suppressed shot is best described as the sound of a.22LR percussion cap followed by the sound of a match being struck, thematch-sound being the gases slowly seeping from the suppressor.

Should the operator choose to reload the weapon immediately upon discharge,the hissing sound of the gases will then be replaced by a dull plop as thegases are now released at once under pressure through the chamber.

Above is a visualised picture of the sound profile generated during the loading procedure and

the firing of the Welrod Mk IIA. The first short peak (1.) is the breech being twisted into the openposition. The second (2.) is the withdrawal of the breech. (3.) is the breech being slid forwardand twisted back into the locked position. (4.) Is the shot and (5.) is the sound of the gasesslowly and under pressure seeping from the suppressor. Observe that the shot itself hardly islouder than the loading procedure.

Judge for yourself the sound of the Welrod Mk IIA:
http://www.timelapse.dk/img/Shot.wavhttp://www.timelapse.dk/img/Shot.wav


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After firing 15 rounds or so, the efficiency of the suppressor is considerablyreduced as the holes in the washers are being worn to the size of the calibreitself. In many cases, an extraction tool together with a small canvas bagcontaining 3 spare washers, was issued permitting the operator to changethese as the need arose.

The extraction tool was a cylindrical metal rod approximately .16 in. across and 5,5 in. long.One end formed the shape of a an L and the other was bend in a loop. Having removed themuzzle endcap, the L-shaped end was inserted through the washers and baffles and thesecould then be removed by extracting the tool with a finger through the loop. The tool is stampedwith the typical British arrow mark which is odd since they tried to cover their track in every otherway, as when it comes to the stamps on the pistols. No stamps indicating a British production

are to be found there. The washers came in different variants such as a .03 in. linenpatch glued onto a .23 in. rubber patch. I have also come across othercombinations.

If you have any additional information please feel free to send me an e-mail.

MISINFORMATIONWelrod Mk II was from the beginning constructed around caliber 32. ACP. It was only later whensome field operators due to bad experiences, questioned the efficiency of the caliber .32 ACP, thatit was decided to further develop the Mk II. The result was the Welrod Mk I, 9mm Parabellum.

I feel the need to mention the fact that in literature, the Welrod .32 ACP is consistently referred toas Mk I just as the Welrod 9mm Parabellum is referred to as Mk II. In the case where the referral isto British Welrods, this is an error. I imagine that the mix up occurred when the American .32

ACPs were designated Mk I, just to further confuse the issue.

Some claim that the American slang-expression "rod" referring to "gun", is the real reason behindthe lettering ROD, but this seems very unlikely. I have also on a few accounts, among others inU.S. documents from OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC RESERCH & DEVELOPMENTcome across thespelling Well Rod, but the fact that Welwynis situated about 120 miles from the town of Wellspretty much exclude the possibility that Wells could be the cause for the prefix.

To further add to the confusion you will find that the American weapons-literature in several placesrefer to the Welrod as "Hand Firing Device Mk I ". In order to uncover the reason behind this, Iaimed a letter to The Naval Historical Centrewho in turn replied with the following explanation:


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[quote] I t would app ear that the Naval Gun Factory, Washington Navy Yard, did some ofresearch and exper imentation. From J uly thro ugh September 1943, they worked with th e US

Arm y and Mar ine Corps to invest igate the propert ies o f the Welrod and m ake f inal

recomm endat ions for i ts u se. The Navy did accept the pisto l for use. Eventually , i t was

assigned the off ic ial nom enclature "Hand Fir ing Device Mark 1". This prov ided a

clandest ine nomenclature, and denoted i ts us e for special appl icat ions. [/quote]

There is apparently also some confusion concerning the official American designation, whichalmost always is .32 Hand Firing DeviceMk I. But on the Welrod that is kept in the Ministry ofDefence/Pattern Room, the marking on the silencer tube says: .32 Hand Firing MECHANISMMk I.

Several places in litterature it can be found that the Welrod was developed by a British officercodenamed "Major Dolphin", and that his real name was never revealed to the public. It is a factthat the Commander of the Frythe was Major John Robert Vernon Dolphin (later Lt. Col.), but thathe should have chosen a codename identical with his real name seems rather unlikely. Othersources claims that that the Welrod is named after the inventor whos name is Welwyn! None ofthese allegations are true.

The book "SOE The Scientific Secrets", by Fredric Boyce and Douglas Everett, features a reprintof Newly released document from the Public Record Office (PRO) in England. The document thatwas produced towards the end of the war was to ensure that the right persons would be properlycredited for their inventions. The document reveal that the inventor of both the Welrod and theSleevegun was Major H.Q.A. Reeves.

Major Hugh Quentin Alleyne Reeves was born in Seaford, Sussex late in 1909. Major Reeves wasone of the most productive and creative engineers attached to Station IX. He was among otherbehind the STENgun silencer, fluorescent night sights, the Sleeping Beauty and the Welbum but tomention a few. After the war he became involved in a project concerning noise reduction in jetengines. Unfortunatly he was killed in an accident on October 25, 1955 at Bitteswell Airfield. Mr

Reeves was investigating the problem of reducing noise from jet engines running on the ground.He was carrying out tests on a Hunter Mark V fitted with a Sapphire engine. While making anexamination he was suddenly drawn into the intake of the silencer and received fatal injuries.

I will briefly mention that persistent rumors circulate stating that the Welrod was also manufacturedin calibers .380 ACP and .45 ACP. This cannot be confirmed, as I have been unable to find firmand trustworthy information on the subject.

Twice during my research I have come across information, stating that the Welrod was part of theequipment carried by Flt. Lt. Gary Powers on board his American U2 spy plane when he was shotdown over the USSR. This is not correct. Flt. Lt. Gary Powers was armed with a silenced Hi-

Standard model USA-HD caliber .22LR, serial number 120046. The serial number is not listed inHigh Standards annals, as the gun was delivered to the CIA, but that is another story entirely.

STATUSWelrod Mk I and Mk IIA stayed in service for many years after the end of the war. Several, nowretired, SAS (Special Air Service) operators report that the Welrod was in use during the Falklands,in Northern Ireland, and even as late as in the 1991 Gulf war. It is equally well documented that the


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American SOG (Studies and Observations Group) were using the Welrod in Vietnam, just as theCIA (Central Intelligence Agency) have had the Mk I in their armouries for use in ClandestineOperations. As late as 1965, the Welrod was still listed in their inventory.


