Thanks to Soviet films about the war, most people have a strong opinion that the mass small arms (photo below) of the German infantry during the Second World War 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 of the German army, 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 had it in the infantry units of the Wehrmacht. 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 small arms of the Second World War 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 on the black market 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 is 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 outward appearance, and according to some technical characteristics, it resembles a Kalashnikov assault rifle (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, these Wehrmacht weapons were used in the Armed Forces of the GDR. 
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 of airborne operations carried out by the Wehrmacht, it turned out that the MP-38 submachine guns did 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. For him, Mauser rifle cartridges 7.92 × 57 mm were intended, 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 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 tanks (French B-1s, English 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 German light anti-tank weapon is a modified copy of the American Bazooka rocket-propelled 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, operating on the principle of "shot - thrown." Development of a hand grenade launcher single use 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 the world's small arms, including automatic weapons, their 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.
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The best infantry weapons of World War II
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 of Africa, and in the stuffy jungles of the South Pacific. A weapon that often gave them a bit of an advantage over their enemies. A weapon that saved their lives and killed their enemies.
11. StG 44
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 - armies, first of all, fought with each other over long distances and in open areas. The Mauser 98k was designed for just that.
The Mauser 98k was the backbone of the infantry armament of the German Army and remained in production until the German surrender 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 it was light, small, accurate, and in capable hands, as deadly as a 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 on the Eastern Front against the Russians, where the accuracy and power of long-barreled rifles were 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, which received many modifications and leads its own 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 bit odd to describe a lethal 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 weapons 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 a variety of 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 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 US Marines in the tropical jungle of the islands in the 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. In the defense of Stalingrad Soviet troops those using PPSh were much more likely to destroy 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. PPSh was so effective that Russian command armed them with entire regiments and divisions. 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 it “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 valued as a 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 of WAR.EXE, put forward your fair versions and opinions.
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STG 44 | Weapons of the Second World War
STG 44(German: SturmGewehr 44 - 1944 assault rifle) is a German assault rifle developed during World War II.
Story
The history of the new assault rifle began with the development by Polte (Magdeburg) of an intermediate cartridge 7.92 × 33 mm of reduced power for firing at a distance of up to 1000 m, in accordance with the requirements put forward by the HWaA (Heereswaffenamt - Management 
weapons of the Wehrmacht). In the years 1935-1937, numerous studies were carried out, as a result of which the initial tactical and technical requirements of the HWaA for the design of weapons for the new cartridge were revised, which led to the creation in 1938 of the concept of light automatic small arms capable of simultaneously replacing submachine guns in the troops, magazine rifles and light machine guns.
On April 18, 1938, the HWaA concluded with Hugo Schmeisser, owner of C.G. Haenel (Suhl, Thuringia), a contract for the creation of a new weapon, officially designated MKb(German: Maschinenkarabin - automatic carbine). Schmeisser, who headed the design team, handed over the first prototype of the assault rifle to the HWaA in early 1940. At the end of the same year, a contract for research under the MKb program. received by Walther under the leadership of Erich Walther. A variant of the carbine of this company was presented to the officers of the artillery and technical supply department of the HWaA in early 1941. According to the results of firing at the Kummersdorf training ground, the Walter assault rifle showed satisfactory results, but the refinement of its design continued throughout the entire 1941 of the year.
In January 1942, the HWaA required C.G. Haenel and Walther to provide 200 designated carbines MKb.42(H) and MKb.42(W) respectively. In July, an official demonstration of prototypes of both companies took place, as a result of which the HWaA and the leadership of the Ministry of Armaments remained confident that the modifications of the machine guns would be completed in the very near future and production would begin at the end of summer. It was planned to produce 500 carbines by November, and by March 1943 to increase the monthly production to 15,000, but after the August tests, the HWaA introduced new requirements in the TTZ, which briefly delayed the start of production. According to the new requirements, a tide for a bayonet was to be mounted on the machines, and it was also possible to mount a rifle grenade launcher. In addition to this, C.G. Haenel was having trouble with a subcontractor, and Walther was having trouble setting up production equipment. As a result, not a single copy of the MKb.42 was ready by October.
The production of assault rifles grew slowly: in November, Walther produced 25 carbines, and in December - 91 (with a planned monthly production of 500 pieces), but thanks to the support of the Ministry of Armaments, the firms managed to solve the main production problems, and already in February the production plan was exceeded (1217 assault rifles instead of thousands). A certain number of MKb.42s, by order of the Minister of Armaments Albert Speer, went to the Eastern Front to undergo military trials. During the tests, it was revealed that the heavier MKb.42 (H) is worse balanced, but more reliable and simpler than its competitor, so HWaA gave its preference to the Schmeisser design, but required some changes to it:
- replacement of the USM with the Walter trigger system, which is reliable and ensures greater accuracy of combat with single shots;
- a different design whispered;
- installation of a flag fuse instead of the reloading handle inserted into the groove;
- short stroke of the gas piston instead of a long one;
- shorter gas chamber tube;
- replacement of large-section windows for the release of residual powder gases from the gas chamber tube with 7-mm holes, to increase the reliability of the weapon when operating in difficult conditions;
- technological changes in the bolt and bolt carrier with a gas piston;
- removal of the guide bushing of the reciprocating mainspring;
- removal of the tide for the bayonet due to the revision of the tactics of using the machine gun and the adoption of the Gw.Gr.Ger.42 grenade launcher with a different method of mounting on the barrel;
- simplified butt design.
Thanks to Speer modernized machine adopted in June 1943 under the designation MP-43 (German: Maschinenpistole-43 - submachine gun 43). This designation served as a kind of disguise, since Hitler did not want to produce weapons of a new class, fearing the thought that millions of obsolete rifle cartridges would be in military warehouses.
In September, on the Eastern Front, the 5th SS Panzer Division "Viking" conducted the first full-scale military tests of the MP-43, according to the results of which it was found that the new carbine is an effective replacement for submachine guns and repeating rifles, which increased the firepower of infantry units and reduced the need for use of light machine guns.
Hitler received many favorable reviews about the new weapon from the SS generals, HWaA and Speer personally, as a result of which, at the end of September 1943, an order was issued to begin mass production of the MP-43 and put it into service. In the same autumn, the MP-43/1 variant appeared, featuring a modified barrel configuration to allow the installation of a 30 mm MKb rifle grenade launcher. Gewehrgranatengerat-43, which was screwed onto the muzzle of the barrel, and not fastened with a clamping device. The butt has also undergone a change.
