Arms industry of the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen

The arms industry of the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen manufactured firearms and military equipment for the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen from 1954 until the regime's collapse on 30 November 2024. The government established its first dedicated firearms manufacturer, Einsatzgruppen Waffenfabrik, in 1954. The company was replaced in 1967 by Einsatzgruppen Waffen und Munitionswerk, which continued production until 1985. Its successor, Kleiner Einsatzgruppen Waffenfabrik (KEW), supplied firearms and ammunition to the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS until 2024.

History

The Tanoa Einsatzgruppen initially used German firearms dating from the Second World War that had been smuggled into Argentina. Before the expedition to Tanoa in 1944, Jan Paap had also collected weapons and other supplies for his forces. After the occupation began, the organization continued obtaining weapons from outside its territory while developing its own manufacturing facilities.

In 1949, Teodoro Strobl established Strobl S.A., a mining and steel company financed by Jan Paap and wealthy former officers of Nazi Germany. The company later manufactured tanks using blueprints that had been smuggled into Argentina. Tank production began after Strobl completed a steel manufacturing facility on Tanoa in 1958.

The government founded Einsatzgruppen Waffenfabrik (EW) in 1954 as its first dedicated firearms manufacturer. The factory supplied weapons to the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen until 1967, when it closed and was replaced by Einsatzgruppen Waffen und Munitionswerk (EWUM). The new company continued producing firearms and also manufactured ammunition.

Industrial production came under the supervision of the Reichsministerium für Industrie und Produktion, which maintained factory records and issued production targets. The ministry also provided information about manufacturing capacity to the Oberkommando der Tanoa Einsatzgruppen.

Kleiner Einsatzgruppen Waffenfabrik

In 1984, Gustavo Kleiner founded Kleiner Einsatzgruppen Waffenfabrik to replace EWUM. The Tanoan government financed a new factory in the interior of Tuvanaka Island. It was built away from the island's settlements, with a guarded road connecting the compound to the local transport network.

EWUM remained in operation during the construction of the new factory. When it closed in 1985, its machinery and skilled employees were transferred to Tuvanaka. KEW continued manufacturing firearms and ammunition developed by its predecessor. Kleiner subsequently left the factory under government-appointed directors and concentrated on his duties in the Allgemeine SS.

KEW developed its first original firearm in 1992, a modular assault rifle that could be fitted with interchangeable components. Selected Wehrmacht and Waffen SS units tested the design and submitted their findings to the manufacturer. KEW revised the rifle before it entered regular service in 1995. Production initially remained limited, and the factory continued manufacturing older EWUM designs alongside the new weapon.

In 2001, larger government orders financed additional machinery and an expansion of the civilian workforce. Tanoan authorities also began assigning forced laborers to the factory. Experienced civilian workers operated the manufacturing machinery, while forced laborers handled materials and performed maintenance work.

Final years

The government increased its orders for firearms and ammunition as resistance against the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen intensified after 2014. KEW extended working shifts to maintain production and postponed machinery maintenance. By November 2024, the factory's equipment was heavily worn, and both civilian employees and forced laborers had been subjected to prolonged working hours.

During November 2024, Tanoan authorities transferred most of the forced laborers away from KEW. Civilian employees continued manufacturing weapons until the final days of the regime, when the remaining management ordered production records and forced-labor registers destroyed.

KEW ceased operations on 30 November 2024, when the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen surrendered in Georgetown. Transitional authorities confiscated the weapons stored at the factory and closed the site. Investigators later recovered surviving production records, including damaged documents. The factory's manufacturing machinery was dismantled in 2025.

See also

• Economy of Tanoa
• Kleiner Einsatzgruppen Waffenfabrik
• Reichsministerium für Industrie und Produktion
• Tanoa Einsatzgruppen