The Welrod Mk.IIA is a unique pistol with an integrated silencer chambered for the .32 ACP cartridge. The pistol was invented by the Special Operation Executive (S.O.E.) during World War II and airdropped to the resistance in the occupied countries in large quantities. The purpose was to silently liquidate informers, collaborators and Gestapo officials. An assignment the Welrod completed to its fullest.

Around the middle of 2005, a unique lot of 10 so called Drill Purpose (DP) Welrods suddenly surfaced. In order to authenticate them a story followed purporting they originated from a WWII weapons cache in Norway. Shortly thereafter the DPs were put up for sale at online auctions and gun shows in Scandinavia.

However, when a treasure like a DP Welrod pops up out of nowhere never having been mentioned in any of the many documents that I have had the opportunity to read during my research, I became a little skeptical.

The DP was described to me as a non-firing version made to chamber an empty .32 ACP shell case. The barrel is smoothbore with a “calibre” of only 5mm but fitted with the usual bleeder holes. They are stamped with the usual five pointed star and square, inspection stamps and a two digit serial number. The bolt is solid in front and fitted with a shortened firing pin. The DP Welrod can be recognized because of a painted white 1/2 inch wide band around the silencer tube just in front of the trigger. I have since discovered that not all of them have the painted white band.

The Differences

Unfortunately, with the exception of the rubber grip and silencer tube end cap, I have not had the chance to handle the DP myself. But I have had the opportunity to compare close up photos of the DP with the original Welrods, and they are definitely not made on the same set of machine tools. I have listed only a few of the differences below:

1.) The DP trigger guide plates have sharp edges as opposed to the Welrod which has rounded edges.

2.) The knurled pattern on the DP muzzle cap is coarse cut when compared to the Welrods fine pattern.

3.) The luminous paint on the DP is bright white but on the Welrods it is dark yellow and browning due to old age.

4.) Noticeable differences in the serial digits because of different type faces.

5.) The finish on the DPs looks pristine with the exception of the white band where the paint is almost worn off.

6.) The black grip is made from soft rubber: its shape, size and feel differ a lot from the original Ebonite grip.

7.) The rubber discs in the silencer are undoubtedly made from modern materials and bear no similarity to the originals consisting of laminated layers of rubber and leather/linen.

It is difficult to conceive that a special DP Welrod would be made solely for instructional purposes when it would be easier to use the already available original. In wartime, it would not be feasible to start a second production line for a dummy pistol. Furthermore, the fact that the DP is a combination of the Mk.II and Mk.IIA is also worth considering. It has the first pattern oval ejection port scallop that characterizes the Mk.II but the trigger and trigger guides (side plates) of the Mk.IIA models. I have only seen two Welrods with this combination and they were from the early stages of the production with a serial number close to #3000.

Another thing that raises concern is the bleeder holes in the barrel. If the DP was made for practice and instructional purposes, as claimed, why bother with the bleeder holes? It was obviously never going to fire a live round from a .32 ACP casing through a 5mm smoothbore barrel. Besides, the operator does not have access to the barrel on the original Welrods as the silencer tube is fixed to the receiver with a mandrel stamp. To gain access to that particular area would be going far beyond the term “field stripping” and would be a job for the armourer. In short, it simply doesn’t make sense to drill bleeder holes in a smoothbore barrel, especially because the bolt face is solid and therefore unable to fire a cartridge or operate a firing pin.

The silencer is complete with baffles, spacers and rubber disks. The rubber discs are made from what looks like a modern day rubber material. I am convinced that the reason that the DPs are marketed with the non functional barrel and bolt is to enable it to pass as a non-firing replica, making it easier to get across country borders, and to gain access to a potential worldwide buyer market.

I must admit that it is a very well made copy of the Welrod and a lot of effort has been put into the job to make sure the details are correct. The threads are identical, making the parts interchangeable. The small inspection stamp found on the butt of the receiver is present and there are even traces of black paint that can occasionally be found on the original Welrods.