April 6, 1944 supreme commander an order was issued in which the name MP-43 was replaced by MP-44, and in October 1944 the weapon received the fourth and final name - "assault rifle", sturmgewehr - StG-44. It is believed that this word was invented by Hitler himself as a sonorous name for a new model that could be used for propaganda purposes. At the same time, no changes were made to the design of the machine itself.
Besides C.G. Haenel also involved Steyr-Daimler-Puch A.G. in the production of the StG-44. (English), Erfurter Maschinenfabrik (ERMA) (English) and Sauer & Sohn. StG-44 entered service with selected units of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS, and after the war were in service with the barracks police of the GDR (1948-1956) and Airborne Army Yugoslavia (1945-1950). The production of copies of this machine was established in Argentina.
Design
The trigger mechanism is of the trigger type. The trigger mechanism allows single and automatic fire. The fire translator is located in the trigger box, and its ends go out on the left and right sides. To conduct automatic fire, the translator must be moved to the right by the letter "D", and for a single fire - to the left by the letter "E". The machine is equipped with a fuse against accidental shots. This flag-type safety is located below the fire translator and, in the “F” position, blocks the trigger lever.
The machine gun is fed with cartridges from a detachable sector two-row magazine with a capacity of 30 rounds. The ramrod was located unusually - inside the gas piston mechanism.
Sector rifle sight allows you to conduct aimed fire at a distance of up to 800 m. The divisions of the sight are marked on the aiming bar. Each division of the sight corresponds to a change in range by 50 m. The slot and front sight are triangular in shape. On a rifle could 
optical and infrared sights should also be installed. When firing bursts at a target with a diameter of 11.5 cm at a distance of 100 m, more than half of the hits fit into a circle with a diameter of 5.4 cm. Due to the use of less powerful cartridges, the recoil force during the shot was half that of the Mauser 98k rifle. One of the main disadvantages of the StG-44 was its relatively large weight - 5.2 kg for a machine gun with ammunition, which is a kilogram more than the mass of a Mauser 98k with cartridges and a bayonet. Also unflattering reviews deserved an inconvenient sight and a flame that unmasks the shooter, escaping from the barrel when firing.
For throwing rifle grenades (fragmentation, armor-piercing or even propaganda) it was necessary to use special cartridges with 1.5 g (for fragmentation) or 1.9 g (for armor-piercing-cumulative grenades) powder charge.
With a machine gun, it was possible to use special Krummlauf Vorsatz J (infantry with a curvature angle of 30 degrees) or Vorsatz Pz (tank with a curvature angle of 90 degrees) for firing from behind a trench and a tank, respectively, designed for 250 shots and significantly reducing the accuracy of fire.
A version of the MP-43/1 assault rifle was created for snipers with a milled mount mounted on the right side of the receiver for ZF-4 optical sights of 4X magnification or night infrared sights ZG.1229 "Vampire". Merz-Werke also launched the production of an assault rifle with the same designation, which was distinguished by a thread for mounting a rifle grenade launcher on the barrel.
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Small arms of the USSR and the Wehrmacht of World War II
By the end of the 30s, almost all participants in the coming world war had formed common directions in the development of small arms. The range and accuracy of the defeat was reduced, which was offset by a greater density of fire. As a consequence of this - the beginning of the mass rearmament of units with automatic small arms - submachine guns, machine guns, assault rifles.
The accuracy of fire began to fade into the background, while the soldiers advancing in a chain began to be taught shooting from the move. With the advent of airborne troops, it became necessary to create special lightweight weapons.
Maneuvering war also affected machine guns: they became much lighter and more mobile. New types of small arms appeared (which was dictated primarily by the need to fight tanks) - rifle grenades, anti-tank rifles and RPGs with cumulative grenades.
Small arms of the USSR of the Second World War
Rifle division of the Red Army on the eve of the Great Patriotic War was a very formidable force - about 14.5 thousand people. The main type of small arms were rifles and carbines - 10420 pieces. The share of submachine guns was insignificant - 1204. There were 166, 392 and 33 units of easel, light and anti-aircraft machine guns, respectively.
The division had its own artillery of 144 guns and 66 mortars. The firepower was supplemented by 16 tanks, 13 armored vehicles and a solid fleet of auxiliary automotive and tractor equipment.
Rifles and carbines
Three-ruler Mosin
The main small arms of the infantry units of the USSR in the first period of the war was certainly the famous three-ruler - 7.62 mm S. I. Mosin rifle of the 1891 model, modernized in 1930. Its advantages are well known - strength, reliability, unpretentiousness in maintenance, combined with good ballistic qualities, in particular, with an aiming range of 2 km.
Three-ruler Mosin
The three-ruler is an ideal weapon for newly drafted soldiers, and the simplicity of the design created huge opportunities for its mass production. But like any weapon, the three-ruler had flaws. A permanently attached bayonet in combination with a long barrel (1670 mm) created inconvenience when moving, especially in wooded areas. Serious complaints were caused by the shutter handle when reloading.
After battle
On its basis, a sniper rifle and a series of carbines of the 1938 and 1944 models were created. Fate measured the three-line for a long century (the last three-line was released in 1965), participation in many wars and an astronomical "circulation" of 37 million copies.
Sniper with a Mosin rifle
SVT-40
In the late 1930s, the outstanding Soviet weapons designer F.V. Tokarev developed a 10-shot self-loading rifle cal. 7.62 mm SVT-38, which received the name SVT-40 after modernization. She "lost weight" by 600 g and became shorter due to the introduction of thinner wood parts, additional holes in the casing and a reduction in the length of the bayonet. A little later, a sniper rifle appeared at its base. Automatic firing was provided by the removal of powder gases. Ammunition was placed in a box-shaped, detachable store.
Sighting range SVT-40 - up to 1 km. SVT-40 won back with honor on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. It was also appreciated by our opponents. A historical fact: having captured rich trophies at the beginning of the war, among which there were many SVT-40s, the German army ... adopted it, and the Finns created their own rifle, the TaRaKo, based on the SVT-40.
Soviet sniper with SVT-40
The creative development of the ideas implemented in the SVT-40 was the AVT-40 automatic rifle. It differed from its predecessor in the ability to conduct automatic fire at a rate of up to 25 rounds per minute. The disadvantage of AVT-40 is low accuracy of fire, strong unmasking flame and a loud sound at the time of the shot. In the future, as the mass receipt of automatic weapons in the troops, it was removed from service.
Submachine guns
PPD-40
The Great Patriotic War was the time of the final transition from rifles to automatic weapons. The Red Army began to fight, armed with a small amount of PPD-40 - a submachine gun designed by the outstanding Soviet designer Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev. At that time, PPD-40 was in no way inferior to its domestic and foreign counterparts.