MODEL IPreceding any successful invention there are always one or several prototypes, as is the case withthe Welrod pistol. The following is a brief description of the Welrod's predecessor, the Model-1.

(Photo - Anders Thygesen courtesy of the Royal Armouries)



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One of the more notable differences is found in the bolt action, a conventionalreloading mechanism similar to that of the Mauser K98. The bolt itself has beentilted in a further downward angle, placing it snugly to the side of the pistol inorder to prevent it from snagging on the operators clothing. The difference in thetrigger also distinctly stands out as it is positioned on the left side of the pistoland therefore must be activated with a forward movement of the thumb.


Unfortunately this results in the loss of an otherwise relatively good grip on thepistol at the moment of trigger activation. The last major difference has to do withthe pistol grip. It is made from sheet metal and doubly functions as a cover for thepistols magazine. Though noticeably shorter than on the later Mk II andfurthermore here, an integrated part of the pistol thus not detachable. This meansthat the pistol had to be loaded from the top and with the breech open, as withe.g. the Mauser C96. The double stack magazine holds 5 rounds of calibre .32

ACP.


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The double stack magazine holds 5 rounds of calibre .32 ACP. (Photo - Courtesy of the Royal

Armouries)


On the aesthetical side, the main difference is probably that the suppressor is not carried throughthe length of the pistol, which makes for a somewhat clumsy and disharmonic design. Generallythe design was met with satisfaction, but the fact that the pistol had to be loaded from the top, theclumsy bolt-action system, the reduced grip upon trigger activation and the disproportionate size ofthe pistol grip all combined to lead to redesign of the construction around March 1943, ending withthe model we know today as the Welrod Mk II.


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Close-up of trigger mechanism. (Photo - Courtesy of the Royal Armouries)

In November 1942 on behalf of the Chief of Combined Operations (CCO) and Capt. Sykes anumber of examples were made and tested the following month. After the trials it was decided tomanufacture 500 for stock at Station XII. If this order was actually executed before the Mk.II wentinto production, I have been unable to determine.



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VARIANTSMk II was dropped into Denmark in several variants. The primary differencebetween the two basic models, the Mk II and Mk IIA, is the shape ofthe trigger and the trigger-guide. The Mk.II does not have the trigger-plate side plates (rails) to guide the trigger-plate but instead the

trigger-plate is mounted with four screws through four milled slots inthe trigger-plate to the bottom of the receiver. These slots serves thepurpose of guiding the trigger-plate. Furthermore the Mk II bearresemblance of having been made "by hand" whereas on the pistolsbeginning around the #3000 series (Mk IIA) can be clearly seen thesigns of an industrialisation in the production technique. On the Mk IIthe ejector port scallop was ground along the length of the weapon(oval shape) whereas on the post #3300 series the ejector port hasbeen ground perpendicularly to the length of weapon (angularshape). The suppressor tube that is screwed onto the receiver is on

the early model (Mk II) fixated with a pin on the side of the receiver,whereas on the later model (Mk IIA) it is fixated with a mandrel stampon the top of the tube in front of the ejector port. Furthermore lesservariations can occur on both basic models as the changes were madecurrently.Typically these are things like the shape of the sights, or the way thesuppressor was "packed", the number of spacers and bafflers etc. It should be notedthat other variants than the above-mentioned can occur as these descriptions onlyadhere to the Welrods I have had the opportunity to study. The alterations weresolely made for reasons of production and had no influence on the functionality oruse of the pistol.

According to a document from The Public Record Office, the Welrod was, in both9mm and .32ACP, tested along with 76 other devices during the period October 1.1943 - October 10. 1944. Both versions received a "B" grading meaning "substantialmodifications needed". It is tempting to assume that these modifications resulted inthe change of designation from Mk.II to Mk.IIA, especially since the drawing of theMk.IIA recently discovered, is dated September 6. 1943 and marked with thetrademark: B.S.A. GUNS LTD, England. In other words the Mk.IIA was still underdevelopment during the trial. Sadly the character of the modifications was neverspecified in detail why the question remains unanswered. According to the drawingthe last revision was made August 8. 1944.

Welrod Mk I (9mm Parabellum) was equally produced in at least two variants "TypeA" and "Type B". I have not been able however, to define with certainty thedifference between the two.

DESCRIPTION OF Mk. II AND Mk. IIAOn the exterior the pistol consists only of the tube which, includingthe breech, measures 12.2 inches. On to the tube is fitted anapproximately 1 inch magazine housing. The housing fits a modified


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magazine from a Colt Pocket Model 1903 .32 ACP pistol. Themodification consists of a little locking mechanism soldered onto theback of the magazine. When inserted into the magazine housing, themechanism locks into a little square hole on the back of the housing.The magazine, sheathed in rubber (Ebonite), doubly functions as thepistols grip. Unfortunately this system turned out to be inexpedient,as the operator in extreme cases risked accidentally activating the

locking mechanism thus ejecting the magazine. The safety of thepistol is a so-called grip safety. When a firm grip is maintainedaround the pistol grip the grip safety will be activated and lift thesafety bar that blocks the trigger plate and the weapon can be fired.The safety works by mechanically blocking the action of the triggerbut not that of the firing pin. The trigger, best described as a bentnail, is contrary to the Mk I not protected by a trigger-guard, meaningthat it cannot simply be tucked into the belt without riskinginvoluntarily to release a shot. The sights are basic front and rearwith ability to horizontally adjust the rear sight. The pistol weights 2.4

lb.

Even though the magazine holds 8 rounds the manual recommendsthe loading of 5 rounds maximum in order to ensure a reliable feed ofthe chamber upon reloading. The Mk II's are bi-coloured in that thereceiver is brownish. The Mk.IIA pistols appears well made, sturdy ofconstruction and without lavish detail. It is parkerized and the finishappears steely grey. The rubber magazine is black. With the magazineoff, the pistol can pass for almost anything. It was quickly dubbed"The bicycle pump" due to its anonymous appearance.

Several of the Mk IIA's and Mk I's inspected bear semblance of having been paintedblack. Several areas still have paint residue around the trigger, trigger-guide andmagazine housing. If they actually at some point in time were black or the reason isanother, I have not yet been able to determine.


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Here can be seen an original washer set consisting of three linnen/rubber washersin a canvas bag. Note the special extractor tool under the bag. The pistols is a Mk.IIon the left and a Mk.IIA to the right.

