WW2 Firearms trivia question

[Greybeard]

Ok - I'm home sick, and I'm bored to death of watching TV..

So here is the question..

We all know that the first nation that participated in WW2 that supplied it's infantry troops with semi-automatic firearms was the USA in the form of the M1 Garand..

The Germans introduced the Gewehr 43 into service in 1943, and issued them primarily to paratroops.

Prior to 1943 only one other European country had issued a semi-automatic rifle for use with regular infantry.

Can you tell me which country, and what the weapon was?

I've got one of these little animals in my small collection, so I am pretty certain that I know the answer.. ;)

-Greybeard