A report on deceptions used by German prisoners of war, from Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 31, August 12, 1943. [DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department publication Tactical and Technical Trends. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

DECEPTION USED BY GERMAN PW'S It has been reported that German prisoners of war about to be captured, in some cases have resorted to a trick which enables them to keep their weapons. Just prior to the time they are captured, the aluminum canteen is emptied of water and then slit from the base of the bottle to the neck. The short German automatic pistol is placed inside the canteen. The sides are then pressed down together again over the weapon, thus keeping it from rattling, and the canvas canteen cover is then drawn over the canteen. The weight of the pistol is approximately equal to a canteen filled with water. In a great many cases, when this method is resorted to, the prisoner is able to carry the weapon into an internment camp, where it might be used for an attempted escape, or in any other similar situation which may be detrimental to his captors.

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