German rifle. The best infantry weapons of the second world war
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Georgy Shpagin and Alexei Sudayev gave the Soviet soldier a simple and reliable weapon
Throughout Russia and Eastern Europe there are monuments to Soviet soldiers. And if this is a monumental figure of a soldier, then in his hands he almost always has. This weapon, which has become one of the symbols of Victory, is easily recognizable thanks to the disk magazine. And although most experts recognize the PPS designed by Sudaev as the best submachine gun of the Second World War, the Great Patriotic War is associated precisely with the massive, charismatic, very Russian Shpagin assault rifle.
THE THORNY WAY OF AUTOMATION
First World War showed that in the collision of huge masses of armed people, the density of fire is a more important factor than the accuracy of shooting. It required a rapid-fire, compact weapon with a large portable ammunition, convenient both in the offensive and in defense, in the limited space of the trench and the street. Thus, a machine gun and an automatic (self-loading) pistol were combined in one sample. By the end of the war, in some warring countries they even managed to be adopted.
In Russia, in 1916, a submachine gun designed by Vladimir Fedorov chambered for 6.5 mm was adopted, which was soon renamed into an automatic rifle.
Since then, we have called all automatic weapons chambered less than a rifle. The first machines were produced in small quantities and were quite capricious. Until 1925, 3200 of them were produced, and in 1928 they were removed from service. The reason is the need to make a special 6.5 mm cartridge. But most importantly, a 7.62-mm light infantry machine gun of the Degtyarev system of the 1927 model of the year (DP27) appeared.
Directly, submachine guns in the Soviet Union began to be created from the mid-1920s. The command of the Red Army came to the conclusion that the revolver is only suitable for self-defense, and for active combat operations, all junior and middle command personnel should be re-equipped with submachine guns. The first PP of the Tokarev system of the 1927 model of the year was created for a revolver cartridge. But then it was recognized that the cartridge should be the same for an automatic pistol and a submachine gun, that is, a Mauser cartridge of 7.62 mm caliber, which has been loved since the Civil War.
In parallel, the design of a self-loading (automatic) rifle (carbine) for the personnel of the Red Army was going on. In 1936, the Simonov automatic rifle (ABC-36) was adopted. But two years later, it was replaced by the Tokarev self-loading rifle (SVT-38). After the Soviet-Finnish war, its modernized version of the SVT-40 appeared. They wanted to equip the entire Soviet army with it.
SVT-38
There is still an opinion that SVT turned out to be bad weapon with a lot of flaws, did not justify itself and was discontinued with the outbreak of war. The attempt to make a sniper rifle out of it was just as unsuccessful. Due to poor accuracy in October 1942, its production was stopped, returning to the good old "mosquito", which only switched to the PU optical sight designed for SVT.
However, the ballistics of the Tokarev self-loading was quite decent, and famous sniper Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko, who destroyed 309 Nazis, hunted with the SVT-40. The simple and reliable design of the rifle failed only with poor maintenance and improper operation. But for the not very literate peasants, who formed the basis of the personnel of the Red Army, this turned out to be beyond understanding.
Another thing is the Germans, who highly valued this weapon. They even officially adopted the captured SVT under the index 258 (r) - SVT-38 and 259 (r) - SVT-40. They also used the sniper version. They had no complaints about the rifle. Moreover, according to her model, they tried to make their G-43 (W). And the famous designer Hugo Schmeisser borrowed from Tokarev a gas-operated reloading system for his Sturmgever. After the war, the Belgians used the SVT locking system in the design of the FN FAL automatic rifle, which is still in service in a number of countries.
G-43
She used SVT until the end of the war and did not express any complaints. Claims to the reliability of the rifle appeared at the end of 1941, when the quality of all products generally fell, and older soldiers were drafted into the army. In 1941, 1,031,861 copies of the SVT were produced, in 1942 - only 264,148. In October 1942, the sniper SVT was discontinued. But in the usual version they continued to produce, albeit in small quantities. Moreover, an automatic version of the AVT rifle was launched into the series.
AWT
But according to the operating rules, automatic firing from this light rifle could only be carried out in short bursts in rare cases: "with a lack of light machine guns and in exceptional moments of the battle." The soldiers did not follow this rule. Moreover, proper care of the rifle mechanism was not provided. And the troops stopped receiving high-quality lubricant, without which the automation began to fail, stick in the cold, etc. So this very good weapon was compromised.
The history of the SVT has shown that a weapon for our soldier should be extremely simple, durable, unpretentious in operation and extremely reliable.
The production of SVT and AVT continued until 1945, since the need for rapid fire weapons remained high until the end of the war. Only on January 3, 1945, by a decree of the State Defense Committee of the USSR, SVT and AVT were discontinued. Two weeks later, the production of the Mosin rifle was terminated by the same decree. Immediately after the war, Tokarevsky rifles were withdrawn from the troops and handed over to warehouses. But part of the SVT was then transferred to hunters-traders. Some are still in operation and do not cause any complaints, since hunters treat their weapons responsibly.
In Finland, SVT is highly valued and is considered an excellent weapon with high combat qualities. Local experts simply do not perceive criticism against her and are surprised that in Russia this weapon is so compromised. The Finns, with their cult of weapons, are very sensitive to the rules for handling weapons, so they simply do not know the weaknesses of the SVT.
SVT-40
The main reasons for the decline in the production of SVT during the war were its high cost and complexity of manufacture. All parts were produced on metalworking machines, a large consumption of metal, including alloy steel, was required. To understand this, it is enough to compare the selling price of SVT in the official price list of 1939 - 2000 rubles with the price of some machine guns: "Maxim" without a machine tool with spare parts - 1760 rubles, a DP machine gun with spare parts - 1150 rubles, a ShKAS winged aircraft machine gun - 1650 rub. At the same time, the rifle mod. 1891/30 cost only 166 rubles, and its sniper version with a scope - 245 rubles.
Since the beginning of the war, it was necessary to equip tens of millions of people at the front and in the rear with small arms. Therefore, the production of a cheap and simple Mosin rifle was restored. Its production soon reached 10-12 thousand pieces per day. That is, a whole division was armed daily. Therefore, there was no shortage of weapons. One rifle for three was only in the construction battalion in the initial period of the war.
BIRTH OF PPSh
Shpagina became another reason for abandoning the mass production of SVT. On the vacated production areas, large-scale production of PPSh began.
The submachine gun in the Red Army at first did not find recognition. In 1930, it was noted that it was declared unfit for military operations in Germany and the USA, it is used only by the police and internal security. However, the head of armaments of the Red Army, Ieronim Uborevich, petitioned for a competition and the production of a trial batch of PP. In 1932-1933, 14 different samples of the submachine gun passed state tests. On January 23, 1935, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense, the Degtyarev submachine gun mod. 1934 (PPD).
PPD-34
However, PPD was made almost piece by piece. The "cavalrymen" from the People's Commissariat of Defense considered the PP unnecessary, if not harmful. Even the improvement of the PPD did not help. However, the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army insisted on the widespread introduction of the submachine gun.