Summary & Conclusion

During my research, I have been in contact with the dealer on a regular basis reporting my findings. He has explained that he bought 10 DPs from a man in Norway claiming that he had found them in a weapons cache from World War II.

With the above mentioned findings at hand, the dealer confronted the seller only to find him hospitalized and in a terminal condition. The dealer then made contact with the seller’s son who admitted that a total of 15 DPs had been produced whereupon he then gave the dealer a box of unfinished DP parts as shown in the photo.

In my opinion the problem is not the reproduced items them selves, but that they were marketed and sold as original items. For decades, collectors of German war artifacts have been suffering from this type of scam, and now unfortunately we must conclude that the same is happening when collecting from “the other side” too. Apparently, the widespread use and high prices obtained on internet auction sites have provided incentive for this type of scam. Internet auctions were not in common use 10 years ago, the market of potential buyers was also much smaller and confined to local areas, keeping the sale price down, making it unfeasible to start such fraudulent productions at such a high level.

Having reached the final design, the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA), in all probability and under great secrecy, was commissioned to mass produce the Welrod pistol. The only distinguishing markings on the pistols were that of a little five-pointed star and square along with a serial number. All markings were stamped underneath on the tube right behind the pistol grip.

The serial numbers, numeric only, are either 4 or 5 ciphered and in addition to the above mentioned position also stamped into the breech and etched into the magazine with an electrical pen. Not all magazines bear serial numbers though. The very first bore no markings at all and the moulded ebonite grip was slightly differently shaped than on most of those we find today. Also, the magazine was of a different model which can best be distinguished on the magazine jaws.

The square and the five-pointed star appear without exception on all of the inspected weapons. Yet it has not been possible to establish their true significance.

BSA claims none of the pistols bore serial numbers or other markings that could reveal the manufacturer. They do however confirm having produced parts for the Welrod as well as entire pistols but adds that several other British companies were involved in the production. Following is an excerpt from their correspondence: “Regarding the information that you are requiring on the Welrod pistol, although we have in the past manufactured specific parts for these particular pistols, we have no information regarding production development or variations of these pistols. All we know is that they were produced by a number of companies in Britain including BSA and these were developed specifically for covert operations in occupied Europe. They, therefore, bore no serial numbers or indication as to where they were manufactured.”

But if BSA did not mark the weapons then who did? Some assert that the star and the square are American markings, but I believe this theory can be excluded on the basis of correspondence from The Naval Historical Centre who states: “The Navy purchased an unknown number of Welrods for use. It is my understanding that they were given US Navy markings, with a final acceptance marking that was either “USN” or a stamped anchor…The US Naval Gun Factory and other manufactures have small proof markings for some items, but none use the star. Part markings for NGF – made items may include blueprint drawing numbers, such as “NGF – 12345.”

I regret not being able to account for the significance of the markings in a more precise manner other than what is mentioned above. I will leave it up to each individual to draw their own conclusions. It is a fact however, that entirely unmarked Welrods do exist. It is plausible that the pistols could have left BSA unmarked only to be stamped at the point from which they were later distributed.

The production of the Mk II was not officially up and running until late 1943, but several documents reveals that it was indeed available at the beginning of 1943. According to the serial numbers, at least 14,000 were supposedly produced. Only at the end of 1944 was the production of the Mk I under way, and the amount produced is unknown. The beginning of the production of the Mk I is so late in the war that it is undoubtedly the reason it was never dropped to the resistance.

At long last, documentation proving that the USA apparently, too, produced a number of Welrods has been found. However, there is no information as to when and how many. I rest convinced though that the Welrods used by the Americans during World War II were all manufactured and delivered by the British. This assumption is further supported by a written report from a meeting between some British liaison officers and American OSS agents at the Maryland Research Laboratory, August 16, 1943 concerning silenced weapons. The Welrod was highly praised by all the participants and the report concludes: “It was felt that for that special type of mission, it was the best available design and the U.S. should proceed with purchase of production model Welrods rather than trying for a home-built version.”

