View source for Welrod

{{Short description|Covert pistol}}
{{infobox weapon
| image              = Welrod Mk I (6825681998).jpg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = Welrod 9mm Mk I
| origin             = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| type               = [[Silencer (firearms)|Integrally suppressed]] [[Pistol|pistol]]
| is_ranged          = yes
| is_UK              = yes
| range              = {{cvt|25|yd}} (Day)<br />{{cvt|7|–|8|yd}} (Night)
| caliber            = [[.32 ACP]] (Mk I, II/IIA) / [[9×19mm Parabellum]] (9mm Mk I)
| action             = [[Bolt action]]
| part_length        = {{cvt|3.25|in}}
| wars               = [[World War II]], [[Vietnam War]], [[Falklands War]], [[Desert Storm]]
| designer           = Inter-Services Research Bureau
| design_date        = 1942
| manufacturer       = [[Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited|BSA]]; unnamed other manufacturers
| production_date    = [[World War II]] and onwards
| number             = around 14,000<ref name="FW" />
| variants           = Welrod Mk I (Prototype), Welrod Mk II / IIA (.32 ACP)
                       Welrod Mk I (9mm)
| feed               = 6-round ([[9x19 Parabellum]]); 8-round ([[.32 ACP]])
| name               = Welrod
}}

The '''Welrod''' is a British [[bolt-action]], [[Magazine (firearms)|magazine-fed]] [[pistol]] with an integrated [[suppressor|silencer]] that was devised for covert operations during the [[Second World War]] by Major [[Hugh Reeves]] at the Inter-Services Research Bureau (later [[Station IX]]). 

Station IX is based in [[Welwyn]], and gave the Welrod its unusual name. It is derived from "Wel" from "Welwyn" (a prefix used by covert equipment designed by Station IX) and "rod", gangland slang for gun, as a way to obscure its purpose.<ref name="FW" />

The Welrod is designed for use by [[Irregular military|irregular]] forces and [[resistance group]]s, and is an extremely quiet gun due to its integrated silencer. Approximately 2,800 were made in wartime and perhaps 14,000 in total when post-war examples are included.<ref name="FW" />

==Development==
The name ''Welrod'' comes from the custom of naming all clandestine equipment devised at Station IX in Welwyn starting with ''Wel'', such as the [[BSA Welgun|''Welgun'']], ''[[Welbike]]'' and ''[[Welman]]''.<ref name="FW" /> A document produced toward the end of the war ensured that the right people were properly credited for their inventions at Station IX. This document identifies Major [[Hugh Reeves]] as the inventor of the Welrod. He was also responsible for other important designs, including the [[sleeve gun]], which was similar to the Welrod, though single shot and made to be concealed up a sleeve.<ref>{{Cite book |title=SOE: The Scientific Secrets |last=Boyce |first=Fredric |last2=Everett |first2=Douglas |date=2004 |publisher=Sutton |isbn=978-0-7509-4005-4 |location=Stroud}}</ref>

The Welrod was used primarily by the British [[Special Operations Executive]] (SOE) but was also used by the American [[Office of Strategic Services]] (OSS) and Resistance forces.<ref>{{citation |last=Stejskal |first=James |page=56 |title=Special Operations in WWII: The SOE and OSS |date=2020-04-30 |publisher=Casemate |isbn=978-1-61200-772-4}}</ref>

The Welrod is a "sanitised" weapon, meaning that it has no markings indicating its manufacturer or country of origin; it is marked only with a serial number and some inscrutable symbols and letters. [[Birmingham Small Arms Company|The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited]] (BSA) confirmed that it manufactured some Welrod pistols but put no markings at all on them, so it is likely that any markings were added by the British military after delivery.

The original Mk.I Welrod is of a bolt-action design.<ref name=mk1 /> Though 500 were ordered, it is not clear if it ever got beyond the prototype stage,<ref name=mk1>{{cite web |url=https://royalarmouries.org/collection/object/object-273676 |title=Centrefire single-shot bolt-action suppressed pistol - Welrod .32 in. Mk.I Prototype - 1943 |website=royalarmouries.org |publisher=Royal Armouries |access-date=3 December 2023}}</ref> but at least one prototype is known to have survived.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srAN5aMvNGY |title=The Experimental SOE Welrod MkI Prototype |date=2024-08-12 |last=Forgotten Weapons |access-date=2025-02-03 |via=YouTube}}</ref> The Welrod Mk II, chambered for [[.32 ACP]] is the primary model.<ref name="FW" /><ref name="FW2">{{cite web |last1=McCollum |first1=Ian |title=B&T VP9 Silenced Pistol: A Modern Welrod |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7tP9s4mm5I |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/o7tP9s4mm5I| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|website=Youtube |publisher=Forgotten Weapons |access-date=15 December 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Due to poor field results, the Welrod 9mm Mk I was subsequently developed using [[9×19mm Parabellum]] rounds.<ref name="misinfo" /><ref name="FW2" />