PPD-38/40
In 1939, it was noted that it was advisable to introduce a submachine gun into service. certain categories fighters of the Red Army, the border guard of the NKVD, machine-gun and gun crews, airborne troops, drivers, etc. However, in February 1939, the PPD was withdrawn from service, withdrawn from the troops and handed over to warehouses. The persecution of the submachine gun was also facilitated by the repressions against its supporters - Tukhachevsky, Uborevich and others. The people of Voroshilov who came to their place were opponents of the new. PPD has been discontinued.
Meanwhile, the war in Spain proved the need for a submachine gun in the army. The Germans have already tested their MP-38 in battle,
took into account the identified flaws and modernized in the MP-40. And the war with Finland clearly showed that in the conditions of wooded and rough terrain, a submachine gun is a necessary fire weapon for close combat.
The Finns effectively used their Suomi PP, arming them with maneuverable groups of skiers and individual soldiers acting independently. And now the failures in Karelia began to be explained by the absence of ... submachine guns in the troops.
At the end of December 1939, the PPD was again put into service, already in the PPD-40 variant, and production was urgently restored. At the request of Stalin, who really liked the capacious round store "Suomi", the same drum is being developed for the PPD-40. In 1940, they manage to produce 81,118 submachine guns.
The talented self-taught gunsmith Georgy Semenovich Shpagin (1897-1952) at the beginning of 1940 began to develop his own version of a submachine gun. He set the task of maintaining the high tactical and technical data of the PPD, but making his weapon easier to manufacture. He was well aware that on the basis of labor-intensive machine tools mass army it is impossible to rearm. This is how the idea of a stamp-welded design was born.
This idea did not meet with the support of colleagues, only doubts. But Shpagin was convinced of the correctness of his thoughts. By that time, new technologies of hot stamping and cold pressing of high precision and purity of processing had already been introduced in mechanical engineering. Electricity appeared. Georgy Shpagin, who graduated from only a three-year school, but was closely familiar with production, proved to be a true innovator. He not only created the design, but also developed the basics of the technology for its mass production. It was a revolutionary approach to the design of small arms.
Already in August 1940, Shpagin personally made the first sample of a submachine gun. It was a blowback system. Relatively speaking, after the shot, the recoil threw the bolt - a steel "blank" weighing about 800 g. The bolt captured and ejected the spent cartridge case. Then a powerful return spring sent it back. Along the way, the bolt captured the cartridge supplied from the disk magazine, drove it into the barrel and pricked the primer with a striker. A shot was fired, and the entire cycle of shutter movements was repeated. If at this time trigger released, the shutter was fixed in the cocked state. If the hook remained pressed, the magazine with a capacity of 71 rounds was completely emptied in about five seconds.
During disassembly, the machine opened into only five parts. It didn't require any tool. A fiber shock absorber, later made of leather, dampened the blows of a massive bolt in the rearmost position, which significantly lengthened the service life of the weapon. The original muzzle brake, which also served as a compensator, improved stability and increased the accuracy of fire by 70% relative to the RPM.
At the end of August 1940, field tests of the Shpagin submachine gun began. The survivability of the structure was tested by 30 thousand shots. The PCA worked flawlessly. A full check showed that the machine passed the test, no damage was found in the details. Moreover, after such loads, he showed quite satisfactory results in the accuracy of firing bursts. Shooting was carried out with thick lubrication and dustiness and, conversely, after washing all moving parts with kerosene and a dry compound. 5000 shots were fired without cleaning the weapon. Of these, half - single, half - continuous fire. It should be noted that the parts were mostly stamped.
At the end of November, comparative tests of the Degtyarev submachine guns taken from the gross production, Shpagin and Shpitalny took place. In the end, Shpagin won. Here it will be useful to provide some data. Number of parts: PPD and Shpitalny - 95, PPSh - 87. The number of machine hours required for processing parts: PPD - 13.7; Spiral - 25.3; PCA - 5.6 hours. Number of threaded places: PPD - 7; Shpitalny - 11, PPSh - 2. New technology production gave great savings in metal and significantly accelerated production. Alloy steel was not required.
On December 21, 1940, the Defense Committee under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution on the adoption by the Red Army of the Shpagin submachine gun of the 1941 model. Exactly six months remained before the start of the Great Patriotic War.
Serial production of PPSh began only in September 1941. Prior to that, it was necessary to prepare documentation, develop technical processes, manufacture tooling, simply allocate production facilities and premises. For the whole of 1941, 98,644 submachine guns were manufactured, of which 5,868 were PPDs. In 1942, 16 times more submachine guns were produced - 1,499,269 pieces. Moreover, the production of PPSh could be established at any mechanical enterprise with suitable stamping equipment.
In the autumn of 1941, Stalin personally distributed the new machine guns. By January 1, 1942, the active army had 55,147 submachine guns of all systems. By July 1, 1942 - 298,276; by January 1, 1943 - 678,068; by January 1, 1944 - 1,427,085 pieces. This made it possible to have a platoon of machine gunners in each rifle company, and a company in each battalion. There were also battalions entirely armed with PPSh.
The most expensive and difficult to manufacture part of the PPSh was a disk (drum) magazine. Each machine was equipped with two spare magazines. The magazine consists of a magazine box with a lid, a drum with a spring and a feeder, and a rotating disk with a spiral comb - a snail. On the side of the body of the store there is an eyelet that serves to carry stores on the belt in the absence of bags. The cartridges in the store were located in two streams along the outer and inner sides of the spiral ridge of the snail. There were 39 rounds in the outer stream, 32 in the inner stream.
The process of filling the drum with cartridges required some effort. The first step was to remove the drum cover. Then, with a special key, it wound up two turns. After filling the snail with cartridges, the drum mechanism was removed from the stopper, the lid was closed.
Therefore, in 1942, Shpagin developed a box-shaped sector magazine with a capacity of 35 rounds for the PPSh. This dramatically simplified loading, and the machine became less cumbersome. The soldiers usually preferred the sector store.
During the war, about 6.5 million PPSh were manufactured. Since 1942, it was produced even in Iran specifically for the USSR. On these samples there is a special stamp - the image of the crown.
Hundreds of thousands of front-line PPSh consumed a huge amount of pistol cartridges. Especially for them, it was necessary to urgently develop cartridges with new types of bullets, since the submachine gun performs other tasks than just a pistol. This is how armor-piercing incendiary and tracer bullets appeared. At the end of the war, a cartridge with a bullet with a stamped steel core went into production, which increased the penetrating effect and saved lead. At the same time, the production of cartridges in a bimetallic (coated with tombac) and steel sleeve without any coating began.
SUDAEV'S DESIGN
The Shpagin submachine gun, which quite satisfied the infantrymen, turned out to be too bulky for tankmen, scouts, sappers, signalmen and many others. In conditions of mass production, it was also required to reduce the metal consumption of weapons and simplify their production. In 1942, the task was to create a submachine gun that was lighter and easier to manufacture, while being reliable. Its mass should not exceed 3 kg, and the rate of fire should be within 400-500 rounds per minute (PPSh - 900 rounds / min.). The bulk of the parts had to be made of sheet steel with a thickness of 2-3 mm without subsequent machining.