Designed for a pistol cartridge cal. 7.62 x 25 mm, PPD-40 had an impressive ammunition load of 71 rounds, placed in a drum-type magazine. Weighing about 4 kg, it fired at a rate of 800 rounds per minute with an effective range of up to 200 meters. However, a few months after the start of the war, he was replaced by the legendary PPSh-40 cal. 7.62 x 25 mm.
PPSh-40
The creator of the PPSh-40, designer Georgy Semenovich Shpagin, was faced with the task of developing an extremely easy-to-use, reliable, technologically advanced, cheap-to-manufacture mass weapon.
PPSh-40
Fighter with PPSh-40
From its predecessor - PPD-40, PPSh inherited a drum magazine for 71 rounds. A little later, a simpler and more reliable sector carob magazine for 35 rounds was developed for him. The mass of equipped machine guns (both options) was 5.3 and 4.15 kg, respectively. The rate of fire of the PPSh-40 reached 900 rounds per minute with an aiming range of up to 300 meters and with the ability to conduct single fire.
Assembly shop PPSh-40
To master the PPSh-40, several lessons were enough. It was easily disassembled into 5 parts, made using the stamping-welded technology, thanks to which, during the war years, the Soviet defense industry produced about 5.5 million machine guns.
PPS-42
In the summer of 1942, the young designer Alexei Sudaev presented his brainchild - a 7.62 mm submachine gun. It was strikingly different from its "older brothers" PPD and PPSh-40 in its rational layout, higher manufacturability and ease of manufacturing parts by arc welding.
PPS-42
The son of the regiment with a Sudayev machine gun
PPS-42 was 3.5 kg lighter and required three times less time to manufacture. However, despite the quite obvious advantages, he never became a mass weapon, leaving the palm of the PPSh-40.
Light machine gun DP-27 
By the beginning of the war, the DP-27 light machine gun (Degtyarev infantry, cal 7.62mm) had been in service with the Red Army for almost 15 years, having the status of the main light machine gun of infantry units. Its automation was driven by the energy of powder gases. The gas regulator reliably protected the mechanism from pollution and high temperatures.
The DP-27 could only conduct automatic fire, but even a beginner needed a few days to master shooting in short bursts of 3-5 shots. The ammunition load of 47 rounds was placed in a disk magazine with a bullet to the center in one row. The store itself was attached to the top of the receiver. The weight of the unloaded machine gun was 8.5 kg. Equipped store increased it by almost 3 kg.
Machine-gun crew DP-27 in battle
It was a powerful weapon with an effective range of 1.5 km and a combat rate of fire up to 150 rounds per minute. In the combat position, the machine gun relied on the bipod. A flame arrester was screwed onto the end of the barrel, significantly reducing its unmasking effect. DP-27 was serviced by a gunner and his assistant. In total, about 800 thousand machine guns were fired.
Small arms of the Wehrmacht of World War II
The main strategy of the German army is offensive or blitzkrieg (blitzkrieg - lightning war). The decisive role in it was assigned to large tank formations, carrying out deep penetrations of the enemy defenses in cooperation with artillery and aviation.
Tank units bypassed powerful fortified areas, destroying control centers and rear communications, without which the enemy would quickly lose combat capability. The defeat was completed by the motorized units of the ground forces.
Small arms of the infantry division of the Wehrmacht
The staff of the German infantry division of the 1940 model assumed the presence of 12609 rifles and carbines, 312 submachine guns (machine guns), light and heavy machine guns - respectively 425 and 110 pieces, 90 anti-tank rifles and 3600 pistols.
Small arms of the Wehrmacht as a whole met the high requirements of wartime. It was reliable, trouble-free, simple, easy to manufacture and maintain, which contributed to its mass production.
Rifles, carbines, machine guns
Mauser 98K
The Mauser 98K is an improved version of the Mauser 98 rifle, developed at the end of the 19th century by the brothers Paul and Wilhelm Mauser, the founders of the world-famous arms company. Equipping the German army with it began in 1935.
The weapon was equipped with a clip with five 7.92 mm cartridges. A trained soldier could accurately fire 15 times within a minute at a distance of up to 1.5 km. Mauser 98K was very compact. Its main characteristics: weight, length, barrel length - 4.1 kg x 1250 x 740 mm. Numerous conflicts with its participation, longevity and a truly sky-high "circulation" - more than 15 million units speak of the indisputable merits of the rifle.
At the shooting range. Rifle Mauser 98K
Rifle G-41
The G-41 self-loading ten-shot rifle became the German response to the mass equipping of the Red Army with rifles - SVT-38, 40 and ABC-36. Its sighting range reached 1200 meters. Only single shots were allowed. Its significant shortcomings - significant weight, low reliability and increased vulnerability to pollution were subsequently eliminated. The combat "circulation" amounted to several hundred thousand samples of rifles.
Rifle G-41
Automatic MP-40 "Schmeisser"
Perhaps the most famous small arms of the Wehrmacht during World War II was the famous MP-40 submachine gun, a modification of its predecessor, the MP-36, created by Heinrich Volmer. However, by the will of fate, he is better known under the name "Schmeisser", received thanks to the stamp on the store - "PATENT SCHMEISSER". The stigma simply meant that, in addition to G. Volmer, Hugo Schmeisser also participated in the creation of the MP-40, but only as the creator of the store.
Automatic MP-40 "Schmeisser"
Initially, the MP-40 was intended to arm the commanders of infantry units, but later it was handed over to tankers, armored vehicle drivers, paratroopers and special forces soldiers.
German soldier firing MP-40
However, the MP-40 was absolutely not suitable for infantry units, since it was an exclusively melee weapon. In a fierce battle in the open, having a weapon with a range of 70 to 150 meters meant for a German soldier to be practically unarmed in front of his opponent, armed with Mosin and Tokarev rifles with a range of 400 to 800 meters.
Assault rifle StG-44
Assault rifle StG-44 (sturmgewehr) cal. 7.92mm is another legend of the Third Reich. This is certainly an outstanding creation of Hugo Schmeisser - the prototype of many post-war assault rifles and machine guns, including the famous AK-47.
StG-44 could conduct single and automatic fire. Her weight with a full magazine was 5.22 kg. In the sighting range - 800 meters - the "Sturmgever" was in no way inferior to its main competitors. Three versions of the store were provided - for 15, 20 and 30 shots with a rate of up to 500 shots per second. The option of using a rifle with an underbarrel grenade launcher and an infrared sight was considered.
Created by Sturmgever 44 Hugo Schmeisser
Not without its drawbacks. The assault rifle was heavier than the Mauser-98K by a whole kilogram. Her wooden butt could not withstand sometimes hand-to-hand combat and simply broke. The flames escaping from the barrel gave away the location of the shooter, and the long magazine and sighting devices forced him to raise his head high in the prone position.
