Product details
- ISBN 9781472819642
- Format: Paperback
- Weight: 286g
- Dimensions: 178 x 244 x 7mm
- Publication Date: 23 Mar 2017
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
- Language: English
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Entering service in 1931, the 9x19mm Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun saw extensive combat with Finnish troops during their fight against Soviet forces in 1939–44.
It was also manufactured under licence in Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden, and remained in Finnish service until the 1980s, an indication of its durability. Rugged and accurate, the Suomi was a favourite with Finnish ski troops who would strike from ambush, cutting down Soviet troops, then skiing away into the woods.
Initially used by the Finns as a light machine gun at infantry squad level, it eventually became a dedicated submachine gun, and since it had been designed to be more accurate than the typical SMG, it was often even used as a sniping weapon, or to supplement longer-ranged rifles such as the Mosin-Nagant.
Featuring first-hand accounts and specially commissioned colour artwork, this is the story of one of World War II’s most distinctive and respected infantry weapons.
Leroy Thompson has trained and advised military and police special operations units around the world on the tactical use of firearms. He has published more than 50 books, and has appeared as a weapons expert on documentaries for Discovery, National Geographic and the BBC.
Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his work as an illustrator in 1983. He specializes in detailed historical reconstructions.
Alan Gilliland is a writer, illustrator and publisher who has contributed to more than 70 Osprey titles. He won 19 awards over 19 years as the graphics editor of the Daily Telegraph.
