Military Weapons in the Shafterlands during the Second World War

The Shafterlands was known to be one of the deadliest forces in the second world war despite their small army and navy. This was in part due to their guerrilla tactics used throughout the army and navy and their effective reconnaissance that snuffed out many important command posts in enemy forces.

Model numbers for all weapons were chosen at random.

Infantry
The Shafterlandean army used many rifles during the war, mostly based around enemy rifles so that enemy ammunition can be used when enemy posts are captured. Besides standard issue locally-produced rifles, British and Japanese rifles such as the Lee-Enfield and the Arisaka Type 99 were common. As for machine and submachine guns, locally-produced variants proved to be unsuccessful and British-made guns were imported instead.

The Shafterlandeans had a war culture of keeping the casualty count as low as possible (only for their side). Therefore, each soldier was also equipped with a bayonet laced in poison, a pistol and a longsword in case something goes very wrong. Soldiers were taught to stand as straight as possible when talking about strategy and with their finger on the trigger of the pistol (or on a grenade) all the time, just in case of a sniper attack. A strict command structure in each platoon was also established, with no two persons having the same "rank" in command structure.

Model 338 Rifle
The Model 338 was the most common standard issue rifle throughout the Shafterlandean Republic. It was a bolt-action rifle and saw service between 1936 and 1942, when the Model 422 replaced it. The design of the Model 338 was unique in that it had two barrels, one for a 6.5mm round and another for a 7.7mm round. While all locally-produced cartriges had a 7.7mm caliber, older Japanese infantry rifles used 6.5mm caliber rounds, so the extra barrel was included.

The Model 338 was gradually replaced by the Model 422 between 1941 and 1942 as its extra barrel made its capture deadly to Shafterlandean soldiers.

A variant of the Model 338, the Model 326, was also produced. Unlike the Model 338, the 326 was a semi-automatic rifle that fired two shots from its two barrels with the pull of the trigger. The Model 326 was given to groups that are more likely to encounter close combat. Unlike the Model 338, the Model 326 lasted until the end of the Pacific war in 1943, and was replaced by a similar-looking Model 539 for Shafterlandean troops in Germany.

Model 422 Rifle
The Model 422 replaced the Model 338 in 1942 and saw action for only 9 months before the Act of Union, which effectively ended the Pacific War. Like the Model 338, the Model 422 was a bolt-action rifle, but it only had a single barrel for a 7.7mm round. Due to the slowdown of action for Shafterlandean troops during the final months of the Pacific War, most of the original Model 422s were still intact and are commonly used as a sporting rifle today.

Model 539 Rifle
The Model 539 rifle was a modified version of the models 326 and 338, with an 8mm barrel instead of a 6.5mm barrel. Since The Shafterlands re-entered the Second World War in Europe just two weeks after the Act of Union, most of the Model 539s were built in a rush and thus were not of the best quality. Many soldiers ended up being supplied with either a Lee-Enfield rifle or an Arisaka Type 99 rifle instead of the Model 539. Nevertheless, the Shafterlands helped to shorten the war in Europe by at least 6 months.

Type 55 Bayonet
The standard issue bayonet, the Type 55, was also another common weapon used among Shafterlandean troops. It could be attached to all Shafterlandean-built rifle barrels and was commonly used as a throwing knife in emergency situations. However, its most common use was in the jungle where it was used as a machete to cut vines and bushes.

The Type 55 was also the weapon with the highest kill count since Shafterlandean soldiers rarely stayed in the same spot, preferring to run behind enemy lines in the dead of the night to attack. In the day, the Type 55's metal body was used as a distraction to enemy soldiers.