Aleksey Ivanovich Sudayev (1912-1946) won the competition among designers. As noted in the conclusion of the competition commission, his teaching staff "has no other equivalent competitors." For the production of one copy, 6.2 kg of metal and 2.7 machine hours were required. The mechanics of the PPS worked, like that of the PPSh, due to the recoil of the free shutter.
The production of a new submachine gun was launched in besieged Leningrad at the Sestroretsk Tool Plant. Voskov under the leadership of Sudayev. The first samples were made in December 1942. Serial production began in 1943. During the year, 46,572 PPS were manufactured for parts of the Leningrad Front. After the elimination of individual identified deficiencies and their elimination new machine was put into service under the name "Sudayev submachine gun arr. 1943".
In the troops of the teaching staff, he immediately received a high rating. It was in no way inferior to PPD and PPSh, it was lighter and more compact. However, its production was transferred to enterprises not adapted for the mass production of weapons. It was decided not to touch the established production of PPSh. It is for this reason that the Sudaevsky submachine gun is not as famous as the PPSh. The famous gunsmith Mikhail Kalashnikov assessed the teaching staff as follows: “It can be said with all responsibility that the submachine gun A.I. Not a single foreign sample could compare with it in terms of simplicity of device, reliability, non-failure operation, and ease of use. For high tactical and technical and combat properties Sudaevsky weapons, combined with their small dimensions and weight, were very fond of paratroopers, tankers, scouts, partisans, and skiers.
PPS weight without magazine - 3.04 kg. Weight with six equipped magazines - 6.72 kg. The bullet retains its lethal force at a distance of up to 800 m. During the war, approximately half a million copies of the PPS were produced. Rate of fire - 700 rds / min. The initial speed of the bullet is 500 m / s. For comparison: starting speed bullets of the German MP-40 - 380 m / s. The magazine of the German submachine gun for 32 cartridges was recommended to fill only up to 27 pieces, because when fully loaded the spring began to release, and this led to delays in firing. The advantage of the German design was a lower rate of fire. But the aiming range was limited to 50-100 meters. The effective fire of the MP-40 did not actually exceed 200 meters. A steel sheet 2 mm thick was not pierced by a bullet even with close range leaving only a dent.
The quality of the weapon is also indicated by its, so to speak, “copy coefficient”. In Finland, in 1944, they adopted the M-44 submachine gun - a copy of the PPS under the 9-mm parabellum cartridge. They were produced about 10 thousand pieces, which is not so small for Finland. Finnish peacekeepers in the Sinai in 1957-1958 were armed with these submachine guns.
In Poland, PPS was produced under license, and on its basis, a WZ 43/52 sample with a wooden butt was developed in 1952. In China, it was produced at several enterprises with slight differences under the single name "sample 43", then - "Type 54". In Germany, already copied from the Finnish M-44, in 1953 it was adopted by the gendarmerie and border guards under the symbol DUX 53, later modified into DUX 59.
In Hungary, they generally tried to combine PPS and PPSh in the 53M design, which was produced in small batches, since it turned out to be not very successful.
Over six million submachine guns of various models were produced in the Soviet Union during the war years. This is four times more than in Germany.
Victor Myasnikov
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MP 38, MP 38/40, MP 40 (abbreviated from German Maschinenpistole) - various modifications of the submachine gun of the German company Erfurter Maschinenfabrik (ERMA) (English), developed by Heinrich Volmer based on the earlier MP 36. They were in service with the Wehrmacht During the Second World War.
The MP 40 was a modification of the MP 38 submachine gun, which, in turn, was a modification of the MP 36 submachine gun, which was combat tested in Spain. MP 40, like MP 38, was intended primarily for tankers, motorized infantry, paratroopers and infantry platoon commanders. Later, towards the end of the war, it began to be used by the German infantry relatively massively, although it was not widespread.//
Initially, the infantry was against the folding butt, as it reduced the accuracy of shooting; as a result, gunsmith Hugo Schmeisser, who worked for C.G. Haenel, Erma's competitor, created a modification of the MP 41, combining the main mechanisms of the MP 40 with a wooden stock and trigger, made in the image of the MP28 previously developed by Hugo Schmeisser himself. However, this version was not widely used and was not produced for long (about 26 thousand pieces were produced)
The Germans themselves very meticulously name their weapons according to the indices assigned to them. In the special Soviet literature of the Great Patriotic War, they were also quite correctly identified as MP 38, MP 40 and MP 41, and MP28 / II was designated by the name of its creator, Hugo Schmeisser. In the Western literature on small arms, published in 1940-1945, all the then German submachine guns immediately received the general name "Schmeisser system". The term stuck.
With the advent of 1940, when general staff the army was ordered to develop new weapons, MP 40 began to receive large quantities of shooters, cavalrymen, drivers, tank units and staff officers. The needs of the troops were now more satisfied, although not completely.
Contrary to popular belief imposed by feature films, where German soldiers “poured” MP 40s with continuous fire “from the hip”, the fire was usually fired in short bursts of 3-4 shots with the unfolded butt resting on the shoulder (except when it was necessary to create a high density of non-aimed fire in combat at the closest ranges).
Characteristics:
Weight, kg: 5 (with 32 rounds)
Length, mm: 833/630 with unfolded/folded stock
Barrel length, mm: 248
Cartridge: 9x19 mm Parabellum
Caliber, mm: 9
rate of fire,
shots / min: 450-500
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 380
Sighting range, m: 150
Maximum
range, m: 180 (effective)
Type of ammunition: 32-round box magazine
Sight: unregulated open at 100 m, with a folding stand at 200 m
Due to Hitler's reluctance to begin production of a new class of weapons, development was carried out under the designation MP-43. The first samples of the MP-43 were successfully tested on the Eastern Front against the Soviet troops, and in 1944 more or less mass production of a new type of weapon began, however, under the name MP-44. After the results of successful frontal tests were presented to Hitler and approved by him, the weapon nomenclature was again betrayed, and the sample received the final designation StG.44 ("sturm gewehr" - assault rifle).
The disadvantages of the MP-44 include an excessively large mass of weapons, too high sights, because of which, when shooting prone, the shooter had to raise his head too high. For the MP-44, short magazines for 15 and 20 rounds were even developed. In addition, the butt mount was not strong enough and could collapse in hand-to-hand combat. In general, the MP-44 was a fairly successful model, providing effective fire with single shots at a distance of up to 600 meters and automatic fire at a distance of up to 300 meters. In total, taking into account all the modifications, in 1942 - 1943, about 450,000 copies of the MP - 43, MP - 44 and StG 44 were produced and, with the end of the 2nd World War, its production ended, but it was until the mid-50s of the XX th century was in service with the police of the GDR and airborne troops Yugoslavia...
Characteristics:
Caliber, mm 7.92
Used cartridge 7.92x33
Muzzle velocity, m/s 650
Weight, kg 5.22
Length, mm 940
Barrel length, mm 419
Magazine capacity, rounds 30
Rate of fire, v / m 500
Sighting range, m 600
MG 42 (German: Maschinengewehr 42) - German single machine gun of the Second World War. Developed by Metall und Lackierwarenfabrik Johannes Grossfuss AG in 1942...