Sturmgever 44 with IR sight
In total, until the end of the war, German industry produced about 450 thousand StG-44s, which were armed mainly with elite units and subdivisions of the SS.
machine guns
By the beginning of the 30s, the military leadership of the Wehrmacht came to the need to create a universal machine gun, which, if necessary, could be transformed, for example, from hand to easel and vice versa. So a series of machine guns was born - MG - 34, 42, 45.
German machine gunner with MG-42
The 7.92mm MG-42 is quite rightly called one of the best machine guns of World War II. It was developed at Grossfuss by engineers Werner Gruner and Kurt Horn. Those who experienced its firepower were very frank. Our soldiers called it "lawn mower", and the allies - "Hitler's circular saw."
Depending on the type of shutter, the machine gun accurately fired at a speed of up to 1500 rpm at a distance of up to 1 km. Ammunition was carried out using a machine-gun belt for 50 - 250 rounds. The uniqueness of the MG-42 was complemented by a relatively small number of parts - 200 and the high manufacturability of their production by stamping and spot welding.
The barrel, red-hot from firing, was replaced by a spare one in a few seconds using a special clamp. In total, about 450 thousand machine guns were fired. The unique technical developments embodied in the MG-42 were borrowed by gunsmiths in many countries of the world when creating their machine guns.
Content
According to techcult
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Weapons of the Second World War. World War 2: weapons, tanks
One of the most difficult and significant for the history of all mankind was World War II. The weapons that were used in this crazy battle of 63 of the 74 countries that existed at that time claimed hundreds of millions of human lives.
Steel arms
World War II brought weapons of various promising types: from a simple submachine gun to a jet fire installation - the Katyusha. A lot of small arms, artillery, various aviation, naval weapons, tanks have been improved in these years.
Edged weapons of World War 2 were used for close hand-to-hand combat and as a reward. It was represented by: needle and wedge-shaped bayonets, which were supplied with rifles and carbines; army knives of various types; daggers for higher land and sea ranks; long-bladed cavalry checkers of private and commanding staff; naval officers' broadswords; premium original knives, daggers and checkers.
Weapon
The small arms of World War 2 played a particularly important role, since a huge number of people participated in it. Both the course of the battle and its results depended on the weapons of each.
The small arms of the USSR of World War II in the armament system of the Red Army were represented by the following types: personal service (revolvers and pistols of officers), individual of various units (shopping, self-loading and automatic carbines and rifles, for enlisted personnel), weapons for snipers (special self-loading or magazine rifles ), individual automatic for close combat (submachine guns), a collective type of weapon for platoons and squads of various groups of troops (light machine guns), for special machine gun units (machine guns mounted on an easel support), anti-aircraft small arms (machine gun anti-aircraft installations and large-caliber machine guns), tank small arms (tank machine gun).
The Soviet army used such small arms as the famous and indispensable rifle of the 1891/30 model (Mosin), self-loading rifles SVT-40 (F. V. Tokareva), automatic AVS-36 (S. G. Simonova), automatic pistol- PPD-40 machine guns (V. A. Degtyareva), PPSh-41 (G. S. Shpagina), PPS-43 (A. I. Sudayeva), TT-type pistol (F. V. Tokareva), light machine gun DP (V A. Degtyareva, infantry), a large-caliber machine gun DShK (V. A. Degtyareva - G. S. Shpagina), an SG-43 machine gun (P. M. Goryunova), anti-tank rifles PTRD (V. A. Degtyareva) and PTRS (S. G. Simonova). The main caliber of the weapon used is 7.62 mm. This entire range has been mainly designed by talented Soviet designers, combined into special KB ( design bureaus) and brought victory closer.
A significant contribution to the approach of victory was played by such small arms of World War 2 as submachine guns. Due to the lack of machine guns at the beginning of the war, an unfavorable situation developed for the Soviet Union on all fronts. A rapid build-up of this type of weaponry was necessary. During the first months, its production increased significantly.
New assault rifles and machine guns
In 1941, a completely new submachine gun of the PPSh-41 type was adopted. It surpassed the PPD-40 by more than 70% in terms of accuracy of fire, was as simple as possible in the device and had good fighting qualities. Even more unique was the PPS-43 assault rifle. Its shortened version allowed the soldier to be more maneuverable in battle. It was used for tankers, signalmen, scouts. The technology for the production of such a submachine gun was on the highest level. Much less metal was spent on its manufacture and almost 3 times less time than on similar previously produced PPSh-41.
The use of a DShK heavy machine gun with an armor-piercing bullet made it possible to inflict damage on armored vehicles and enemy aircraft. The SG-43 machine gun on the machine eliminated the dependence on the availability of water supplies, as it had air cooling.
Huge damage to enemy tanks was caused by the use of anti-tank rifles PTRD and PTRS. In fact, with their help, the battle near Moscow was won.
What did the Germans fight
German weapons of World War 2 are presented in great variety. The German Wehrmacht used pistols like: Mauser C96 - 1895, Mauser HSc - 1935-1936., Mauser M 1910., Sauer 38H - 1938, Walther P38 - 1938, Walther PP - 1929. The caliber of these pistols fluctuated : 5.6; 6.35; 7.65 and 9.0 mm. Which was very inconvenient.
Rifles used all caliber 7.92 mm types: Mauser 98k - 1935, Gewehr 41 - 1941, FG - 42 - 1942, Gewehr 43 - 1943, StG 44 - 1943, StG 45 (M ) - 1944, Volkssturmgewehr 1-5 - end of 1944.
Type machine guns: MG-08 - 1908, MG-13 - 1926, MG-15 - 1927, MG-34 - 1934, MG42 - 1941. They used 7.92mm bullets.
Submachine guns, the so-called German "Schmeisser", produced the following modifications: MP 18 - 1917, MP 28 - 1928, MP35 - 1932, MP 38/40 - 1938, MP-3008 - 1945 . They were all 9mm. Also, the German troops used a large number of captured small arms, inherited from the armies of the enslaved countries of Europe.
Weapons in the hands of American soldiers
One of the main advantages of the Americans at the beginning of the war was a sufficient number of automatic weapons. At the time of the outbreak of hostilities, the United States was one of the few states in the world that had almost completely re-equipped its infantry with automatic and self-loading weapons. They used self-loading rifles "Grand" M-1, "Johnson" M1941, "Grand" M1D, carbines M1, M1F1, M2, Smith-Wesson M1940. For some types of rifles, a 22-mm M7 detachable grenade launcher was used. Its use significantly expanded the firepower and combat capabilities of the weapon.
