Neither claim is true.
The story of how a million came to be made is an industrial tour-de-force of American manufacturing.
The idea seems to have originated with a Polish Military Attache in March of 1942.
In theory, the guerilla could then take the weapons and equipment of the victim.
In this sense, the FP-45 was a gun to get a better gun.
Who Made the Liberator Pistol?
Manufacturing was done in total secrecy at the General Motors Guide Lamp factory in Anderson, Indiana.
The Guide Lamp division of GM was also responsible for theM3 Grease Gun developmentand manufacturing.
Given the designation FP-45, one million pistols were manufactured in just six months.
The FP designation stood for Flare Projector and was part of a subterfuge to mislead enemy spies.
The assembly work went fast, taking only an astonishing eleven weeks.
In Force
General Dwight Eisenhower, Allied commander in the European Theater, got FP-45s.
In July, 1944, another shipment of 40,000 guns from America was delivered in Algiers.
At least some of these guns are known to have made their way to guerillas operating in Greece.
Unlike the other theaters of war, there is written evidence that the pistols were distributed in the field.
The pistols were clearly used by the Philippine guerillas, andI have personally foundoriginal guns there.
Some were delivered by submarine.
Airdrops on the coastline were made.
A batch of 40,000 went on to Ceylon and another 44,000 to Burma.
The rest were destroyed after the war.
The third largest shipment was 100,000 guns destined for Jorhat, India, in August of 1943.
Their ultimate destination was China.
