German Bundeswehr army soldiers with Echo company, 401 mechanised infantry battalion of the ISAF Quick Reaction Force (QRF) take aim with their weapons during a patrol on the outskirts of Mazar-e-Sharif, north of Kabul, in this file picture taken December 10, 2009. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/Files
Washington Post: Germany’s army is so under-equipped that it used broomsticks instead of machine guns
The German army has faced a shortage of equipment for years, but the situation has recently become so precarious that some soldiers took matters into their own hands.
On Tuesday, German broadcaster ARD revealed that German soldiers tried to hide the lack of arms by replacing heavy machine guns with broomsticks during a NATO exercise last year. After painting the wooden sticks black, the German soldiers swiftly attached them to the top of armored vehicles, according to a confidential army report which was leaked to ARD.
Update #1: German army used broomsticks instead of guns during training -- The Telegraph
Update #2: German army paints broomsticks black to resemble machine guns in Nato exercises -- The Independent
WNU Editor: The explanation from the German defense ministry is (I guess) very German .... real weapons were not needed for war games in Norway.