FUNCTION

The pistol is a single-shot weapon but since it is operated andbasically functions as a bolt-action rifle it is possible to repeatrelatively fast. This is accomplished by twisting the knurly end of the

breech 90 degrees counter clockwise and pull it back approximately1.5 inch till it reaches the stopping-screw. Hereby the empty cartridgeis extracted and ejected vertically as with the Luger P. 08. The breechis then pushed forward, peeling a round of the magazine and feedingit into the chamber, and at the same time cocking the firing pin.

The pin is of the "floating" kind, as we know it, among others, fromthe Luger P.08 and basically functions in the same manner. To lockthe breech, this is now twisted 90 degrees clockwise and the pistol isready to fire. The breech has its two locking lugs placed to the rear,


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Here can be clearly seen the dif ferences in th e tr igger-guide and th e

tr igg er shape along with its spr ing m echanism . Mk II (abo ve). It is

also clear ly vis ib le how the gr ip safety bar blocks the tr igger plat form

to p revent u nintended act ivat ion (c l ick for larger pho to) .

Keeping in mind the purpose for which it was built, it is obvious why the Welrod hadno place on the open battlefields. This statement is supported in the English manualfrom December 1943 where the reason for the shape of the nose cap is given asfollows:

The nose cap of the weapon is hol low ed to enable an op erator to place i t

t ight ly against the bo dy o f a person and f i re. The noise is th en st i l l fur ther

reduced. This wi l l al low the shoot ing o f a man in a crowd with the min imum

chance of detect ion. For this purpo ses, there is no qu est ion of any s pecial

training.
http://www.timelapse.dk/img/DbBroendCloseup.jpg


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Here can be seen the particular shape of the nose cap that is being referred to in themanual.


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Mk II (above) was fitted with a disproportionately long foresight compared to the laterMk IIA (below).

Here can be seen the stopping-screw that ensures that the breech is not extracted


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from the receiver during the loading procedure. Note the rails guiding the trigger.

Only on the first few models the two end-digits "37" of the serial number wasstamped into the trigger platform.

Welrod Mk IIA d ismantled. Note the barrel bearing with the 12 vents as wellas the insides of the silencer here shown exactly as it was packed. The magazinewell has been forced into a milling in the receiver and then silver soldered for

permanent fixation. The barrel has been fixed to the receiver with a pin.

In the same manual the effective range in daylight is given to be 25 yards, and indarkness - hence the fluorescent coating on the sights - 7 to 10 yards. The manualdoes however recommend that the operational distance be kept to within 8 yards. A


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prerequisite for shooting at 25 yards is explained as follows:

For these del iberate sho t, extreme accu racy is requ ired. It can only be

obtained by correct tr igger squ eeze, that is by gradual squeeze of the w hole

hand. With training and pract ice i t wi l l be foun d qu i te possible to get very

accurate grou ps at the distances ment ioned. The gun sho uld be held with the

thum b and foref inger as close up to the mu zzle as pos sible, the pistol gr ip

being held by the r ight hand n o harder than is necessary to com press the

safety catch. For standing shots , the lef t elbow shou ld be held as close in tothe body as po ssible.


Mk.I.

Welrod MkI. Caliber 9mm parabellum (Photo - Anders Thygesen courtesy of the Royal Armouries).Click for closeup photo of trigger group.
http://www.timelapse.dk/img/MkICloseup.jpghttp://www.timelapse.dk/img/MkICloseup.jpg


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Alas Ive been less successful in obtaining adequate information about the Mk I version. Still, I haveenough for a reasonable description. I have the manuals for both the Type A and Type B, but tothe best of my efforts there are no visible differences between the two. The difference is most likelyin the internal suppressor tube construction. Differences in the end cap has been noticed howeveras some caps has a slot cut in the face allowing a tool to be insert to assist loosen or tightening thecap.

9mm Welrod Mk.I. suppressor end caps. Notice the one to the left with the slot cut in the face. Thisparticular silencer has never been fired and there is still traces of glue and paper from the factoryseal. (Photo courtesy of INTAREX - The Netherlands)
http://www.intarex.de/http://www.intarex.de/


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In the manuals under FUNCTION, GENERAL DESCRIPTIONand under NOTES ON USEtextsare identical and read as follows:

FUNCTION:The 9mm. Welrod is a si lent sing le shot pisto l , intended for u se by s pecia lly

t ra ined o perators for speci f ic tasks.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:The weapon is a specia l ly co nstructed sin gle shot p isto l wi th a detachable

si lencer. It is s i lent, rel iable in action and easy t o c on ceal. It is acc urate up to 30

yards in d ayl ight or 20 yards o n a fair ly l ight night , but is m ost ef fect ive when

f i red in con tact with the target .

NOTES ON USE:The gun has three dist inct and s eparate uses:a)For aimed and deliberate shots in daylight or darkness. The effective range of the gun with

normal handling is 15/30 yards. For deliberate shots, extreme accuracy is required and can only beobtained by correct trigger squeeze, i.e. a gradual squeeze by the whole hand. With training and

practice it is possible to obtain very accurate groups at the distances mentioned. The gun shouldbe held with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand as close up to the muzzle as possible, the

pistol grip being held by the right hand. For standing shots, the left elbow should be as close to thebody as possible and the rear of the gun approximately 6/7from the operators eye.

b)Without its silencer and used as a single-shot weapon.

c )By use of the weapon at the closest quarters, i.e. with the muzzle against the target. For thispurpose no special training is required.

The construction itself is practically identical to that of the Mk IIA with theexception of a few details. The grip safety is slightly different in appearance butfunctions in the exact same manner. Placed underneath the tube right behind thegrip safety, a secondary manually operated safety catch has been added. Thetrigger and trigger-function remains the same, but is now protected by a triggerguard. The magazine release has, due to the previously mentioned problems onthe Mk II and Mk IIA, been moved in front of the grip and inside the trigger guard.

The magazine is most likely from a .38 Colt Automatic, and the manual directsthat although the total capacity allows for 6 bullets, that only 5 be loaded. The truedifference lies with the suppressor tube that is two-piece. The rear piece, as withMk II and Mk IIA, contains the breech, barrel and expansion chamber, whereas thefront piece contains the baffles and washers section. The front piece, detachableust in front of the front sight, has a length of 125 mm bringing the pistol to a total

length of 360 mm. The tube diameter is 35 mm, and the weight of the pistol is 1500grams which equals 53 ounce.