The Americans used Thompson submachine guns, Reising, United Defense M42, M3 Grease gun. Reising was supplied under Lend-Lease to the USSR. The British were armed with machine guns: Sten, Austen, Lanchester Mk.1.
It was funny that the knights of British Albion, in the manufacture of their Lanchester Mk.1 submachine guns, copied the German MP28, and the Australian Austen borrowed the design from the MP40.
Firearm
World War 2 firearms were represented on the battlefields by famous brands: the Italian Berreta, the Belgian Browning, the Spanish Astra-Unceta, the American Johnson, Winchester, Springfield, the English Lanchester, the unforgettable Maxim, Soviet PPSh and TT.
Artillery. The famous "Katyusha"
In the development of artillery weapons of that time, the main stage was the development and implementation of multiple rocket launchers.
The role of the Soviet rocket artillery combat vehicle BM-13 in the war is enormous. She is known to everyone by the nickname "Katyusha". Her rockets(RS-132) in a matter of minutes could destroy not only the manpower and equipment of the enemy, but, most importantly, undermine his spirit. The shells were installed on the basis of such trucks as the Soviet ZIS-6 and the American, imported under Lend-Lease, all-wheel drive Studebaker BS6.
The first units were manufactured in June 1941 at the Comintern plant in Voronezh. Their volley hit the Germans on July 14 of the same year near Orsha. In just a few seconds, emitting a terrible roar and throwing out smoke and flame, the rockets rushed at the enemy. A fiery tornado completely engulfed the enemy trains at the Orsha station.
The Jet Research Institute (RNII) took part in the development and creation of deadly weapons. It is to his employees - I. I. Gvai, A. S. Popov, V. N. Galkovsky and others - that we must bow for the creation of such a miracle of military equipment. During the war years, more than 10,000 of these machines were created.
German "Vanyusha"
The German army was also armed with a similar weapon - this is a 15 cm Nb. W41 (Nebelwerfer), or simply "Vanyusha". It was a very low accuracy weapon. It had a large spread of shells over the affected area. Attempts to modernize the mortar or produce something similar to the Katyusha did not have time to end due to the defeat of the German troops.
tanks
In all its beauty and diversity, World War 2 showed us a weapon - a tank.
The most famous tanks of World War 2 were: the Soviet medium tank-hero T-34, the German "menagerie" - heavy tanks T-VI "Tiger" and medium PzKpfw V "Panther", American medium tanks "Sherman", M3 "Lee", Japanese amphibious tank "Mizu Sensha 2602" ("Ka-Mi"), English light tank Mk III "Valentine" , their own heavy tank "Churchill", etc.
Churchill is known for being supplied under Lend-Lease to the USSR. As a result of reducing the cost of production, the British brought his armor to 152 mm. In combat, he was completely useless.
The role of tank troops during World War II
The plans of the Nazis in 1941 included lightning strikes with tank wedges at the joints of the Soviet troops and their complete encirclement. It was the so-called blitzkrieg - "lightning war". The basis of all offensive operations of the Germans in 1941 was precisely the tank troops.
The destruction of Soviet tanks through aviation and long-range artillery at the beginning of the war almost led to the defeat of the USSR. Such a huge influence on the course of the war had the presence of the required number tank troops.
One of the most famous tank battles World War II - the battle of Prokhorovka, which took place in July 1943. The subsequent offensive operations of the Soviet troops from 1943 to 1945 showed the power of our tank armies and the skill of tactical combat. The impression was that the methods used by the Nazis at the beginning of the war (this is a strike by tank groups at the junction of enemy formations) have now become an integral part of Soviet military tactics. Such attacks by mechanized corps and tank groups were excellently shown in the Kiev offensive operation, the Belorussian and Lvov-Sandomierz, Yasso-Kishenev, Baltic, Berlin offensive operations against the Germans and in Manchuria against the Japanese.
Tanks are the weapons of World War 2, which showed the world completely new methods of warfare.
In many battles, the legendary Soviet medium tanks T-34, later T-34-85, heavy tanks KV-1 later KV-85, IS-1 and IS-2, as well as self-propelled units SU-85 and SU-152.
The design of the legendary T-34 introduced a significant leap in world tank building in the early 1940s. This tank combined powerful armament, armor and high mobility. In total, about 53 thousand pieces were produced during the war years. These combat vehicles took part in all battles.
In response to the appearance of the most powerful tanks T-VI "Tiger" and T-V "Panther" in the German troops in 1943, the Soviet tank T-34-85 was created. The armor-piercing projectile of his gun - ZIS-S-53 - from 1000 m pierced the armor of the "Panther" and from 500 m - "Tiger".
Since the end of 1943, IS-2 heavy tanks and SU-152 self-propelled guns have also confidently fought the Tigers and Panthers. From 1500 m, the IS-2 tank pierced the frontal armor of the Panther (110 mm) and practically pierced its insides. The SU-152 shells could rip the turrets off the German heavyweights.
The IS-2 tank received the title of the most powerful tank of World War 2.
Aviation and navy
Some of the best aircraft of that time are the German dive bomber Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka", the impregnable "flying fortress" B-17, the "flying Soviet tank" Il-2, the famous La-7 and Yak-3 fighters (USSR), the Spitfire "(England)," North American R-51 "Mustang" (USA) and "Messerschmitt Bf 109" (Germany).
The best battleships of the navies of various countries during World War II were: the Japanese Yamato and Musashi, the English Nelson, the American Iowa, the German Tirpitz, the French Richelieu and the Italian Littorio.
Arms race. Deadly weapons of mass destruction
The weapons of the 2nd World War struck the world with their power and cruelty. It made it possible to destroy almost without hindrance a huge number of people, equipment and military installations, to wipe entire cities from the face of the earth.
World War II brought weapons of mass destruction of various types. Nuclear weapons have become especially deadly for many years to come.
Arms race, constant tension in conflict zones, intervention the mighty of the world this in the affairs of others - all this can give rise to new war for world domination.
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Germany | Weapons of the Second World War
Germany in World War II
cooking fascist Germany at the start of World War II has become an aspect of serious developments in the field of military technology. The armament of the fascist troops at that time according to last word technology, of course, became a significant advantage in battles, which allowed the Third Reich to bring many countries to surrender.
The military power of the Nazis was especially experienced by the USSR during the Great Patriotic War. Before the attack on Soviet Union the forces of fascist Germany numbered about 8.5 million people, including approximately 5.2 million people in the ground forces.
