If German soldiers in WWII ran out of bullets, what did they do to survive?


 A German soldier had only 4 quick ways to remain alive when ammunition stopped of which none was the best. Retreating was the wisest solution. In case a unit was out of bullets, the commander would call a quick retreat to a more secure position where the fire line would be covered by friendly forces or heavy fire. The men were hastening along, and wished a supply train was running.In case of retreat, the second option was hand-to-hand fighting, which was referred to as Nahkampf. Bayonets were found in German rifles, yet the weapon against which the enemy was afraid of was a shovel, a kind of entrenching tool. The shovel was sharpened and served the purpose of a little axe in trenches or buildings by the soldiers. They held back the last grenades to this last effort at defence.


Third, they picked up ammunition on the battlefield. Crawling up to fallen German men was a dangerous affair but they also picked shells of fallen enemies. It was better to have a Russian or American rifle which it had taken than a burnt German one.


Lastly, as supply trains ceased to come and they were surrounded by enemies, they had no choice but to surrender. This is the situation that prevailed towards the end of the war when it was too late to withdraw and the ammunition was used up.

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