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9mm Welrod Mk.I. with the suppressor unscrewed. Notice the vax paper seal showing us that thisis a new silencer ready for use. (Photo - Anders Thygesen courtesy of the Royal Armouries).

The advantage to a detachable suppressor part is obvious as this makes the weapon considerablyeasier to conceal. The pistol will function despite the front piece being removed; however the noisereduction will be non exsisting.

The few examples I have had the opportunity to examine have all been marked with a 5 digitserial number as well as the familiar star and square stamp under the receiver.

A brief description of the silencer assembly is as follows:The barrel is perforated with 12 .068 inch diameter holes, allowing the powdergases to escape into the expansion chamber surrounding the barrel. In this casethe holes serve the purpose of preventing the bullets from going supersonic as isthe standard of 9 mm Parabellum ammunition. The suppressor piecedifferentiates markedly from Mk II and Mk IIA. It consists of 2 washers made from

Linatex and reinforced with a layer of canvas on one side. The discs must beplaced with the canvas facing the breech end. Later versions had the washerswithout canvas attached and they look and feel like modern rubber chemicalplugs. A metal baffle is placed on the canvas side and a compressed felt disc witha 13/32 inch hole and a metal baffle are placed on the upper side of the washerfacing the muzzle end. In between is a metal spacer best described as a spoolfrom a sewing machine perforated on the axis by 24 holes .104 inch in diameter.The spacer creates yet another expansion chamber for the gases to cool of inbefore passing through the last washer.


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9mm Welrod Mk.I. suppressor field stripped. (Photo courtesy of INTAREX - The Netherlands)

The muzzle velocity is approx. 1000 fps. Apart from the manually operated safetyand the magazine release, the Mk I is operated and functions as the Mk II and MkIIA. The iron sights are coated with a fluorescent material that, according themanual, renders the weapon efficient at 20 yards on a bright summer eve. Theeffective range in daylight is reported to be 30 yards. The recommended maximalshooting range is 24 yards.
http://www.intarex.de/http://www.intarex.de/


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Diagram of Welrod Mk.l. (Drawing Joe M. Ramos - Canada)



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PRODUCTIONHaving completed the final design, the Birmingham Small Arms Company (B.S.A.), Small Heat,Birmingham - in all probability and under great secrecy - was commissioned to mass produce theWelrod pistol. The only distinguishing markings on the pistols were that of a little five-pointed starand square along with a serial number. All markings were stamped underneath on the tube rightbehind the pistol grip.

The serial numbers, numeric only, are either 4 or 5 digits and, in addition to the above mentionedposition are also stamped into the breech and etched into the magazine with an electrical pen. Notall magazines bear serial numbers however. The very first bore no markings at all. The moldedebonite grip was slightly differently shaped than on most of those we find today. Also the magazinewas of a different model which can best be distinguished on the magazine jaws. This was an earlier

Colt magazine that was used until 1926 and apparently happened to be available yet. Theproduction Welrods were made with current production Colt magazines.

When the magazines began to bear markings it was only the two last digits of the serial number.Probably not until around #3000 was the full serial number marked on the magazine and it is alsoaround this time the grip got its final design by making the neck sturdier. The cut-outs for themagazine locking mechanism can vary somewhat in shape and size. On some of the first grips across-filed pattern can in rare cases be seen on the locking mechanism.


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The one to the left is one of the first models with a slim neck this particular one has no nu mberstamped. The one to the right is the "standard grip with the "fat" neck. Also notice that the lockingmechanism on the early one is cross-filed.


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On the Mk IIA series the entire serial number has been etched into magazine whereas this Mk IImodel (above) only has the two last digits "37" on the back.

Less noticeable are the markings one may find on the butt of the receiver. On some of the WelrodsI have had the opportunity to inspect these markings have varied between and on occasion

appeared in combinations of-:"F","T","L","Z","D",In addition I have seen L inside a figure ofdouble diamonds and P inside a circle. Apparently there is no pattern or system to thesemarkings. Far from all of the pistols carry these markings.

The square and the five-pointed star appear without exception on all of the inspected weapons. Yetit has not been possible to establish their true significance. A qualified guess is that the markingsrepresent a form of testing and/or inspection or maybe some sort of coding like the German byf,cyq, ac and others that indicated place of production of German weapons.

Above is shown examples of 4 different stamped markings. On the pistol to the left is stamped withan F and k whereas the pistol on the right bears an L inside a figure of double diamonds and aP inside a circle. The steel ball protruding top left on the receiver is spring loaded and assure sthat the closed breech is held in place by locking into a corresponding hole on the breech.
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Here is clearly shown the small square marking along with the five-pointed star. On this Mk II theserial number is stamped along the length of the tube whereas the Mk IIA is stamped abeam of thelength.

B.S.A.has been unable to confirm this. They claim none of the pistols bore serial numbers or othermarkings that could reveal the manufacturer. They do however confirm having produced parts forthe Welrod as well as entire pistols but that several other British companies were involved in theproduction.

Here is an excerpt from the correspondence:

[quote] Regarding the inform at ion that you are request ing on the Welrod p istol , al thoug h w ehave in the past m anufactured speci f ic parts for these part icular pistols, we have no

informat ion regarding prod uct ion d evelopment or var iat ions of these pistols. Al l we know is

that they were prod uced by a number of com panies in Br i tain includ ing B.S.A. and these

were developed speci f ical ly for co vert operat ions in occu pied Europe. They, therefore, bore

no s er ial num bers or indicat ion as to w here they were manufactured. [/quote]

But if B.S.A.did not mark the weapons then who did?

The National Firearms Centre(NFC) in Leeds, England has a rare prototype of the Welrod Mk.IIApistol. The text PROTOTYPE WELROD Mk.IIA is engraved on the left side of the receiver just

below the rear sight. The interesting part however is that the only mark to be found is the fivepointed star exactly as we know it from all the other models. This does in my humble opinion meanthat the star most likely belong to the Birmingham Small Arms factoryand was put there duringthe production.


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The text is stamped on the receiver below the rear sight. (Photo Richard D. Jones, Custodian MOD

Pattern Room)


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Only the five pointed star is to be found on the prototype which indicates that it was in fact a Britishmarking.(Photo Richard D. Jones, Custodian MOD Pattern Room)

I regret not being able to account for the significance of the markings in a more precise mannerthan the above written so I will leave it up to each individual to draw his own conclusions.