The technical equipment determined many ways of conducting combat operations, the maneuvering and strike capabilities of the army. After the company in Western Europe, the German Wehrmacht left the best weapons that showed the greatest effectiveness in combat. Before the attack on the USSR, these prototypes underwent intensive modernization, their parameters were brought to the maximum.
The fascist infantry divisions, as the main tactical troops, were armed with magazine rifles with 98 and 98k Mauser bayonets. Although the Treaty of Versailles for Germany provided for a ban on the production of submachine guns, German gunsmiths still continued to produce this type of weapon. Shortly after the formation of the Wehrmacht, the MP.38 submachine gun appeared in its appearance, which, due to the fact that it was distinguished by its small size, an open barrel without a forearm and a folding butt, quickly patented itself and was put into service back in 1938.
The experience accumulated in combat operations required the subsequent modernization of the MP.38. This is how the MP.40 submachine gun appeared, which was distinguished by a more simplified and cheaper design (in parallel, some changes were made to the MP.38, which later received the designation MP.38 / 40). Compactness, reliability, almost optimal rate of fire were justified advantages of this weapon. German soldiers called it "bullet pump".
The fighting on the Eastern Front showed that the submachine gun still needed to improve accuracy. This problem was already taken up by H. Schmeisser, who equipped the MP.40 design with a wooden butt and a device for switching to a single fire. True, the release of such MP.41 was insignificant.
Germany entered the war with only one MG.34 machine gun, which was used both in manual and tank, easel and anti-aircraft guns. The experience of its use proved that the concept of a single machine gun is quite correct. However, in 1942, the brainchild of modernization was the MG.42, nicknamed " Hitler's saw”, which is considered the best machine gun of the Second World War.
Fascist forces brought the world a lot of troubles, but it is worth recognizing that in military equipment they really understood.
weapon2.ru
The Schmeisser submachine gun was not a mass weapon of the German infantry during the Second World War
Until now, many believe that the mass weapon of the German infantry during the Great Patriotic War was the Schmeisser submachine gun, named after its designer. This myth is still actively supported by feature films. But in fact, it was not Schmeisser who created this machine gun at all, and he also never was a mass weapon of the Wehrmacht.
I think everyone remembers footage from the Soviet feature films about the Great Patriotic War, dedicated to the attacks of German soldiers on our positions. Brave and fit “blond beasts” (they were usually played by actors from the Baltic States) walk, almost without bending down, and fire on the move from machine guns (or rather, from submachine guns), which everyone called “Schmeisser”.
And, what is most interesting, no one at all, perhaps, except for those who really were in the war, was not surprised by the fact that the Wehrmacht soldiers fired, as they say, “from the hip”. Also, no one considered it fiction that, according to the movies, these "Schmeissers" accurately fired at the same distance as the rifles of the soldiers of the Soviet army. In addition, after watching such films, the viewer had the impression that the entire personnel of the German infantry, from privates to colonels, was armed with submachine guns during the Second World War.
However, all this is nothing more than a myth. In fact, this weapon was not called “Schmeisser” at all, and it was not as common in the Wehrmacht as Soviet films told about it, and it was impossible to shoot from it “from the hip”. In addition, an attack by a unit of such submachine gunners on trenches in which soldiers armed with magazine rifles were sitting was an obvious suicide - simply no one would have reached the trench. However, let's talk about everything in order.
The very weapon that I want to talk about today was officially called the MP 40 submachine gun (MP is an abbreviation for the word " Maschinenpistole", that is, an automatic pistol). It was another modification of the MP 36 assault rifle, created back in the 30s of the last century. The predecessors of this weapon, the MP 38 and MP 38/40 submachine guns, proved themselves very well at the very first stage of the Second World War, so the military experts of the Third Reich decided to continue improving this model.
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Georgy Shpagin and Alexei Sudaev gave the Soviet soldier a simple and reliable weapon
There are monuments to Soviet soldiers throughout Russia and Eastern Europe. And if this is a monumental figure of a soldier, then it is almost always in his hands. This weapon, which has become one of the symbols of Victory, is easy to recognize 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 STERNY WAY OF AUTOMATION
The First World War showed that in the collision of huge masses of armed people, the density of fire turns out to be a more important factor than the accuracy of the fire. It took a rapid-fire, compact weapon with a large wearable ammunition, convenient both in the offensive and in the defense, in the limited space of the trench and the street. So a machine gun and an automatic (self-loading) pistol were combined in one sample. By the end of the war, some of the belligerent countries even managed to adopt them.
In Russia, in 1916, a machine gun designed by Vladimir Fedorov chambered for 6.5 mm was adopted, which was soon renamed into an assault rifle.
So since then we have called all automatic weapons chambered for less than a rifle cartridge. The first machines were produced in small quantities and were rather 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 infantry machine gun of the Degtyarev system of the 1927 model (DP27) appeared.
Directly submachine guns in the Soviet Union began to be created in the mid-1920s. The command of the Red Army came to the conclusion that the revolver is suitable only for self-defense, and for active hostilities, all junior and middle command personnel should be re-equipped with submachine guns. The first PP of the Tokarev system of the 1927 model was created for a revolving cartridge. But then it was recognized that the cartridge should be the same for an automatic pistol and a submachine gun, that is, a 7.62 mm Mauser cartridge, which has been loved since the Civil War.
In parallel, the construction of a self-loading (automatic) rifle (carbine) for the personnel of the Red Army was underway. In 1936, the Simonov automatic rifle (AVS-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 SVT-40 appeared. They wanted to equip the entire Soviet army with it.
SVT-38
Until now, there is an opinion that the SVT turned out to be a bad weapon with a lot of flaws, did not justify itself and was withdrawn from production at the beginning of the war. Just as unsuccessful was the attempt to make her sniper rifle. Due to poor accuracy in October 1942, its production was stopped, returning to the good old "mosinka", to which only the PU telescopic sight, developed for SVT, was switched.
However, the Tokarev self-loading ballistics were quite decent, and the 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 not too 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 appreciated 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. The rifle did not cause any objections to them. Moreover, they tried to make their own G-43 (W) on its model. And the famous designer Hugo Schmeisser borrowed from Tokarev a gas outlet 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 for 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 put into production.
AVT
But according to the rules of operation, automatic firing from this light rifle could only be carried out in short bursts in rare cases: "with a shortage of light machine guns and at exceptional moments of 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 SVT has shown that weapons for our soldier should be extremely simple, tenacious, 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 discontinued by the same decree. Immediately after the war, Tokarev's rifles were withdrawn from the troops and handed over to warehouses. But part of the SVT was then transferred to the hunters-traders. Some are still in operation and do not cause any complaints, since hunters take their weapons responsibly.