Still the Americans at some point began manufacturing their own. At the MOD Pattern Room (now S.A.T.I.C.) in England they retain a specimen with a full inscription on the silencer tube. (Dan’s Note: The late H.J. Woodend told me that he found this U.S. Navy example in Hong Kong and personally brought it back to the MOD Pattern Room. Herbie delighted in showing everyone how we Americans liked to conspicuously mark our so-called clandestine weapons.)

Right after the serial number is stamped the anchor of the U.S Navy with a “U” on its left side and an “S” on its right. In addition is engraved #422072—1 on top of the silencer tube, #422074—2 on the muzzle cap and #422072—6 on the back of the breech. These engravings can very well be serial numbers for the individual parts as described in the letter from The Naval Historical Centre. As there are no stampings of the star or of the square on this model, the engravings agree well with the statement from The Naval Historical Centre. Even if at first glance it appears to be a British Welrod, there are discernable differences. The difference are clearly seen on the individual parts that bears resemblance of a different manufacturing process; just as the gun itself differs markedly by having something best described as an angle bar welded onto the side of the breech, presumably to facilitate operation of the weapon when wearing gloves.

During the 1960’s, a modified version of the Welrod Mk IIA was produced by Military Armament Corporation headed by Mitchell WerBell. The main differences from the original design consisted of replacing the ebonite on the grip with plastic and replacing the original insides of the tube with the more up-to-date silencer technology of Sionics. It has not been disclosed how many were made but most likely it was no more than a handful.

“Execution” Campaign

Newly released (2002) documents from the National Archives UK, reveals the planning of “Operation Execution Month” in June 1943. The operation called for the occupied countries to simultaneously assassinate as many Gestapo and SS officials as possible within a given month. For this purpose alone, a message went out to increase the production of Welrods in order to meet the demands of the pending campaign.

The operation was never carried out, probably due to fear of retaliation from the occupational forces. The Allies must have begun to realize the incalculable consequences of the previously carried out “Operation Anthropoid” at this point. This resulted in the terrible massacre in the Czech town of Lidice near 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 the assassination of SS Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich on May 27, 1942 by two Czech S.O.E agents.

Mk.I

I have studied the manuals for both the “Type A” and “Type B”, but to the best of my efforts there are no visible differences between the two. The difference is most likely in the internal suppressor tube construction.

In the manuals, under Function, General Description and Notes on Use, the texts are identical and read as follows. Function: The 9mm Welrod is a silent single shot pistol, intended for use by specially trained operators for specific tasks. General Description: The Weapon is a specially constructed single shot pistol with a detachable silencer. It is silent, reliable in action and easy to conceal. It is accurate up to 30 yards in daylight or 20 yards on a fairly light night, but is most effective when fired in contact with the target. Notes on Use: The gun has three distinct and separate 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 be obtained 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 should be 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 the body as possible and the rear of the gun approximately 6”/7”from the operator’s 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 this purpose no special training is required.

The construction itself is practically identical to that of the Mk IIA with the exception of a few details. The grip safety is slightly different in appearance but functions in the exact same manner. Placed underneath the tube right behind the grip safety, a secondary manually operated safety catch has been added. The trigger and trigger-function remains the same, but is now protected by a trigger guard. The magazine release has, due to the previously mentioned problems on the 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 directs that although the total capacity allows for 6 bullets, that only 5 be loaded. The true difference lies with the suppressor tube that is two-piece. The rear piece, as with Mk II and Mk IIA, contains the breech, barrel and expansion chamber, whereas the front piece contains the baffles and washers section. The front piece, detachable just in front of the front sight, has a length of 4.9 inches bringing the pistol to a total length of 14.2 inches. The tube diameter is 1.4 inches, and the weight of the pistol is 48.2 ounce.

The advantage to a detachable front piece is obvious as this makes the weapon considerably easier to conceal. The pistol will function despite the front piece being removed; however the noise reduction will be minimal.