The production of the Mk II was not officially up and running until late 1943, but several documentsreveals that it was indeed available already at the beginning of 1943. According to the serialnumbers at least 14.000, were supposedly produced. Not until the middle of 1944 did theproduction of Mk I get under way. The amount produced is unknown. The beginning of the

production of the Mk I so late in the war is undoubtedly the reason it was never dropped intoDenmark. A recently discovered drawing of the Mk.I bears the date May 17, 1944 with the lastrevision made on what looks like May 15. 1956! (printing is faded and difficult to read). The drawingis marked with the trademark: B.S.A. GUNS LTD., England.


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Part of the engineering drawing showing the bolt and receiver. (Drawing from the MOD PatternRoom)


DISTRIBUTIONFrom the serial numbers I have collected I have tried to gain a general view of the number ofWelrods Mk IIA produced. The pistols are, with the exception of a few series (0,1 & 9), represented

throughout the entire spectrum. This leads me to believe that the serial numbers corresponds withthe number of pistols actually produced. The highest serial number I have come across is #14.359and the lowest is #2.008 (Mk II).

I have yet to find a pistol in the #100, #1000 and #9000 series. Perhaps the production started at#2000 and maybe the #9000 series was completely skipped from production. Its more likelyhowever that I just havent had the luck to find any Welrods from the missing series yet. Anotherpossibility is that the #9000 series was earmarked for another country like Norway or France, bothof which received a good deal of Welrods just like the US is a possibility as we know that theyreceived a considerable amount.


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My qualified guess is that the first pistols in the range #2000 through #5000 arrived here with someof the in all 53 SOE agents who were parachuted into Denmark, while the #6000 through 14.000primarily got here via some of the numerous weapon drops to the resistance movement during thelast third of the war.

Diagram of the pattern of dropped Welrods in Denmark according to serial numbers. On thehorizontal axis, 0are pistols with serial numbers 0 through 999. 1 represents serial numbers1.000 through 1.999 and so forth.

The vertical axis represents the number of registered pistols (updated June 25, 2008).

Diagram of the pattern of all known Welrods according to serial numbers. On the horizontal axis,0 are pistolswith serial numbers 0 through 999. 1 represents serial numbers 1.000 through1.999 and so forth.

The vertical axis represents the number of registered pistols (updated June 25, 2008).

It has proven impossible to pinpoint exactly when the first pistol was dropped over the kingdom, butin paragraph 15 in an extensive correspondence from the Danish S.O.E. Chief Flemming B. MuusakaJamto Commander R. C. Hollingworth aka CHOP, dated July 31, 1943, Jam writes:

[quote]"Rub ber Pistol . Have heard of s uch an instrum ent. In case of del ivery the package

must be marked To be opened by JAM only. The advantage is supposedly the completesound suppress ion."[/quote]

So at this point in time it must have been relatively unknown to the resistance movement. It isequally difficult to ascertain how many in total were dropped, but according to David B. Lampeauthor of The Savage Canaryfrom 1957, we received about 150. He writes:

[quote]"A l thoug h mass-produ ced in Br i tain dur ing World War II, non e of these silentweapons has been displayed in armament mu seums , for they were created speci f ically for

the unm ent ionable assassinat ion o f traitors. Al together about 150 reached Denmark dur ing
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the occup at ion."[/quote]

A drop in Grib forest at Smorstenen April 12, 1945, contained 18 Welrod pistols, and another inGronholt hedge February 26, 1945 and in March 23, 1945 in Hobro in Jutland also containedWelrod pistols. Unfortunately it is not known how many. Additionally a number of drops earlierduring the occupation contained Welrods, and some of the in total 53 deployed SOE agents, four ofwhom made the trip twice, were most likely equipped with the Welrod.

In the fall of 1943, the parachute agents Ole Geisler akaAkseland Jens Lillelund akaFinnplanned to assassinate Norways Reichskommisar Josef Terboven during a visit to Denmark. JosefTerboven who was a top Nazi and Norways answer to Czechoslovakias Reinhard Heydrich, wasto be shot in his suite at the Palace Hotel in Copenhagen. For the job Axel presented the firstWelrod seen in Denmark. Two Holger Danske (a group within the resistance movement)members carrying each their Welrod, was to disguise themselves as waiters and shoot JosefTerboven in his room. The plan was aborted however, as it was estimated that the gain by theliquidation seen from a military perspective, would not measure up to the inevitable retaliations thatwould be carried out on already captured members of the resistance movement as well as oninnocent civilians. The pistol was in 1966 donated to the Museum of Danish Resistance by JensLillelund.

The latest officially known instances of the Welrods use in Denmark are as follows:

December 14, 1943: Jens Lillelund aka Finn and Bent Faurschou-Hviid akaThe Torchattemptsto liquidate the informant Mrs. Hedvig Delbo in her apartment in Osterbro, Copenhagen. A secondattempt is carried out successfully on March 19, 1944 by Gunner Dyrberg with a STENgun.

Again in December 1943: Jorgen Rojel borrows a Welrod from parachute agent Jens Jacob Jensenaka Jens aka Pudding to carry out a liquidation.

October 11, 1944: Henning Roge akaMaxtried with a Welrod to kill the infamous informant Henry

Meister on Vesterbrogade in Norrsundby. Henry Meister is wounded in the stomach andimmediately return fire thereby killing Max.

November 17, 1944: Mrs. Frederikke Rungager, age 37, is liquidated at Aarhus County Hospitalwith a Welrod by a member of the Staal group.
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The liquidation in Aarhus January 3, 1944. It was not unknown to the police that suppressed pistols
http://www.timelapse.dk/img/Aarhus2UK.jpg


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were used for assassinations.(Click for resume in English.)

Article from January 6, 1944. (Click for English translation).
http://www.timelapse.dk/img/AarhusUK.jpg


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Article describing the liquidation in Copenhagen, April 19, 1944. (Resume in English is notavailable for the moment).

In the beginning of December 1944, Svend Otto Nielsen akaJohnon request from Englandcarried out a spectacular operation against the German fighter planes at Kastrup Airport. He wassupposed to steal a newly developed locating unit from a parked night fighter. The operation wascarried out with the help from an airport employee named Knud Helge Hejl. Unfortunately theywere discovered by a German patrol and Knud Helge Hejl got captured. John however got away bycrawling several kilometers on his hands and knees. During his escape he shot and killed a

German sentry with his Welrod.

To the less dramatic accounts of the Welrod in action belongs the story of The Torch who aroundChristmas 1943 shoots a swan in Frederiksberg gardens and serves it for his friends at a laterfestive occation.

