entropy
Member
Yeah, I wonder where they expected to be forced down. Not much big game to subsist on in France or England. Maybe they were planning on operations over the various African colonies.
Using German logic, they found an off-the-shelf solution for both Air Crew subsistence and self-defense for the officers. (Other then their pistols.) The enlisted may have had orders to pack out the MG15's for defense of the crew. A drilling does have two shotgun barrels, useful in getting small game and birds, as well as the rifle barrel for stand-off defense, and the odd roe deer.
Every other air force at the time issued pistols only. Even the MG's (MG15) were man-portable and useable for such. The Vickers or M1917 (or M2!) , not so much.