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

The barrel is perforated with 16 holes, allowing the powder gases to escape into the expansion chamber surrounding the barrel. In this case the holes serve the purpose of preventing the bullets from going supersonic as is the standard of 9mm Parabellum ammunition. The suppressor piece differentiates markedly from Mk II and Mk IIA. It consists of 2 washers and a couple of baffles separated by a metal spacer best described as looking like a spool from a sewing machine and perforated by 24 holes. The spacer creates yet another expansion chamber for the gases to cool off in before passing through the last washer. The muzzle velocity is approx. 1,000 fps. (305m/s).

Apart from the manually operated safety and the magazine release, the Mk I is operated and functions as the Mk II and Mk IIA. The iron sights are coated with a fluorescent material that, according the manual, renders the weapon efficient at 20 yards on a bright summer eve. The effective range in daylight is reported to be 30 yards. The recommended maximum shooting range is 24 yards.

Misinformation & Myth

It is necessary to mention the fact that in literature, the Welrod .32ACP is consistently referred to as Mk I just as the Welrod 9mm Parabellum is referred to as Mk II. In the case where the referral is to British Welrods, this is an error. It is safe to assume that the mix up occurred when the American .32ACP’s were designated Mk I, just to further confuse the issue. The Welrod Mk II was, from the beginning, constructed around caliber .32ACP. It was only later when some field operators, due to bad experiences, questioned the efficiency of the caliber .32ACP, that it was decided to further develop the Mk II. The result was the British Welrod Mk I, 9mm Parabellum.

To further add to the confusion, you will find that the American weapons literature in several places refer to the Welrod as “Hand Firing Device Mk I”. But on the Welrod that is kept in the Ministry of Defence/Pattern Room, the marking on the suppressor tube says: “.32 Hand Firing Mechanism Mk I.”

Additionally, in several places in literature, it can be found that the Welrod was developed by a British officer codenamed “Major Dolphin,” and that his real name was never revealed to the public. It is a fact that the Commander of the Frythe was Major John Robert Vernon Dolphin (later Lt. Col.). That he should have chosen a codename identical with his real name seems rather unlikely. This allegation is simply not true. Newly released documents from the National Archives UK, features a document that was produced towards the end of the war to ensure that the right persons would be properly credited for their inventions. The document reveals that the inventor of both the Welrod and the Sleevegun was Major H.Q.A. Reeves.

Major Hugh Quentin Alleyne Reeves was born in Seaford, Sussex late in 1909. Major Reeves was one of the most productive and creative engineers attached to Station IX. He was, among others, behind the Sten gun silencer, fluorescent night sights, the Sleeping Beauty and the Welgun but to mention a few. After the war he became involved in a project concerning noise reduction in jet engines. Unfortunately 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 an examination he was suddenly drawn into the intake of the silencer and received fatal injuries.

There are persistent rumors stating that the Welrod was also manufactured in calibers .380ACP and .45ACP. So far, this can not be confirmed, as I have been unable to find firm and trustworthy information on the subject.

Twice during my research I have come across information, stating that the Welrod was part of the equipment carried by 2nd Lt. Francis Gary Powers on board his American U2 spy plane when he was shot down over the USSR. This is not correct. Lt. Powers was armed with a silenced Hi-Standard model USA-HD caliber .22LR, serial number 120046. The serial number is not listed in High Standards annals, as the gun was delivered to the CIA, but that is another story entirely.

Status

Welrod Mk I and Mk IIA stayed in service for many years after the end of the war. Several, now retired, SAS (Special Air Service) operator’s 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 American SOG (Studies and Observations Group) were using the Welrod in Vietnam.

Acknowledgment

I would like to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to the following in no particular order: Mr. J.M. Ramos for allowing the use of his drawing in my article. Dr. J. David Truby, Dr. John W. Brunner and Mr. Ralph Hagan for contributing with their help and knowledge. Museum Inspector Esben Kjeldbaek and Storage Manager Soren Rasmussen, both of The Museum of Danish Resistance 1940-1945, Copenhagen. Police Inspector Ole Rasmussen and Weapons Technician Palle Larsen, both of the Federal Danish Police department of weapons technology.