In June 1944Kaj Jensen a member of the illegal resistance group BOPAused a Welrod during theone hour long raid on Hrens Vbenarsenal (the armys production facility). No details on how itwas used other than to safeguard the employees and guards. Kaj Jensen was killed in action onMartz 16, 1945.
http://www.timelapse.dk/john.phphttp://www.timelapse.dk/john.phphttp://www.timelapse.dk/john.phphttp://modstand.natmus.dk/Person.aspx?8992http://www.timelapse.dk/img/KBHUK.jpghttp://modstand.natmus.dk/Person.aspx?8992http://www.timelapse.dk/john.php


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Several of the airdropped weapons and explosive were captured and used by the Germans againstthe resistance, but also against the ordinary noncombatant Danish citizen. Somehow they found aprofound irony in fighting the resistance with weapons delivered by the Allied. The Peter-group, aterror organization devised by SS Reichsfhrer Heinrich Himmler, made it their signature only touse captured weapons and explosives.

In an effort to fight and suppress the resistance activity, SS Standartenfrer Otto Anton RolfSkorzeny on behalf of Heinrich Himmler created a Sonderkommando Dnemark which sole

purpose was to kill famous or otherwise well-known or productive Danish citizen, and perform terrorby blowing up amusement parks, cinemas, trains, trams and other public friendly places. It wasalso decided that for every German killed in Denmark, 5 Danish citizens were to be killed inretaliation.

In charge he put Hauptsturmfhrer Otto Alexander Schwerdt but he also ordered the SS men LouisNebel and Anton Gfller to assist him. Together they recruited several men, both Germans andnative Danes sympathizing with the German ideology, among them the Danish speaking SSOberscharfrer Kurt Carstensen. The group was named the Peter-group (Unternehmung Peter inGerman); the name was created from Schwedts cover name Peter Schffer.

On December 30, 1943 around 06:30pm Otto Schwerdt, Anton Gfller, Louis Nebel, Ludvig Hufand Kurt Carstensen all members of the Peter-Group nocked on the door to the apartment of EditorChristian Dam in Copenhagen. Dams wife let them in. Schwerdt and Nebel each had a Welrod thatthey had test fired the same day. Gfller stayed guard outside while Schwerdt, Huf, Carstensenand Nebel went with Dam to his study room. Inside the room Nebel pulled his Welrod but Damimmediately jumped him and got hold on the suppressor tube and they both fell to the floor.Schwerdt intervened and in all three shot were fired. Dam was hit in the back and left thigh but alsotook a bullet to the head fracturing a part of his skull and left eye. All though critical injured Damsurvived the assassination attempt. The Peter-Group escaped without injuries.

On February 3, 1944 around 06:00pm High Court lawyer Holger Christensen is on his way home

after a long day at work. He didnt notice that he was followed by SS Unterscharfrer Fritz Himmelfrom Sonderkommando Dnemark, and little did he know that Oberfhnrich Droos also fromSonderkommando Dnemark was positioned in the shadows only 30 meters from his entrancedoor. When Christensen had passed Droos by about 10 meters he raised his Welrod pistol, andfired one shot into the back of his head. The full jacketed projectile pierced his Italian Borsalino hat,the back of his skull, went through the brain and exited through his forehead right above his righteye. Christensen was dead before he hit the ground.

On August 30, 1944 around 08:00 am cand.scient.techn. I.E. Snog-Christensen was kidnapped infront of his home by Henning Bothildsen Nielsen, Hauptsturmfhrer Henning Brndum, Schwerdt,Ludvig Huf, Otto Wagner and the SS Unterscharfrer Fritz Himmel. They drove him to a safe house

at the beach in Snekkersten owned by the German Sicherheitsdienst. Inside the house they waiteduntil the sun had set, and when it was dark they took him to the beach telling him that theyexpected a boat to arrive anytime soon, and that there was a person on board that they need himto identify. When they reached the beach and Snog-Christensen faced the ocean, Otto Wagnersneaked up behind him and shot him with his Welrod in the back of the head. He collapsed withouta sound and was dead before hitting the sand.

On January 24, 1945 around 12:00 pm William Prieme, a well know member of the parliament wasshot and killed by a shot in the head on the street in broad daylight. The killing was executed byKurt Heel and Bothildsen Nielsen from the notorious Peter-group. They sneaked up behind Prieme


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and then Heel fired his Welrod into the back of his head. Prieme's hat was blown off from theimpact and for a second or two Prieme just stood still, then he slowly fell forward like a piece oflumber. The killing was done in retaliation for the resistances assassination of the Nazi Chief of theSchalburg Corps, Lieutenant T. I. P. O. Madsen on January 22, 1945.

There is no doubt that the Welrod has seen far more action than above mentioned accounts, but asI know only of second hand reports with no official documentation to support the claims I havechosen not to list them here.

Below are 2 rare photos of a resistance fighter and his Welrod.

The photo is from Nykbing Falster, Denmark date 05.05.1945

Target practice at Frodeslund, Denmark after the liberation.

Newly(2002) released documents (HS 8/199) from the archives of S.O.E in the National ArchivesUK, reveals the planning of "Operation Execution Month" in June 22, 1943. The operation calledfor the occupied countries to simultaneously assassinate as many Gestapo and SS officials as


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possible within a given month. For this purpose alone, a message went out to increase theproduction of Welrods in order to meet the demands of the pending campaign. Below I have copiedthe text of a document containing a draft of the plan. Unfortunately this exact document is notdated, but must necessarily be from June, 1943.

Drawing illustrating a Danish resistance fighter liquidating a GESTAPO official.

"EXECUTION" Campaign.Preliminary discussion shows that there are considerable possibilities in organising a widespread

"execution" campaign in occupied territories against Gestapo and S.S. officials.

It is considered that to achieve the maximum effect it should be carried out simultaneously in allcountries.

It is suggested that as a start a certain month be declared an "execution" month. Sufficient timemust be allowed for thorough preparation, for the necessary distribution of suitable weapons, andfor the posting of death warrants.


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The Welrod appears to be the most suitable weapon, as it is silent and easily concealed. On

present information the production situation is most unsatisfactory. 500 have been ordered, butthere is no indication when they will be delivered.

It might be best to declare September or October as the "execution" month. This would give timefor preparation and would be a warning to the Germans as to what to expect during the long darkwinter nights.