By the beginning of World War II, the Wehrmacht had the MG-34 created in the early 1930s as a single machine gun. With all its merits, it had two serious drawbacks: firstly, it turned out to be quite sensitive to contamination of mechanisms; secondly, it was too laborious and expensive to manufacture, which did not allow satisfying the ever-increasing needs of the troops for machine guns.
Adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1942. The production of the MG-42 continued in Germany until the end of the war, and the total production amounted to at least 400,000 machine guns ...
Characteristics
Weight, kg: 11.57
Length, mm: 1220
Cartridge: 7.92x57 mm
Caliber, mm: 7.92
Principles of operation: Short stroke
rate of fire,
shots / min: 900-1500 (depending on the shutter used)
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 790-800
Sighting range, m: 1000
Type of ammunition: machine-gun belt for 50 or 250 rounds
Operating years: 1942–1959
Walther P38 (Walther P38) - German self-loading pistol caliber 9 mm. Developed by Karl Walter Waffenfabrik. It was adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1938. Over time, he replaced the Luger-Parabellum pistol (although not completely) and became the most massive pistol. German army. It was produced not only on the territory of the Third Reich, but also on the territory of Belgium and occupied Czechoslovakia. P38 was also popular with the soldiers of the Red Army and the allies, as a good trophy and melee weapon. After the war, the production of weapons in Germany was stopped for a long time. Only in 1957 did the production of this pistol resume in Germany. It was supplied to the Bundeswehr under the brand name P-1 (P-1, P is an abbreviation for German "pistole" - "pistol").
Characteristics
Weight, kg: 0.8
Length, mm: 216
Barrel length, mm: 125
Cartridge: 9x19 mm Parabellum
Caliber, mm: 9 mm
Principles of operation: short stroke
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 355
Sighting range, m: ~50
Ammunition Type: 8-round magazine
The Luger pistol ("Luger", "Parabellum", German Pistole 08, Parabellumpistole) is a pistol developed in 1900 by Georg Luger based on the ideas of his teacher Hugo Borchardt. Therefore, the Parabellum is often called the Luger-Borchardt pistol.
Complicated and expensive to manufacture, the Parabellum was nonetheless quite reliable, and for its time, was an advanced weapon system. The main advantage of the "Parabellum" was a very high accuracy of shooting, achieved due to the convenient "anatomical" handle and easy (almost sporty) descent ...
The rise to power of Hitler led to the rearmament of the German army; all restrictions imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles were ignored. This allowed Mauser to resume active production of Luger pistols with a barrel length of 98 mm and grooves on the handle for attaching an attached butt holster. Already in the early 1930s, the designers of the Mauser arms company began to work on the creation of several variants of the Parabellum, including special model for the needs of the secret police of the Weimar Republic. But new sample The R-08 with an expansion silencer was no longer received by the German Ministry of the Interior, but by its successor, created on the basis of the SS organization of the Nazi Party - the RSHA. This weapon in the thirties - forties was in service with the German special services: the Gestapo, SD and military intelligence - the Abwehr. Along with the creation of special pistols based on the R-08, in the Third Reich at that time there were also constructive revisions of the Parabellum. So, by order of the police, a variant of the R-08 was created with a shutter delay, which did not allow the shutter to move forward when the magazine was removed.
During preparations for a new war, with the aim of conspiring the real manufacturer, Mauser-Werke A.G. began to apply special stamps to their weapons. Earlier, in 1934-1941, Luger pistols were marked "S / 42", which in 1942 was replaced by the code "byf". It existed until the completion of the production of these weapons by the Oberndorf company in December 1942. In total, during the Second World War, the Wehrmacht received 1.355 million pistols of this brand.
Characteristics
Weight, kg: 0.876 (weight with loaded magazine)
Length, mm: 220
Barrel length, mm: 98-203
Cartridge: 9x19 mm Parabellum,
7.65mm Luger, 7.65x17mm and others
Caliber, mm: 9
Principles of operation: recoil of the barrel with its short stroke
rate of fire,
shots / min: 32-40 (combat)
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 350-400
Sighting range, m: 50
Type of ammunition: box magazine with a capacity of 8 rounds (or drum magazine for 32 rounds)
Scope: Open sight
Flammenwerfer 35 (FmW.35) - a German portable backpack flamethrower of the 1934 model, put into service in 1935 (in Soviet sources- "Flammenwerfer 34").
Unlike the bulky knapsack flamethrowers previously in service with the Reichswehr, serviced by a crew of two or three specially trained soldiers, the Flammenwerfer 35 flamethrower, whose curb weight did not exceed 36 kg, could be carried and used by just one person.
To use the weapon, the flamethrower, having directed the hose towards the target, turned on the igniter located at the end of the barrel, opened the nitrogen supply valve, and then the supply of the combustible mixture.
After passing through the hose, the combustible mixture pushed out by the force of compressed gas ignited and reached the target located at a distance of up to 45 m.
Electric ignition, first used in the design of a flamethrower, made it possible to arbitrarily adjust the duration of the shots and made it possible to fire about 35 shots. The duration of work with a continuous supply of a combustible mixture was 45 seconds.
Despite the possibility of using a flamethrower by one person, in battle he was always accompanied by one or two infantrymen who covered the actions of the flamethrower with small arms, giving him the opportunity to quietly approach the target at a distance of 25-30 m.
The initial stage of the Second World War revealed a number of shortcomings that significantly reduce the possibility of using this effective weapon. The main one (besides the fact that the flamethrower that appeared on the battlefield became the primary target of snipers and enemy shooters) remained a fairly significant mass of the flamethrower, which reduced maneuverability and increased the vulnerability of the infantry units armed with it ...
Flamethrowers were in service with sapper units: each company had three Flammenwerfer 35 backpack flamethrowers, which could be combined into small flamethrower squads used as part of assault groups.
Characteristics
Weight, kg: 36
Crew (calculation): 1
Sighting range, m: 30
Maximum
range, m: 40
Type of ammunition: 1 fuel bottle
1 gas bottle (nitrogen)
Scope: no
Gerat Potsdam (V.7081) and Gerat Neumünster (Volks-MP 3008) are more or less exact copy English submachine gun "Stan".
Initially, the leadership of the Wehrmacht and the SS troops rejected the proposal to use the captured English Stan submachine guns, which had accumulated in significant quantities in the warehouses of the Wehrmacht. The reasons for this attitude were the primitive design and short effective range of this weapon. However, the lack of automatic weapons forced the Germans to use the Stans in 1943-1944. for arming the SS troops fighting the partisans in the territories occupied by Germany. In 1944, in connection with the creation of the Volkssturm, it was decided to establish the production of Stans in Germany. At the same time, the primitive design of these submachine guns was already considered a positive factor.
Like the English counterpart, the Neumünster and Potsdam submachine guns produced in Germany were designed to engage manpower at a distance of up to 90–100 m. They consist of a small number of main parts and mechanisms that can be manufactured in small enterprises and handicraft workshops.
For firing from submachine guns, 9-mm Parabellum cartridges are used. The same cartridges are also used in the English Stans. This coincidence is not accidental: when creating the "Stan" in 1940, the German MP-40 was taken as the basis. Ironically, after 4 years, the production of Stans was started at German enterprises. In total, 52 thousand Volkssturmgever rifles and Potsdam and Neumünster submachine guns were produced.