S.O.E.

The Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.) was formed on July 19, 1940. It was primarily concerned with the organization of agents and cells of resistance throughout occupied Europe, as well as providing them with the weapons and means necessary to resist the German occupying forces and their collaborators. The research and development department, Station XII, was based in Aston House close to Stevenage. In addition, there was a weapons section located in the barns at Bride Hall known as Station VI, who, among other assignments, was tasked with the gathering of weapons from any imaginable source for the use of the resistance movements in Europe. The development and production of weapons for the SOE was handled by Station IX. The Commander of Station IX, Col. J.R.V. Dolphin, resided in The Frythe, a mansion approximately one hour drive north from London near the town of Welwyn.

Station IX

Early in 1941, the decision was made to separate development from production. Station XII at Aston House took care of the production and Station IX became solely a research and development facility. Station IX now busied itself with the research and development of weapons and gear to be distributed to the resistance movements. Small cabins and barracks began to sprout all over the estate taking up function as laboratories and workshops. Station IX rapidly became a key factor in the support of the resistance movements and agents behind enemy lines in occupied Europe. One among many successful SOE projects developed at Station IX was the Welrod pistol. The Welrod was produced in two basic versions: the Mk II, firing the .32 ACP round, and the Mk I, chambered for the 9mm Parabellum. The Welrod was so named by combining the first three letters of the town Welwyn – Wel – with the English word “rod”.

Model 1

Preceding any successful invention there are always one or several prototypes, as is the case with the Welrod pistol. The following is a brief description of the Welrod’s predecessor, the Model-1. One of the more notable differences is found in the bolt action; a conventional reloading mechanism similar to that of the Mauser K98. The bolt itself has been tilted in a further downward angle, placing it snugly to the side of the pistol in order to prevent it from snagging on the operator’s clothing. The difference in the trigger also distinctly stands out as it is positioned on the left side of the pistol and therefore must be activated with a forward movement of the thumb. The last major difference has to do with the magazine. It is clad with wood and doubly functions as the pistol’s grip. It is noticeably shorter than on the later Mk II and is an integrated part of the pistol and thus not removable. This means that the pistol had to be loaded from the top and with the breech open, similar to the Mauser C96. Generally, the design was met with satisfaction, but the fact that the pistol had to be loaded from the top, the clumsy bolt-action system, the reduced grip upon trigger activation and the disproportionate size of the pistol grip all combined to redesign the construction around March 1943, ending with the model we know today as the Welrod Mk IIA. That the Welrod wasn’t merely for show has been demonstrated on numerous occasions and it was far from coincidental that it became the pistol that, for decades, set the standard for suppressed pistols.

Variants

The Mk II was air dropped to the resistance in several variants. The primary difference between the two basic models, the Mk II and Mk IIA, are the shape of the trigger and the trigger-guide. Also on the Mk II you can see that the ejector port was ground along the length of the weapon (oval shape) whereas on the post #3300 series the ejector port has been ground perpendicularly to the length of weapon (angular shape). Furthermore, lesser variations can occur on both basic models as the changes were made currently. Typically, these are things like the shape of the sights, the ejector port or the way the suppressor was packed; the number of spacers and baffles, etc. The alterations were solely made for reasons of production and had no influence on the functionality or use of the pistol. It should be noted that other variants than the above-mentioned can occur as these descriptions only adhere to the Welrods I have had the opportunity to study. According to a document from The National Archives UK, the Welrod was, in both 9mm and .32 ACP, tested along with 76 other devices during the period October 1. 1943 – October 10. 1944. Both versions received the grading “B” meaning “substantial modifications needed.” It is tempting to assume that these modifications resulted in the change of designation from Mk.II to Mk.IIA. Sadly the characters of the modifications were never specified in detail and why the question remains unanswered. The Welrod Mk I (9mm Parabellum) was equally produced in at least two variants: Type A and Type B. However, I have not been able to define with certainty the difference between the two.

