Both the primary US cartridge (the .30-06 Springfield) and the standard German cartridge (the 8x57mm IS / 8mm Mauser) used modern smokeless powders, which burned cleanly and produced minimal smoke.The main reasons why any differences in smoke would have been negligible on the battlefield include:Smokeless Powder Technology: By WWII, both militaries relied on highly advanced nitrocellulose-based smokeless propellants. This technology had largely eliminated the heavy white and grey clouds that characterized older black powder firearms from the 19th century.Flash Suppressants: The chemical composition of the gunpowder used by both nations was largely standardized. Neither standard-issue rifle round contained excessive smoke-producing fillers, resulting in a similar, near-smokeless discharge upon firing.Exceptions for Specialized Ammunition: While standard ball rounds for both the US M1 Garand/Springfield and the German Karabiner 98k were clean, both sides utilized specialized ammunition that produced distinct signatures. For instance, both nations used tracer rounds (which left a visible chemical trail to mark targets) and smoke rounds (specifically designed to generate heavy, obscuring, or signaling smoke), but these were used for entirely different tactical purposes.Ultimately, any perceived differences in smoke on the battlefield usually came down to the rate of fire—the US M1 Garand was a semi-automatic rifle capable of firing 8 rounds in quick succession, while the German primary infantry rifle was a bolt-action—rather than a difference in the chemical composition of the powder