Tactical and technical characteristics:
Caliber, mm 9
Muzzle velocity, m/s 365–381
Weight, kg 2.95–3.00
Length, mm 787
Barrel length, mm 180, 196 or 200
Magazine capacity, rounds 32
Rate of fire, rds / min 540
Practical rate of fire, rds / min 80–90
Sighting range, m 200
Steyr-Solothurn S1-100, also known as MP30, MP34, MP34(ts), BMK 32, m/938 and m/942, is a submachine gun developed on the basis of an experimental German submachine gun Rheinmetall MP19 system by Louis Stange. Produced in Austria and Switzerland, it was widely offered for export. The S1-100 is often regarded as one of the best submachine guns of the interwar period...
After World War I, the production of submachine guns like the MP-18 was banned in Germany. However, in violation of the Versailles treaties, a number of experimental submachine guns were secretly developed, among which was the MP19 created by Rheinmetall-Borsig. Its production and sale under the name Steyr-Solothurn S1-100 was organized through the Zurich company Steyr-Solothurn Waffen AG controlled by Rheinmetall-Borzig, the production itself was located in Switzerland and, mainly, Austria.
It had an exceptionally solid construction - all the main parts were milled from steel forgings, which gave it great strength, high weight and a fantastic cost, thanks to which this sample received the fame of "Rolls-Royce among PP". Receiver It had a hinged up-and-forward lid, which made it very easy and convenient to disassemble the weapon for cleaning and maintenance.
In 1934, this model was adopted by the Austrian army for limited armament under the designation Steyr MP34, and in the variant for a very powerful 9×25 mm Mauser Export cartridge; in addition, there were export options for all the main military pistol cartridges of that time - 9x19 mm Luger, 7.63x25 mm Mauser, 7.65x21 mm, .45 ACP. The Austrian police were armed with the Steyr MP30 - a variant of the same weapon chambered for 9x23 mm Steyr. In Portugal, it was in service as m/938 (7.65 mm) and m/942 (9 mm), and in Denmark as BMK 32.
S1-100 fought in the Chaco and Spain. After the Anschluss in 1938, this model was purchased for the needs of the Third Reich and was in service under the name MP34 (c) (Machinenpistole 34 Österreich). It was used by the Waffen SS, rear units and the police. This submachine gun even managed to take part in the Portuguese colonial wars of the 1960s and 1970s in Africa.
Characteristics
Weight, kg: 3.5 (without magazine)
Length, mm: 850
Barrel length, mm: 200
Cartridge: 9x19 mm Parabellum
Caliber, mm: 9
Principles of operation: free shutter
rate of fire,
shots / min: 400
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 370
Sighting range, m: 200
Type of ammunition: box magazine for 20 or 32 rounds
WunderWaffe 1 - Vampire Vision
The Sturmgewehr 44 was the first assault rifle similar to the modern M-16 and the AK-47 Kalashnikov. Snipers could use the ZG 1229, also known as the "Vampire Code", also at night, due to the infrared night vision device. It was used during the last months of the war.
Sniper units were widely used during the Great Patriotic War to destroy critical enemy targets. German snipers were mainly engaged in the so-called "free hunting". They freely tracked down targets and destroyed Soviet commanders, signalmen, gun crews and machine gunners.
During the offensive of the Red Army, the main task of the Wehrmacht snipers was to destroy the commander. Due to the relatively poor quality of optics, German snipers were forbidden to engage in battle at night, since Soviet snipers most often came out victorious in night skirmishes.
With what rifles did German snipers hunt Soviet commanders? What is the aiming range of the best German sniper rifles of that time?
Mauser 98k
The basic rifle Mauser 98k was in service german army since 1935. For sniper rifles, specimens were selected that had the best accuracy of fire. Almost all rifles of this class were equipped with a ZF41 sight with a magnification of 1.5. But on some rifles, there were also ZF39 sights with a magnification of 4.
In total, about 200,000 Mauser 98k rifles were equipped with sights. The rifle had good operational and ballistic qualities. It was easy to handle, assemble, disassemble and trouble-free in operation.
The first experience of using rifles with a ZF41 sight showed that they are poorly suited for aimed fire. The fault was an inconvenient and inefficient sight. In 1941, all sniper rifles began to be produced with a more advanced ZF39 sight. The new sight was also not without flaws.
The main one is a limited field of view of 1.5 degrees. The German sniper simply did not have time to quickly catch a moving target. To solve this problem, the installation site of the sight on the rifle was moved several times to find the most optimal solution.
Characteristics:
Caliber - 7.92 mm
Cartridge - 7.92x57 mm
Rate of fire - 15 rds / min
Magazine capacity - 5 rounds
The initial speed of the bullet - 760 m / s
Sighting range - 1,500 m
Gewehr 41
Self-loading sniper rifle developed in 1941. The first prototypes were immediately sent for military trials directly to the Eastern Front. As a result of the tests, certain flaws were found, but the army's severe need for automatic rifles forced the command to adopt it.
Before the G41 rifles entered service, German soldiers actively used captured Soviet SVT-40 sniper rifles with automatic loading. The G41 rifle was armed with individual experienced snipers. In total, about 70,000 units were produced.
G41 allowed sniper fire at distances up to 800 meters. The magazine capacity of 10 rounds was very handy. Frequent delays in shooting due to contamination, as well as problems with the accuracy of fire, once again proved the need to refine the rifle. It has been upgraded to version G43.
Characteristics:
Caliber - 7.92 mm
Cartridge - 7.92x57 mm
Gewehr 43
This automatic sniper rifle is a modification of the G41 rifle. Adopted in 1943. During the modification, the principle of operation of the Soviet SVT-40 rifle was used, due to which it was possible to create an effective and accurate weapon.
The Gewehr 43 was equipped with a Zielfernrohr 43 (ZF 4) optical sight, which was also an analogue of the famous Soviet PU. Sight magnification - 4. The rifle was very popular with German snipers and became a real deadly weapon in the hands of an experienced shooter.
With the advent of the Gewehr 43, Germany acquired a really good sniper rifle that could compete with Soviet models. The G43 was produced until the very end of the war. In total, more than 50,000 units were produced.
Characteristics:
Caliber - 7.92 mm
Cartridge - 7.92x57 mm
Rate of fire - 30 rds / min
Magazine capacity - 10 rounds
The initial speed of the bullet - 745 m / s
Sighting range - 1,200 m
MP-43/1
An automatic sniper rifle designed specifically for snipers based on the MP-44 and Stg assault rifles. 44. It was possible to conduct aimed fire from the MP-43/1 from a distance of up to 800 meters. A mount for a four-fold ZF-4 sight was installed on the rifle.
It was also possible to mount a ZG infrared night vision sight. 1229 "Vampire". Sniper rifle with such sights significantly increased the accuracy of shooting at night.
Characteristics:
Caliber - 7.92 mm
Cartridge - 7.92x33 mm
Rate of fire - 500 rds / min
Magazine capacity - 10 rounds
The initial speed of the bullet - 685 m / s
Sighting range - 800 m
The concept of lightning war did not involve sniper firefights. The popularity of sniper business in Germany in the pre-war period was very low. All the advantage was given to tanks and aircraft, which were supposed to march victoriously through our country.