==Design==
[[File:Welrod Mk II (6825681888).jpg|thumb|Welrod Mk IIA]]
The Welrod takes the form of a {{convert|1.25|in|mm|adj=mid|-diameter}} cylinder, about {{cvt|12|in|mm}} long.<ref name="Sup">{{cite web|url=http://www.timelapse.dk/thesilencer.php |title=The Suppressor |publisher=Timelapse.Dk |date=1945-02-12 |access-date=2012-08-24}}</ref> The rear section of the cylinder contains the bolt, the middle section, the vented (16–20 ports) barrel and expansion chamber for the barrel and the front section, the baffles and (rubber) wipes of the silencer. There is a [[knurling|knurled]] knob at the rear that serves as the bolt handle, which unlocks when rotated 90 degrees. The magazine doubles as the grip and can be removed for ease of hiding. The exclusion of a pistol grip was apparently done to help conceal the weapon's purpose and in some groups it was called a "bicycle pump" due to its innocuous look with the magazine/grip removed.<ref name="FW">{{cite web |last1=McCollum |first1=Ian |title=Silent But Deadly: Welrod Mk IIA |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d12AjvEsaHg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/d12AjvEsaHg| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|website=Youtube |publisher=Forgotten Weapons |access-date=12 December 2018 |date=27 December 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The Welrod is provided with sights marked with luminescent paint for use in low-light conditions.<ref name="FW" /> The Mk I manual states: "It is accurate up to {{cvt|30|yd}} in daylight or {{cvt|20|yd}} on a fairly light night but is most effective when fired [[contact shot|in contact with the target]]".<ref name=thygesen>{{cite web |last=Thygesen |first=Anders |title=The Welrod Pistol |url=https://smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1737 |website=Small Arms Review |date=15 March 2013 |access-date=31 May 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327064901/https://smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1737|archive-date= March 27, 2022}}</ref> The muzzle end of the gun is ground slightly concave to minimise noise during a contact shot; this may have also improved grip against the target, decreasing the chance of missing.<ref name="FW" /><ref>{{Cite book |title=Britische Schalldämpferwaffen 1939–1945: Entwicklung, Technik, Wirkung |last=Michel |first=Wolfgang |date=2009 |publisher=Books on Demand |isbn=978-3-8370-2149-3 |edition=1. Aufl., Korr. Nachdr |location=Norderstedt |oclc=705505671}}</ref>

The ported barrel of the Welrod serves two purposes; it releases the powder gases gradually into the rear of the silencer, reducing the sound of firing, and it reduces the velocity of the bullet to [[speed of sound|subsonic]] speeds. This is especially important in the 9 mm version because the standard 9 mm loading is [[supersonic]]. The metal baffles and rubber wipes that follow the barrel serve to further slow the gases of firing, releasing them over a longer period of time and avoiding the sharp explosion that occurs when high pressure powder gases are suddenly released to the atmosphere.<ref name="FW" />

The Welrod uses a bolt-action design because it is simple, reliable, and quiet. The bolt-action has only the noise of the firing pin hitting the primer, and the bolt can be cycled quietly.<ref name="FW" /> Magazines of six and eight rounds were produced.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dougherty |first=Martin J. |pages=202–3 |title=Pistols and Revolvers: From 1400 to the Present Day |date=2017-04-20 |publisher=Amber Books Ltd |isbn=978-1-78274-266-1 |language=en}}</ref>

==Operation==
The pistol is manually operated using a rotary bolt, locking with two lugs. Loading is performed with a pull/push action using the round knurled knob to the rear of the weapon. The trigger is single stage with a simple safety at the back of the magazine housing. The detachable single stack magazine contains six or eight rounds (depending on calibre) and serves as a pistol grip with the bottom part enclosed by the plastic cover.<ref name="FW" />