But a decision will depend on the Welrod situation and, until this is settled, the date cannot becommunicated to the field.

Production of Welrods.This will have to be accelerated if we are to carry out a campaign of "execution" in the near future.

Below is an excerpt from the account of the meeting at S.O.E, June 22, 1943. I found the accountin The National Archives UK, but as the entire account is far too voluminous to print here, I have

kept it to the text relevant to the subject.

S.O.E. COUNSIL

MINUTES of MEETING held on TUESDAY, 22.6.43.PRESENT: CD, V/CD, A/CD, AD/E, D/FIN, AD/S, AD/Z, D/Plans, AD/4, AD/N.

ABSENT: A.D.3.

In attendance: PSO.1. and PSO.2.

[quote]

62. OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE - "Execution" Campaign.

Counsil considered a paper by AD/E recommending a concerted execution campaign againstGestapo and S.S. officials, mainly by means of the Welrod. AD/Z said that the total order forWelrods was 600, of which 100 were due for delivery in July and he could with reasonable certaintypromise that these 100 would be available in August.

DECISIONS:

(a) AD/E's proposal was approved but should be for the most part confined to civilian officialsrather than soldiers; We should concentrate on Germans rather than on Quislings.

(b) AD/Z's total order for 600 was confirmed but AD/4 and D/Plans should ascertain therequirements of Far Eastland Middle East respectively.

(c) AD/Z should pres forward production so as to ensure delivery of 100 Welrods by the end ofAugust and at least 100 for every succeeding month.

(d) The target date for the campaign should be 1st. October.


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[/quote]

68. RESEARCH - Welman.

AD/Z reported that one Lancaster III had been allotted for experimental transport purposes.[/quote]

The operation was never carried out, probably due to fear of retaliation from the occupationalforces. The Allied must have begun to realize the incalculable consequences of the previouslycarried out Operation Anthropoid at this point. The terrible massacre at the Czech town Lidiceclose to Prague, where the entire male population was executed, all the women were deported,and the town itself was literally razed to the ground with bulldozers in retaliation for theassassination of SS Obergruppenfhrer Reinhard Heydrich on May 27, 1942 by two Czech S.O.Eagents.

In the aftermath, thousands of randomly picked people were executed, and there was no reason tobelieve that the Germans would be lenient on Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium or France ifsimilar assassinations on SS officials were to take place here. The Nazis had sent a clear message

that the killing of German officials would not be tolerated.

It is a reasonable assumption that the, after the circumstances, many Welrods that came toDenmark were dropped here with "Operation Execution Month". in mind. Sadly we can concludethat the ruthless terror and killing of civilians by the Nazis had a, for them, beneficial effect in theirbattle against the continuous dissemination and work of the resistance movement after all.


The U.S. Welrod


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(Photo - Anders Thygesen courtesy of the Royal Armouries).

Some assert that the star and square found on the British Welrods are American markings, but Ibelieve this theory can be excluded on the basis of a correspondence I had with The NavalHistorical Center which states:

[quote] The Navy purchased an unknow n num ber of Welrods for us e. I t is my un derstandingthat they w ere given US Navy m arkings, wi th a f inal acceptance marking that was ei ther

" USN" or a s tamped anch or. .. . The US Naval Gun Factory and o ther manu factures havesmal l proo f markings fo r som e i tems, but no ne use the star . Part markings for NGF - made

i tems may inclu de bluepr int drawing num bers, such as " NGF - 12345" .[/quote]

Right after the serial number is stamped the anchor of the U.S navy with a "U" on its left side andan "S" on its right. In addition is engraved #422072--1 on top of the silencer tube, #422074--2 onthe muzzle and #422072--6 on the back of the breech. These engravings can very well be drawingnumbers for the individual parts as described in the letter from The Naval Historical Center. Asthere are no stampings of the star nor of the square on this model, the engravings agree well withthe statement from The Naval Historical Center. Even if at first glance it appears to be a BritishWelrod, there are discernable differences. The difference are clearly seen on the individual parts

which bears indication of a different manufacturing process just as the gun itself differs markedly byhaving something best described as a sleeve welded onto the side of the bolt handle which servesas a safety but also facilitate operation of the weapon when wearing gloves.

The U.S. build Welrod. Note that the grip safety has been modyfied by extending the bar thatblocks the trigger platform so it protrudes all the way underneath the sleeve thus preventing firingbefore the bolt has been fully closed. In this photo the bolt has been fully closed enabling the safetybar to move freely. I have only seen one U.S. Welrod so if this modification was a standard featureor a prototype I haven't been able to disclose.(Photo - Anders Thygesen courtesy of the Royal Armouries).

However, recently a folder labeled: HAND FIRING MECHANISM, Mark 1, Cal. .32(CLASSIFICATION SECRET BUT REDUCED TO RESTRICTED ON 3/7/50), has beendiscovered in the archives of the Royal Armouries, UK.

The documents inside revealed a thorough description including photos of the British WelrodMk.IIA marked with the usual five-pointed star, square and serial number 6197. The enclosed textexplained that the Welrod in question had been surrendered to a war veteran, a former Ordnanceofficer, whose unit was in the Philippines.


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Among the documents was also found a letter from the Navy Department Bureau of Ordnance,answering a request from the HP White Companyin Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. regarding the originof the Welrod. The questions and answers read:

[quote]Q: How many were made and when?

A: No one knows for certain.

Q: By whom were they made?A: No one company made them. Components were farmed out and assembled by the Navy forsecurity reasons.

Q: Were the barrels rifled by the broaching process?A: Yes.

Q: Is the magazine the standard type for the .32 auto?A: Yes.

Q: To whom were the guns issued or were they dropped to resistance groups?A: To resistance groups.

Q: Would like to obtain any instructions or manuals that went with these guns.A: None were issued. The device was too hush-hush.

Q: Was ammunition issued with these guns?A: The gun was designed for German and Jap 7,65 pistol ammunition and will naturally take ourown caliber .32 automatic.

We have been given permission to show you blueprints but cant give you a copy. The day we got

your letter we got the Navy to declassify the damn thing, so we could answer your letter. It was stilllisted as Top Secret. [/quote]

From the content it would be safe to conclude that the U.S . HAND FIRING MECHANISM, Mark I,was classified as Secret until March 1950 and here after declassified to Restricted. But apart fromthat we have conflicting or at least confusing assertions. We know for a fact that B.S.A was themain contractor for the British Welrod and we also know that manuals and instructions were in factwritten as early as 1943. The Welrod pictured and described in the document is without doubtBritish produced and has nothing to do with the above pictured U.S. version. Due to the greatsecrecy surrounding the project it would be reasonable to assume that a mix up between the twomodels has occurred.