And only when the number of German officers killed by Soviet sniper fire began to grow, the command recognized that the war could not be won by tanks alone. German sniper schools began to appear.
However, until the very end of the war, German snipers were never able to catch up with the Soviet ones either in terms of weapons, or in terms of training and combat effectiveness.
World War II was the greatest and bloodiest conflict in human history. Millions died, empires rose and fell, and it is difficult to find a corner on the planet that was not affected in one way or another by that war. And in many ways it was a technology war, an arms war.
Our today's article is a kind of "Top 11" about the best soldier's weapons on the battlefields of World War II. Millions of ordinary men relied on him in battle, took care of him, carried him with them in the cities of Europe, the deserts, and in the stuffy jungles of the southern part. A weapon that often gave them a bit of an advantage over their enemies. A weapon that saved their lives and killed their enemies.
German assault rifle, automatic. In fact, the first representative of the entire modern generation of machine guns and assault rifles. Also known as MP 43 and MP 44. It could not fire long bursts, but it had a much higher accuracy and range compared to other machine guns of that time, equipped with conventional pistol cartridges. Additionally, telescopic sights, grenade launchers, as well as special devices for shooting from cover could be installed on the StG 44. Mass produced in Germany in 1944. In total, more than 400 thousand copies were produced during the war.
10 Mauser 98k
World War II became a swan song for repeating shotguns. They have dominated armed conflicts since the late 19th century. And some armies were used for a long time after the war. On the basis of the then military doctrine, the armies, first of all, fought each other over long distances and in open areas. The Mauser 98k was designed for just that.
Mauser 98k was the basis infantry weapons German army and remained in production until the surrender of Germany in 1945. Among all the rifles that served during the war years, the Mauser is considered one of the best. At least by the Germans themselves. Even after the introduction of semi-automatic and automatic weapons, the Germans remained with the Mauser 98k, partly for tactical reasons (they based their infantry tactics on light machine guns, not riflemen). In Germany, they developed the world's first assault rifle, though already at the end of the war. But it never saw widespread use. The Mauser 98k remained the primary weapon with which most German soldiers fought and died.
9. The M1 carbine
The M1 Garand and the Thompson submachine gun were great, of course, but they each had their own serious flaws. They were extremely uncomfortable for support soldiers in daily use.
For ammunition carriers, mortar crews, gunners and other similar troops, they were not particularly convenient and did not provide adequate effectiveness in close combat. We needed a weapon that could be easily removed and quickly used. They became The M1 Carbine. It wasn't the most powerful. firearms in that war, but he was light, small, accurate, and in capable hands, as deadly as more powerful weapon. The rifle had a mass of only 2.6 - 2.8 kg. American paratroopers also appreciated the M1 carbine for its ease of use, and often jumped into battle armed with the folding stock variant. The US produced over six million M1 carbines during the war. Some variations based on the M1 are still produced and used today by the military and civilians.
8. MP40
Although this submachine gun was never seen in large numbers as a primary armament for infantrymen, the German MP40 became a ubiquitous symbol of the German soldier in World War II, and of the Nazis in general. It seems like every war movie has a German with this gun. But in reality, the MP4 has never been a standard infantry weapon. Usually used by paratroopers, squad leaders, tankers and special forces.
It was especially indispensable against the Russians, where the accuracy and power of long-barreled rifles was largely lost in street fighting. However, the MP40 submachine guns were so effective that they forced the German command to rethink their views on semi-automatic weapons, which led to the creation of the first assault rifle. Whatever it was, the MP40 was undoubtedly one of the great submachine guns of the war, and became a symbol of the efficiency and power of the German soldier.
7. Hand grenades
Of course, rifles and machine guns can be considered the main weapons of the infantry. But how not to mention the huge role of using various infantry grenades. Powerful, light, and ideally sized for throwing, grenades were an invaluable tool for close-range attacks on enemy battle positions. In addition to the effect of direct and fragmentation, grenades have always had a huge shock and demoralizing effect. Starting from the famous "lemons" in the Russian and American armies and ending with the German grenade "on a stick" (nicknamed "potato masher" due to its long handle). A rifle can do a lot of damage to a fighter's body, but the wounds inflicted fragmentation grenades, it's something else.
6. Lee Enfield
The famous British rifle has received many modifications and has a glorious history since the end of the 19th century. Used in many historical, military conflicts. Including, of course, in the First and Second World Wars. In World War II, the rifle was actively modified and supplied with various sights for sniper shooting. She managed to "work" in Korea, Vietnam and Malaya. Until the 70s, it was often used to train snipers different countries.
5 Luger PO8
One of the most coveted combat mementos for any Allied soldier is the Luger PO8. It may seem a little strange to describe deadly weapon, but the Luger PO8 was truly a work of art and many gun collectors have it in their collections. With a chic design, extremely comfortable in the hand and manufactured to the highest standards. In addition, the pistol had a very high accuracy of fire and became a kind of symbol of the Nazi weapons.
Designed as an automatic pistol to replace revolvers, the Luger was highly regarded not only for its unique design, but also for its long service life. It remains today the most "collectible" German weapon of that war. Occasionally appears as a personal military weapons and at the present time.
4. KA-BAR combat knife
The armament and equipment of soldiers of any war is unthinkable without mentioning the use of so-called trench knives. An indispensable assistant to any soldier for the most different situations. They can dig holes, open canned food, use them for hunting and clearing the way in the dense forest and, of course, use them in a bloody hand-to-hand combat. More than one and a half million were produced during the war years. Received the widest application when used by fighters marines USA in tropical jungle islands in pacific ocean. To this day, the KA-BAR remains one of the greatest knives ever made.
3. Thompson machine
Developed in the USA back in 1918, the Thompson has become one of the most iconic submachine guns in history. In World War II, the Thompson M1928A1 was most widely used. Despite its weight (more than 10 kg and was heavier than most submachine guns), it was a very popular weapon for scouts, sergeants, special forces, and paratroopers. In general, everyone who appreciated the lethal force and high rate of fire.
Despite the fact that the production of these weapons was discontinued after the war, Thompson still "shines" around the world in the hands of military and paramilitary groups. He was noticed even in the Bosnian war. For the soldiers of World War II, it served as an invaluable combat tool with which they fought through all of Europe and Asia.
2. PPSh-41
Shpagin submachine gun, model 1941. Used in the winter war with Finland. On the defensive, Soviet troops using PPSh had a much better chance of destroying the enemy at close range than with the popular Russian Mosin rifle. The troops needed, first of all, high rates of fire at short distances in urban battles. A real marvel of mass production, the PPSh was as simple as possible to manufacture (at the height of the war, Russian factories produced up to 3,000 machine guns a day), very reliable and extremely easy to use. Could fire both bursts and single shots.
Equipped with a drum magazine with 71 rounds of ammunition, this machine gun gave the Russians fire superiority at close range. The PPSh was so effective that the Russian command armed entire regiments and divisions with it. But perhaps the best evidence of the popularity of this weapon was its highest appreciation among the German troops. Wehrmacht soldiers willingly used captured PPSh assault rifles throughout the war.