In Finland, SVT is highly valued and is considered an excellent weapon with high combat qualities. Local experts simply do not accept criticism directed at her and are surprised that this weapon is so compromised in Russia. The Finns, with their cult of weapons, are very sensitive to the rules of handling weapons, so they are simply not familiar with the weaknesses of 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 metal-working machines, a large consumption of metal was required, including alloy steel. 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 and accessories - 1760 rubles, DP machine gun with spare parts - 1150 rubles, ShKAS wing aircraft machine gun - 1650 rub. At the same time, the rifle arr. 1891/30 cost only 166 rubles, and its sniper version with a scope - 245 rubles.
With the outbreak of the war, it became 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.
THE BIRTH OF THE PPSH
Shpagina became another reason for refusal from mass production of SVT. Large-scale production of PPSh began on the vacated production areas.
The submachine gun in the Red Army at first did not find recognition. In 1930, it was noted that it was considered unsuitable for military operations in Germany and the United States, used only by the police and internal security. However, the chief of armaments of the Red Army Ieronim Uborevich petitioned for a competition and the manufacture of a trial batch of PP. In 1932-1933, 14 different samples of a submachine gun passed state tests. On January 23, 1935, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense, the Degtyarev submachine gun arr. 1934 (PPD).
PPD-34
However, the PPD was made almost piecemeal. "Cavalry" 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 with certain categories of soldiers of the Red Army, the NKVD border guard, machine gun and gun crews, airborne troops, drivers, etc. However, in February 1939, the PPD was removed from service, withdrawn from the troops and handed over to warehouses. The repressions against his supporters - Tukhachevsky, Uborevich and others - also contributed to the persecution of the submachine gun. Voroshilov's people who came to replace them were opponents of the new. PPD was discontinued.
Meanwhile, the war in Spain proved the need for a submachine gun in the army. The Germans have already tested their MR-38 in battle,
took into account the flaws that were revealed and modernized it 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 weapon of close combat.
The Finns made effective use of their Suomi PP, equipping them with agile groups of skiers and individual soldiers acting independently. And now the failures in Karelia were 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 version, and production was urgently restored. At the request of Stalin, who really liked the capacious round store "Suomi", a similar drum was being developed for the PPD-40. In 1940, they manage to release 81,118 submachine guns.
A 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 to preserve the high tactical and technical data of the PPD, but to make his weapon easier to manufacture. He understood perfectly well that it was impossible to re-equip a mass army on the basis of labor-intensive machine-tool technologies. This is how the idea of a stamped-welded structure appeared.
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 processing purity had already been introduced in mechanical engineering. Electric welding appeared. Georgy Shpagin, who graduated from only a three-year school, but is closely acquainted with production, proved himself to be a true innovator. He not only created the structure, but also developed the foundations of the technology for its mass production. It was a revolutionary approach to designing small arms.
Already in August 1940, Shpagin personally made the first sample of a submachine gun. It was a free shutter recoil system. Relatively speaking, after the shot, the recoil threw the bolt - a steel "blank" weighing about 800 g. The bolt captured and threw out the spent cartridge case. Then a powerful return spring sent him back. On the way, the bolt captured the cartridge fed 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 the trigger was released, the shutter was fixed in the cocked state. If the hook remained pressed, the 71-round magazine was completely emptied in about five seconds.
When disassembled, the machine opened in only five parts. This did not require any tool. A fiber shock absorber, later made of leather, dampened the blows of a massive bolt in the extreme rear 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 tests, no damage was found in the details. Moreover, after such loads, he showed quite satisfactory results in the accuracy of shooting in bursts. The shooting was carried out with grease and dust and, conversely, after washing all moving parts with kerosene and dry compound. 5000 shots were fired without cleaning the weapon. Half of them - single, half - continuous fire. It should be noted, however, that the details for the most part were stamped.
At the end of November, comparative tests of Degtyarev's submachine guns, taken from gross production, Shpagin and Shpitalny, took place. As a result, Shpagin won. It will be useful to provide some data here. Number of parts: PPD and Shpitalny - 95, PPSh - 87. The number of machine hours required for processing parts: PPD - 13.7; Shpitalny - 25.3; PCA - 5.6 hours. Number of threaded places: PPD - 7; Shpitalny - 11, PPSh - 2. The new manufacturing technology provided great savings in metal and significantly accelerated production. No alloy steel was required.
On December 21, 1940, the Defense Committee of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution on the adoption of the 1941 Shpagin submachine gun for the Red Army. There were exactly six months left before the start of the Great Patriotic War.
Serial production of the PPSh began only in September 1941. Before that, it was necessary to prepare documentation, develop technical processes, make equipment, simply allocate production facilities and premises. For the entire 1941, 98,644 submachine guns were manufactured, of which PPD - 5868 pieces. In 1942, submachine guns were produced 16 times more - 1,499,269 pieces. Moreover, the production of PPSh could be established at any mechanical enterprise with suitable stamping equipment.
In the fall of 1941, Stalin personally distributed the new machines. 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 for each rifle company to have a platoon of machine gunners, and in each battalion - a company. 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. There is an eyelet on the side of the magazine housing, which serves to carry the magazines 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, and 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 was wound up by 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 greatly simplified loading, and the machine became less bulky. Soldiers usually preferred the sector store.
During the war, about 6.5 million PPShs were manufactured. Since 1942, it has even been produced in Iran especially for the USSR. These samples bear a special stamp - the image of the crown.
Hundreds of thousands of front-line PPShs 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 action and saved lead. At the same time, the production of cartridges in bimetallic (covered with tombak) and steel sleeve without any coating began.
CONSTRUCTION OF SUDAEV
The Shpagin submachine gun, which completely satisfied the infantrymen, turned out to be too cumbersome for tankers, 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 set to create a submachine gun, lighter and easier to manufacture, while 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 further machining.
Alexey Ivanovich Sudaev (1912-1946) won the design competition. As noted in the conclusion of the competition commission, his teaching staff "has no other equal 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 bolt.
The production of a new submachine gun was launched in besieged Leningrad at the Sestroretsk Instrument Plant named after V.I. Voskov under the leadership of Sudaev. The first samples were made in December 1942. Serial production began in 1943. During the year, 46,572 PPS were manufactured for units of the Leningrad Front. After the elimination of certain identified shortcomings and their elimination, a new machine gun was put into service under the name "Submachine gun of the Sudaev system mod. 1943 ".