The Southwest Pump Company was founded in 1916 and located in Bonham Texas, a very smallcommunity northeast of Dallas near the border between Texas and Oklahoma. The company waslater taken over by Tokheim Corporation and finally closed down in 1999.

Thanks to John Finnell new and valuable information regarding this production facility hasemerged. Mr. Finnell wrote me and told that his late Grandfather worked at the Southwest PumpCompany as a machinist for over 40 years, including the timeframe when they were producingWelrods. He was a master machinist who did many different jobs but his main responsibility waspulling riflings although he also did some assembly work. His Grandfather also told him that it was


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not an uncommon occurrence for completed pistols to be tested at night upon the roof of thebuilding by the workers, and he remember him describing how they made a very strange sound thefirst time they were fired but thereafter they were amazingly quiet.

It was also rumored that a number of people working there at the time have assembled their ownWelrods from spare parts. Although it is only a rumor, it seems plausible, and there have properlyonly been a few if any measures in place to prevent it at that time.

As late as in the 1960s a modified version of the Welrod Mk IIA was produced by MilitaryArmament Corporation headed byMitchell Wer-Bell.The main differences from the original designconsisted of replacing the ebonite on the grip with plastic and replacing the original insides of thetube with the more up-to-date silencer technology of Sionics. It has not been disclosed how manywere made but most likely it was no more than a handful.


SLEEVE GUNIll just briefly mention another variant of the Welrod equally developed at station IX; the so calledSleeve Gun. It is best described as a WelrodMk II without the magazine grip and is alsoproduced in two versions, Mk I and Mk II. The primary difference is that on the Mk I, the triggerhousing consists of a separate tube running on the outside of the suppressor tube in the full length

of the suppressor. This trait makes it appear clumsy contrary to the Mk II that has but the triggerrod on the outside of the suppressor tube. It is a single shot weapon in .32 ACP with thesuppressor designed exactly as the Welrod Mk II. It is a one shot, one kill weapon, as thereloading process is extremely elaborate. In a tight spot it had an additional use as a truncheon.

The idea was to carry the gun up the sleeve of ones coat. At the end of the suppressor tube is alittle lanyard-hole to attach one end of a rubber band. The other end is attached to the arm rightabove the elbow, allowing the operator to discreetly go about his business and yet be able toproduce the weapon at moments notice. The trigger, a device resembling the switch of a flashlight,is mounted close to the muzzle of the gun and doubles as a safety. To fire the gun, the knurledswitch/trigger must first be slid backwards and then forwards. Having fired the gun one simply letsgo of it to let it slide unnoticed back up the sleeve.

In the S.O.E. catalogue:Descriptive Catalogue Of Special Devices And Supplies,Product No.N 254under DESCRIPTIONthe following can be read:

The gun is intended fo r use in con tact wi th the target, but m ay be used at ranges up to

about three yards; the si lencing element cannot be remov ed for replacement since the gu n

is not intended for prolonged use.

The Sleeve Gun was tested by OSS on February 11, 1944 and again in January 1945 but wasnever adopted. It was produced by the B.S.A. because the drawings are clearly marked B.S.A.
http://www.timelapse.dk/werbell.phphttp://www.timelapse.dk/catalogue.phphttp://www.timelapse.dk/catalogue.phphttp://www.timelapse.dk/catalogue.phphttp://www.timelapse.dk/werbell.php


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GUNS LTD, England, and drawn by B.J.R. Yates. No date is mentioned but the only three that Ihave knowledge of are property of the National Firearms Centre(NFC) in Leeds, England. Theybear the serial numbers 01 and 11 respectively and none of them are stamped with either the staror square. One is also found at the Bergenhus Festningsmuseeum in Norway and it carry the serialnumber 8.

The Sleeve Gun Mk.II. and its trigger. Note the serial number 8. (Photo - Per Ove B)

The Sleeve Gun Mk.II. caliber .32ACP. (Photo - Anders Thygesen courtesy of the RoyalArmouries)


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The Sleeve Gun Mk.II. caliber .32ACP about to be loaded. (Photo - Anders Thygesen courtesy ofthe Royal Armouries)

The business end of the Sleeve Gun Mk.II. A slot is cut in the face of the end cap to assist easydismantling.



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Cross section of the Sleeve Gun Mk.II. caliber .32ACP. (Illustration: Joe M. Ramos - Canada)



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WELROD Mk.II & Mk.IIA .32 ACP. Cartridge.Designed by John Browning and introduced in 1899. It was marketed in the U.S. when Colt turnedout an automatic pocket pistol on another Browning patent in 1903 hence the designation A.C.P.(Automatic Colt Pistol). It is one of the most popular pistol cartridges ever developed. In Europeevery company that made automatic pistols chambered the .32 ACP cartridges. In Europe, it isknown as the 7.65mm Browning, while in the U.S. it is designated .32 Automatic or .32ACP.

For decades it has been the standard police chambering in Europe but has now in most Europeancountries been replaced by the 9 mm. Luger round. The .32 ACP cartridge is produced by all majorammunition makers in a wide variety.


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The cartridges case is semi-rimmed, strait walled (see illustration) and uses a .311-inch diameterbullet.

Illustration courtesy of Mike Haas.

If you have any questions please feel free to send me an e-mail.

WELROD Mk.I (A&B)9mm Parabellum Cartridge.The 9mm. Luger, also known as 9 mm. Parabellum or 9X19 NATO was introduced in 1902 with theGerman Luger automatic pistol. It was adopted first by the German Navy in 1904 and then by theGerman Army in 1908. Since that time, it has been adopted by the military of practically every non-Communist country. It has become the world's most popular and widely-used military handgun andsubmachine gun cartridges.


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In 1985, the 9 mm. Luger was adopted as the official military cartridges by the U.S. Armed Forces.It is now in use with most of the militaries of the world, including all of the NATO countries. The 9mm. Luger cartridge is produced by all major ammunition makers in a wide variety.

The cartridges case is rimmed with a slight taper from rim to mouth (see illustration) whichenhances feed reliability. It uses a .356-inch diameter bullet.

Illustration courtesy of Mike Haas.

If you have any questions please feel free to send me an e-mail.


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the welrod suppressor

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