1. M1 Garand
At the start of the war, almost every American infantryman in every major unit was armed with a rifle. They were accurate and reliable, but after each shot they required the soldier to manually remove spent cartridges and reload. This was acceptable for snipers, but significantly limited the speed of aiming and the overall rate of fire. Wanting to increase the ability to intensively fire, one of the most famous rifles of all time, the M1 Garand, was put into operation in the American army. Patton called her " the greatest weapon ever invented,” and the rifle deserves this high praise.
It was easy to use and maintain, with a quick reload, and gave the US Army superiority in rate of fire. The M1 served faithfully with the military in the active US Army until 1963. But even today, this rifle is used as a ceremonial weapon and is also highly regarded as hunting weapon among the civilian population.
The article is a slightly modified and supplemented translation of materials from warhistoryonline.com. It is clear that the presented "top" weapons can cause comments from fans military history different countries. So, dear readers WAR.EXE, put forward your fair versions and opinions.
https://youtu.be/6tvOqaAgbjs
Thanks to Soviet films about the war, most people have a strong opinion that mass weapon(photo below) German infantry during the Second World War - this is an automatic machine (submachine gun) of the Schmeisser system, which is named after its designer. This myth is still actively supported by domestic cinema. However, in fact, this popular machine gun was never a mass weapon of the Wehrmacht, and Hugo Schmeisser did not create it at all. However, first things first.
How myths are created
Everyone should remember the shots from domestic films dedicated to the attacks of the German infantry on our positions. Brave blond guys walk without bending down, while firing from machine guns “from the hip”. And the most interesting thing is that this fact does not surprise anyone, except for those who were in the war. According to the movies, the "Schmeissers" could conduct aimed fire at the same distance as the rifles of our fighters. In addition, the viewer, when watching these films, had the impression that the entire personnel of the German infantry during the Second World War was armed with machine guns. In fact, everything was different, and the submachine gun is not a mass small arms weapon of the Wehrmacht, and it is impossible to shoot from it “from the hip”, and it is not called “Schmeisser” at all. In addition, to carry out an attack on a trench by a submachine gunners unit, in which there are fighters armed with magazine rifles, is an obvious suicide, since simply no one would have reached the trenches.
Debunking the Myth: The MP-40 Automatic Pistol
This Wehrmacht small arms in WWII is officially called the MP-40 submachine gun (Maschinenpistole). In fact, this is a modification of the MP-36 assault rifle. The designer of this model, contrary to popular belief, was not the gunsmith H. Schmeisser, but the no less famous and talented craftsman Heinrich Volmer. And why is the nickname “Schmeisser” so firmly entrenched behind him? The thing is that Schmeisser owned a patent for the store that is used in this submachine gun. And in order not to violate his copyright, in the first batches of MP-40, the inscription PATENT SCHMEISSER was stamped on the store receiver. When these machine guns came as trophies to the soldiers of the allied armies, they mistakenly thought that the author of this model of small arms, of course, was Schmeisser. This is how the given nickname was fixed for the MP-40.
Initially, the German command armed only command staff with machine guns. So, in the infantry units, only the commanders of battalions, companies and squads should have MP-40s. Later, drivers of armored vehicles, tankers and paratroopers were supplied with automatic pistols. Massively, no one armed the infantry with them either in 1941 or after. According to the archives in 1941, the troops had only 250 thousand MP-40 assault rifles, and this is for 7,234,000 people. As you can see, a submachine gun is not at all a mass weapon of the Second World War. In general, for the entire period - from 1939 to 1945 - only 1.2 million of these machine guns were produced, while over 21 million people were called up in the Wehrmacht.
Why were the infantry not armed with the MP-40?
Despite the fact that experts later recognized that the MP-40 is the best small arms of the Second World War, only a few in the infantry units of the Wehrmacht had it. This is explained simply: the effective range of this machine gun for group targets is only 150 m, and for single targets - 70 m. This despite the fact that Soviet soldiers were armed with Mosin and Tokarev (SVT) rifles, the effective range of which was 800 m for group targets and 400 m for single targets. If the Germans fought with such weapons, as shown in domestic films, then they would never have been able to reach the enemy trenches, they would simply have been shot, as in a shooting gallery.
Shooting on the move "from the hip"
The MP-40 submachine gun vibrates a lot when firing, and if you use it, as shown in the films, the bullets will always miss the target. Therefore, for effective shooting, it must be pressed tightly against the shoulder, after unfolding the butt. In addition, this machine gun was never fired in long bursts, as it quickly heated up. Most often they were beaten in a short burst of 3-4 rounds or fired single shots. Despite the fact that the tactical and technical characteristics indicate that the rate of fire is 450-500 rounds per minute, in practice this result has never been achieved.
Advantages of the MP-40
It cannot be said that this rifle was bad, on the contrary, it is very, very dangerous, but it must be used in close combat. That is why sabotage units were armed with it in the first place. They were also often used by scouts of our army, and the partisans respected this machine gun. The use of light, rapid-fire small arms in close combat provided tangible advantages. Even now, the MP-40 is very popular with criminals, and the price of such a machine is very high. And they are delivered there by “black archaeologists”, who excavate in places of military glory and very often find and restore weapons from the Second World War.
Mauser 98k
What can you say about this rifle? The most common small arms in Germany are the Mauser rifle. Its aiming range is up to 2000 m when firing. As you can see, this parameter is very close to the Mosin and SVT rifles. This carbine was developed back in 1888. During the war, this design was significantly upgraded, mainly to reduce costs, as well as to rationalize production. In addition, this Wehrmacht small arms were equipped with optical sights, and sniper units were equipped with it. The Mauser rifle at that time was in service with many armies, for example, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia and Sweden.
Self-loading rifles
At the end of 1941, the first automatic self-loading rifles of the Walther G-41 and Mauser G-41 systems entered the infantry units of the Wehrmacht for military trials. Their appearance was due to the fact that the Red Army was armed with more than one and a half million such systems: SVT-38, SVT-40 and ABC-36. In order not to be inferior to the Soviet fighters, the German gunsmiths urgently had to develop their own versions of such rifles. As a result of the tests, the G-41 system (Walter system) was recognized and adopted as the best. The rifle is equipped with a trigger-type percussion mechanism. Designed for firing only single shots. Equipped with a magazine with a capacity of ten rounds. This automatic self-loading rifle is designed for aimed fire at a distance of up to 1200 m. However, due to the large weight of this weapon, as well as low reliability and sensitivity to pollution, it was released in a small series. In 1943, the designers, having eliminated these shortcomings, proposed an upgraded version of the G-43 (Walter system), which was produced in the amount of several hundred thousand units. Before its appearance, Wehrmacht soldiers preferred to use captured Soviet (!) SVT-40 rifles.
And now back to the German gunsmith Hugo Schmeisser. He developed two systems, without which the Second World War could not have done.
Small arms - MP-41
This model was developed simultaneously with the MP-40. This machine was significantly different from the Schmeisser familiar to everyone from the movies: it had a handguard trimmed with wood, which protected the fighter from burns, was heavier and longer-barreled. However, this Wehrmacht small arms were not widely used and were not produced for long. In total, about 26 thousand units were produced. It is believed that the German army abandoned this machine in connection with the lawsuit of ERMA, which claimed that its patented design was illegally copied. Small arms MP-41 was used by parts of the Waffen SS. It was also successfully used by Gestapo units and mountain rangers.