Description of Mk II and Mk IIA

On the exterior, the pistol consists only of the tube which, including the breech, measures 12.2 inches. On to the tube is fitted an approximately 1 inch wide magazine housing. The housing fits a modified magazine from a Colt Pocket Model 1903 .32 ACP pistol. The modification consists of a little locking mechanism soldered onto the back of the magazine. When inserted into the magazine housing, the mechanism locks into a small square hole on the back of the housing. The magazine, sheathed in rubber (Ebonite), doubly functions as the pistol’s 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 the pistol is a so-called grip safety. When the grip is held correctly the safety device on the back of the grip will be deactivated and the weapon can be fired. The safety works by mechanically blocking the action of the trigger but not that of the firing pin. The trigger, best described as a bent nail, is, contrary to the Mk I, not protected by a trigger guard, meaning that it cannot simply be tucked into the belt without risking an accidental discharge. The sights are basic front and rear with the rear mounted in a dovetail with no adjustment alternative as the Welrod is pre-sighted from the factory. The pistol weights 2.4 pounds. Even though the magazine holds 8 rounds, the manual recommends the loading of 5 rounds maximum in order to ensure a reliable feed of the chamber upon reloading. The Mk II’s are bi-coloured in that the receiver is brownish. The Mk IIA pistols appear well made, sturdy of construction and without lavish detail. It is parkerized and the finish appears steely grey. The rubber magazine is black. With the magazine off, 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 painted black. Several areas still have paint residue around the trigger, trigger-guide and magazine housing. If they actually at some point in time were black, the reason has yet to be determined.

Function

The pistol is a single-shot weapon but since it is operated, and basically functions as a bolt-action rifle, it is possible to reload and fire relatively fast. This is accomplished by twisting the knurled end of the breech 90 degrees counter clockwise and pulling it back approximately 1.5 inch until it reaches the stopping screw. This extracts and ejects the empty cartridge case vertically as with the Luger P.08. The breech is then pushed forward, stripping a round from the magazine and feeding it into the chamber, and at the same time cocking the firing pin. The pin is of the “floating” type, as we know it, among others, from the Luger P.08 and basically functions in the same manner. To lock the breech, twist the knurled end 90 degrees clockwise and the pistol is ready to fire. The breech has its two locking lugs placed to the rear, as opposed to modern rifles where the lugs are placed in front of the breech head. As there is no protruding grip on the breech, you can visually verify the correct locking by checking that the purpose made V-shaped notch on the knurled part is aligned with the V-shaped notch in the receiver just behind the rear sight. For cleaning or maintenance the stopping screw is unscrewed with a coin or screwdriver allowing the breech to be extracted from the receiver. Keeping in mind the purpose for which it was built, it is obvious why the Welrod had no place on the open battlefields. This statement is supported in the English manual from December 1943 where the reason for the shape of the nose cap is given as follows: “The nose cap of the weapon is hollowed to enable an operator to place it tightly against the body of a person and fire. The noise is then still further reduced. This will allow the shooting of a man in a crowd with the minimum chance of detection. For this purposes, there is no question of any special training.” In the same manual, the effective range in daylight is given to be 25 yards, and in darkness – hence the fluorescent coating on the sights – 7 to 10 yards. The manual does however recommend that the operational distance be kept to within 8 yards. A prerequisite for shooting at 25 yards is explained as follows: “For these deliberate shot, extreme accuracy is required. It can only be obtained by correct trigger squeeze, that is by gradual squeeze of the whole hand. With training and practice it will be found quite possible to get very accurate groups at the distances mentioned. The gun should be held with the thumb and forefinger as close up to the muzzle as possible, the pistol grip being held by the right hand no harder than is necessary to compress the safety catch. For standing shots, the left elbow should be held as close in to the body as possible.”