In 2002, ''Small Arms Review'' tested the Welrod (in .32 ACP) and found a 34-decibel noise reduction compared to a control pistol with a same length (3.25 inch) barrel for a final 122.8 decibel value. Earlier sound measurements did not meet the standards in place in 2002. According to ''Small Arms Review'', the lower earlier measurements were "Undoubtedly [...] a function of the available measuring equipment (including excessive meter rise time)". A fully refurbished Welrod sounds quieter than a CO<sub>2</sub> pellet pistol, with Philip H. Dater calling it "Hollywood quiet". The Welrod's sound is almost imperceptible at 15 feet in a quiet environment and it would be inaudible to the operator in a noisy environment where the muzzle is in contact with the target.<ref name="SAR">{{Cite web |url=https://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=2335 |title=SAR Tests the .32 caliber Welrod |author=Philip H. Dater |website=www.smallarmsreview.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327064739/http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=2335|archive-date= March 27, 2022}}</ref>

==Use==
There was a plan in 1943 to drop Welrods into German-occupied territories for the mass assassination of ''[[Schutzstaffel]]'' (SS) and [[Gestapo]] officers and soldiers within a one-month period by resistance units. This plan was possibly delayed or called off in the aftermath of [[Operation Anthropoid]], the assassination of [[Reinhard Heydrich]] by [[Czech resistance]] forces.<ref name="FW" /> In the wake of his assassination, an estimated 13,000 civilians were arrested and interrogated, 5,000 civilians murdered in German reprisal killings and the villages of [[Lidice]] and [[Ležáky]] destroyed.

The Welrod was used in Denmark during the war, was dropped in several other countries, and is reported to have been used during the 1982 [[Falklands War]], and during operation [[Desert Storm]] by British [[United Kingdom Special Forces|Special Forces]].<ref name="FW" /><ref name="misinfo">{{cite web|url=http://www.timelapse.dk/misinformation.php |title=Misinformation |publisher=Timelapse.Dk |date=1955-10-25 |access-date=2012-08-24}}</ref> Welrod guns were also found in weapons caches from [[Operation Gladio]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/beitrag/video/2120546/Die-Schattenkrieger-der-NATO |title=Die Schattenkrieger der NATO |date=25 March 2014 |last=Stoll |first=Ulrich |publisher=ZDF Info |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328073712/http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/beitrag/video/2120546/Die-Schattenkrieger-der-NATO |archive-date=2016-03-28 |quote=Zum ersten Mal berichtet ein Mitglied der geheimen BND-Partisanentruppe "Stay behind" über seinen Auftrag im Kalten Krieg. "Dieter Gerlach", so sein Deckname |trans-title=The shadow warriors of NATO}}</ref> The Welrod was used by [[US Army Special Forces]] soldiers assigned to Detachment "A" Berlin during the Cold War<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Stejskal |first=James |date=December 2017 |title=Cold War Warriors |magazine=American Rifleman |publisher=American Rifleman|url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/cold-war-warriors-the-men-and-guns-of-special-forces-berlin/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330111321/https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/cold-war-warriors-the-men-and-guns-of-special-forces-berlin/|archive-date=March 30, 2023}}</ref> and by [[Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group]] (MACV-SOG).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=National Rifle |title=An Official Journal Of The NRA {{!}} Behind Enemy Lines: Guns of Vietnam's SOG Warriors |url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/behind-enemy-lines-guns-of-vietnam-s-sog-warriors/ |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=An Official Journal Of The NRA |language=en|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725145349/https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/behind-enemy-lines-guns-of-vietnam-s-sog-warriors/|archive-date= July 25, 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
* {{annotated link|Brügger & Thomet VP9}} intended for veterinary use
* {{annotated link|De Lisle carbine}}
* {{annotated link|PSS silent pistol}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20230128110341/https://timelapse.dk/welrod.php A Danish site with research into the production and use of the Welrod]
* [https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196235/welrod-mark-iia-silenced-pistol/ Welrod article at National Museum of the United States Air Force]
* [https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/the-guns-of-welwyn-five-incredible-weapons-of-the-british-special-operations-executive/ The Guns of Welwyn: Five Incredible Weapons of the British Special Operations Executive]

{{Station IX devices}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

[[Category:.32 ACP firearms]]
[[Category:9mm Parabellum firearms]]
[[Category:Bolt-action pistols]]
[[Category:Pistols of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Silenced firearms]]
[[Category:Concealable firearms]]
[[Category:Special Operations Executive]]
[[Category:World War II infantry weapons of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1942]]