MP-43, or StG-44
The next weapon of the Wehrmacht (photo below) was developed by Schmeisser in 1943. At first it was called MP-43, and later - StG-44, which means "assault rifle" (sturmgewehr). This automatic rifle appearance, and for some technical specifications, resembles (which appeared later), and differs significantly from the MP-40. Its range of aimed fire was up to 800 m. The StG-44 even provided for the possibility of mounting a 30 mm grenade launcher. For firing from cover, the designer developed a special nozzle, which was worn on the muzzle and changed the trajectory of the bullet by 32 degrees. This weapon entered mass production only in the fall of 1944. During the war years, about 450 thousand of these rifles were produced. So few of the German soldiers managed to use such a machine gun. StG-44s were supplied to the elite units of the Wehrmacht and to Waffen SS units. Subsequently, this weapon of the Wehrmacht was used in
FG-42 automatic rifles
These copies were intended for parachute troops. They combined martial qualities light machine gun and automatic rifles. The Rheinmetall company took up the development of weapons already during the war, when, after evaluating the results airborne operations conducted by the Wehrmacht, it turned out that the MP-38 submachine guns do not fully meet the combat requirements of this type of troops. The first tests of this rifle were carried out in 1942, and at the same time it was put into service. In the process of using the mentioned weapon, shortcomings were also revealed, associated with low strength and stability during automatic firing. In 1944, the upgraded FG-42 rifle (Model 2) was released, and Model 1 was discontinued. The trigger mechanism of this weapon allows automatic or single fire. The rifle is designed for the standard 7.92 mm Mauser cartridge. Magazine capacity is 10 or 20 rounds. In addition, the rifle can be used to fire special rifle grenades. In order to increase stability when firing, a bipod is fixed under the barrel. The FG-42 rifle is designed for firing at a range of 1200 m. Due to the high cost, it was produced in limited quantities: only 12 thousand units of both models.
Luger P08 and Walter P38
Now consider what types of pistols were in service with the German army. "Luger", its second name "Parabellum", had a caliber of 7.65 mm. By the beginning of the war, the units of the German army had more than half a million of these pistols. This small arms of the Wehrmacht was produced until 1942, and then it was replaced by a more reliable "Walter".
This pistol was put into service in 1940. It was intended for firing 9 mm rounds, the magazine capacity is 8 rounds. Sighting range at "Walter" - 50 meters. It was produced until 1945. The total number of P38 pistols produced was approximately 1 million units.
Weapons of World War II: MG-34, MG-42 and MG-45
In the early 30s, the German military decided to create a machine gun that could be used both as an easel and as a manual one. They were supposed to fire at enemy aircraft and arm tanks. The MG-34, designed by Rheinmetall and put into service in 1934, became such a machine gun. By the beginning of hostilities, the Wehrmacht had about 80 thousand units of this weapon. The machine gun allows you to fire both single shots and continuous. To do this, he had a trigger with two notches. When you click on the top, shooting was carried out with single shots, and when you click on the bottom - in bursts. It was intended for Mauser rifle cartridges 7.92x57 mm, with light or heavy bullets. And in the 40s, armor-piercing, armor-piercing tracer, armor-piercing incendiary and other types of cartridges were developed and used. This suggests the conclusion that the impetus for changes in weapons systems and tactics for their use was the Second World War.
The small arms that were used in this company were replenished with a new type of machine gun - MG-42. It was developed and put into service in 1942. The designers have greatly simplified and reduced the cost of the production of these weapons. So, in its production, spot welding and stamping were widely used, and the number of parts was reduced to 200. The trigger mechanism of the machine gun in question allowed only automatic firing - 1200-1300 rounds per minute. Such significant changes adversely affected the stability of the unit during firing. Therefore, to ensure accuracy, it was recommended to fire in short bursts. Ammunition for the new machine gun remained the same as for the MG-34. The range of aimed fire was two kilometers. Work on improving this design continued until the end of 1943, which led to the creation of a new modification, known as the MG-45.
This machine gun weighed only 6.5 kg, and the rate of fire was 2400 rounds per minute. By the way, not a single infantry machine gun of that time could boast of such a rate of fire. However, this modification appeared too late and was not in service with the Wehrmacht.
PzB-39 and Panzerschrek
PzB-39 was developed in 1938. This weapon of the Second World War was used with relative success at the initial stage to combat tankettes, tanks and armored vehicles with bulletproof armor. Against heavily armored B-1s, British Matildas and Churchills, Soviet T-34s and KVs), this gun was either ineffective or completely useless. As a result, it was soon replaced by anti-tank grenade launchers and reactive anti-tank guns "Pantsershrek", "Ofenror", as well as the famous "Faustpatrons". The PzB-39 used a 7.92 mm cartridge. The firing range was 100 meters, the penetration ability made it possible to "flash" 35-mm armor.
"Panzerschreck". This is a german lung anti-tank weapon is a modified copy of the American bazooka jet gun. German designers provided him with a shield that protected the shooter from hot gases escaping from the grenade nozzle. Anti-tank companies of motorized rifle regiments of tank divisions were supplied as a matter of priority with these weapons. Rocket guns were exceptionally powerful weapons. "Panzershreki" were weapons for group use and had a service crew consisting of three people. Since they were very complex, their use required special training in calculations. In total, in 1943-1944, 314 thousand units of such guns and more than two million rocket-propelled grenades were produced for them.
Grenade launchers: "Faustpatron" and "Panzerfaust"
The early years of the Second World War showed that anti-tank guns could not cope with the tasks set, so the German military demanded anti-tank weapons with which to equip an infantryman, acting on the principle of "shot and thrown." The development of a disposable hand grenade launcher was started by HASAG in 1942 (chief designer Langweiler). And in 1943 mass production was launched. The first 500 Faustpatrons entered the troops in August of the same year. All models of this anti-tank grenade launcher had a similar design: they consisted of a barrel (smooth-bore seamless pipe) and an over-caliber grenade. An impact mechanism and an aiming device were welded to the outer surface of the barrel.
"Panzerfaust" is one of the most powerful modifications of the "Faustpatron", which was developed at the end of the war. Its firing range was 150 m, and its armor penetration was 280-320 mm. The Panzerfaust was a reusable weapon. The barrel of the grenade launcher is equipped with a pistol grip, in which there is a firing mechanism, the propellant charge was placed in the barrel. In addition, the designers were able to increase the speed of the grenade. In total, over eight million grenade launchers of all modifications were manufactured during the war years. This type of weapon caused significant losses Soviet tanks. So, in the battles on the outskirts of Berlin, they knocked out about 30 percent of armored vehicles, and during street fighting in the capital of Germany - 70%.
Conclusion
The Second World War had a significant impact on small arms, including the world, its development and tactics of use. Based on its results, we can conclude that, despite the creation of the most modern weapons, the role of rifle units is not decreasing. The accumulated experience of using weapons in those years is still relevant today. In fact, it became the basis for the development and improvement of small arms.