The Suppressor

The Welrod differentiates from others in that it is constructed around an integrated suppressor. The entire mechanism is built into an 11.8 inch metal tube with a diameter of 1.26 inches. The roughly 3.74 inch barrel ends in a bearing approximately halfway down the tube. Along the five-tracked rifling, 20 holes have been drilled with a 0.63 inch diameter, permitting the gases to escape into the containing cylinder housing functioning as an expansion chamber. The bearing, best described as a sort of baffle, is provided with 12 holes equally 0.63 inches in diameter, enabling the gases to further circulate from the expansion chamber and into the deflector system consisting of a series of baffles and washers. When fired, the projectile passes through 18 metal disc baffles separated by twelve 0.2 inch wide spacers and three rubber washers. The baffles are of course provided with a hole to allow the projectile to pass unobstructed, but it must be noted that four of the discs has a hole diameter of 0.5 inch while the other 14 are but 0.37 inches across. It is extremely important when replacing the baffles that the three baffles with the wider diameter are placed on the outside of the washers in order to allow the washer material to expand as they are penetrated by the projectile. Somewhat different is it with the three rubber washers who have no holes until penetrated by the very first shot. The purpose of these washers are to reseal themselves, if not entirely then as much as possible after the exit of the projectile, thus restraining the gases and forcing them into the deflector system. However, the washers are quickly worn resulting in a significant decrease in noise reduction. This has no greater tactical influence though as the Welrod was solely meant as a liquidation weapon. The speed of sound at a temperature of 15° Celsius (59° Fahrenheit) travels 1,115 fps. (340 m/s). For every single centigrade rise in temperature, the speed of sound increase accordingly by 1.6 fps. (0.5 m/s.) It is therefore important to maintain a certain tolerance between the muzzle velocity and the speed of sound if the optimal sound reduction is to be obtained. According to the manual, the Welrod delivers a 72-grain Kynoch projectile at a muzzle velocity of 920 fps. (280m/s).

Decibel

The suppressor functions optimally within the first 10-15 rounds fired. The American OSS (Office of Strategic Services), according to a document dated February 12, 1945, performed a measurement on noise from suppressed weapons to help evaluate their own just finished prototype: the Hi-Standard Automatic Pistol calibre .380 ACP. All measurements are performed at a perpendicular angle 10 feet from the muzzle. From the document, the average noise level of the Welrod pistol was at 73 dB, Hi Standard .380 ACP at 81 dB and Hi-Standard .22LR at 71 dB. In comparison, a non-suppressed calibre .32 ACP pistol has a noise level of 105 dB. This equals, in the case of the Welrod, a noise reduction of approximately 32 dB. You need to keep in mind that the decibel scale is logarithmic 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, and many others, am of the opinion that the decibel factor is too intangible a notion to deal with, which is why I much prefer an audio/visual explanation and comparison. For this reason, 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; the match 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 the gases are now released at once under pressure through the chamber. After firing 15 rounds or so, the efficiency of the suppressor is considerably reduced as the holes in the baffles are being worn to the size of the calibre itself. In many cases, an extraction tool together with a small canvas bag containing 3 spare washers was issued, permitting the operator to change these as the need arose.

Acknowledgement

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the following in no particular order: Mr. J. M. Ramos for allowing the use of his drawing in my article, Dr. J. David Truby, Dr. John W. Brunner and Mr. Ralph Hagan for contributing with their help and knowledge. Museum Inspector Esben Kjeldbaek and Storage Manager Soren Rasmussen, both of The Museum of Danish Resistance 1940-1945, Copenhagen. Police Inspector Ole Rasmussen and Weapons Technician Palle Larsen, both of the Federal Danish Police department of weapons technology.

Editor’s note: Measuring equipment available in 1945 was incapable of accurately measuring sound levels, and measurements from then are approximately 45 dB lower than those obtained by modern MIL-STD procedures today. SAR published modern tests on the Welrod system in SAR Vol. 5 No. 11.