In the troops, the PPS immediately received a high assessment. It was in no way inferior to the PPD and PPSh, it was lighter and more compact. However, its production was transferred to enterprises that were not adapted for the mass production of weapons. It was decided not to touch the well-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 PPS as follows: “We can say with full responsibility that the submachine gun of A.I.Sudaev, created by him and began to enter service with the Red Army in 1942, was the best submachine gun of the Second World War. Not a single foreign sample could compare with it in terms of simplicity of the device, reliability, trouble-free operation, and ease of use. The paratroopers, tankmen, scouts, partisans, and skiers were very fond of them for the high tactical, technical and combat properties of the Sudayev weapons, combined with their small dimensions and weight. "
The mass of the PPS without a magazine is 3.04 kg. Weight with six loaded magazines - 6.72 kg. The bullet retains its lethal force at a distance of 800 m. During the war, about half a million copies of the PPS were fired. Rate of fire - 700 rds / min. Bullet muzzle velocity - 500 m / sec. For comparison: the muzzle velocity of the German MP-40 is 380 m / s. The magazine of the German submachine gun for 32 rounds was recommended to be filled only up to 27 pieces, because at full load the spring began to release, and this led to delays in firing. The advantage of the German design was the lower rate of fire. But the sighting range was limited to 50-100 meters. Effective fire MP-40 actually did not exceed 200 meters. The bullet did not penetrate a steel sheet 2 mm thick, even at close range, leaving only a dent.
The quality of the weapon is also indicated by its, so to speak, “copying ratio”. In Finland, in 1944, they adopted the M-44 submachine gun - a copy of the PPS under the 9-mm Parabellum cartridge. About 10 thousand of them were produced, which is not so little for Finland. These submachine guns were used by the Finnish peacekeepers in the Sinai in 1957-1958.
In Poland, the PPS was produced under license, and on its basis the WZ 43/52 model with a wooden butt was developed on its basis in 1952. In China, it was produced at several enterprises with slight differences under the single name "sample 43", then - "Type 54". In Germany, copied already 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.
In the Soviet Union, over six million submachine guns of various models were produced during the war years. This is four times more than in Germany.
Victor Myasnikov
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The further back in time the years of fighting with the Nazi invaders go, the more myths, idle speculations, often unintentional, sometimes malicious, those events grow. One of them is that the German troops were completely armed with the notorious Schmeisser, which is an unsurpassed example of an automatic machine of all times and peoples before the advent of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. What really was the small arms of the Wehrmacht of the Second World War, was it as great as it is “painted”, it is worth looking into it in more detail to understand the real situation.
The blitzkrieg strategy, which consisted in the lightning-fast defeat of the enemy troops with the overwhelming advantage of the tank formations covered, assigned the ground motorized troops almost an auxiliary role - to complete the final defeat of the demoralized enemy, and not to conduct bloody battles with the massive use of rapid-fire small arms.
Perhaps that is why the overwhelming majority of German soldiers at the beginning of the war with the USSR were armed with rifles, and not machine guns, which is confirmed by archival documents. So, the infantry division of the Wehrmacht in 1940 according to the state should have available:
- Rifles and carbines - 12,609 pcs.
- Submachine guns, which will later be called submachine guns - 312 pcs.
- Light machine guns - 425 pieces, easel - 110 pieces.
- Pistols - 3,600 pcs.
- Anti-tank rifles - 90 pcs.
As can be seen from the above document, small arms, their ratio in terms of the number of types, had a significant preponderance towards the traditional weapons of the ground forces - rifles. Therefore, by the beginning of the war, the infantry formations of the Red Army, mainly armed with excellent Mosin rifles, were in no way inferior to the enemy in this matter, and the regular number of submachine guns rifle division The Red Army was even much larger - 1,024 units.
Later, in connection with the experience of battles, when the presence of rapid-fire, quickly reloaded small arms made it possible to gain an advantage due to the density of fire, the Soviet and German high commands decided to massively equip the troops with automatic hand weapons, but this did not happen immediately.
The most massive small arms of the German army by 1939 was the Mauser rifle - Mauser 98K. It was a modernized version of the weapon developed by German designers at the end of the previous century, repeating the fate of the famous “mosinka” of the 1891 model, after which it underwent numerous “upgrades”, being in service with the Red Army, and then the Soviet Army until the end of the 50s. The technical characteristics of the Mauser 98K rifle are also very similar:
An experienced soldier was able to aim and fire 15 shots from it in one minute. The equipment of the German army with this simple, unpretentious weapon began in 1935. In total, more than 15 million units were manufactured, which undoubtedly speaks of its reliability and demand among the troops.
The G41 self-loading rifle, on the instructions of the Wehrmacht, was developed by the German designers of the arms concerns Mauser and Walther. After the state tests, the Walther system was recognized as the most successful.
The rifle had a number of serious flaws that emerged during operation, which dispels another myth about the superiority of German weapons. As a result, the G41 underwent significant modernization in 1943, primarily related to the replacement of the gas exhaust system borrowed from the Soviet SVT-40 rifle, and became known as the G43. In 1944, it was renamed the K43 carbine, without making any structural changes. This rifle, according to technical data, reliability, was significantly inferior to self-loading rifles produced in the Soviet Union, which is recognized by gunsmiths.
Submachine guns (PP) - submachine guns
By the beginning of the war, the Wehrmacht was armed with several types of automatic weapons, many of which were developed back in the 20s, often produced in limited series for the needs of the police, as well as for export:
The main technical data of the MP 38, produced in 1941:
- Caliber - 9 mm.
- Cartridge - 9 x 19 mm.
- Length with folded butt - 630 mm.
- Magazine with a capacity of 32 rounds.
- Sighting range - 200 m.
- Weight with equipped magazine - 4.85 kg.
- The rate of fire is 400 rounds / min.
By the way, by September 1, 1939, the Wehrmacht had only 8.7 thousand units of MP 38 in service. However, after taking into account and eliminating the shortcomings of the new weapon identified in the battles during the occupation of Poland, the designers made changes that concerned mainly reliability, and the weapon became mass produced. In total, during the war years, the German army received more than 1.2 million units of MP 38 and its subsequent modifications - MP 38/40, MP 40.
It was the MP 38 fighters of the Red Army who were called Schmeisser. The most likely reason for this was the stigma on the magazines for their cartridges with the name of the German designer, co-owner of the weapons manufacturer Hugo Schmeisser. His surname is also associated with a very common myth that the Stg-44 assault rifle or Schmeisser assault rifle, which he developed in 1944, which looks similar to the famous Kalashnikov invention, is his prototype.
Pistols and machine guns
Rifles and machine guns were the main weapons of the Wehrmacht soldiers, but one should not forget about officer or additional weapons - pistols, as well as machine guns - hand, easel, which were a significant force during the fighting. They will be discussed in more detail in future articles.
Speaking about the confrontation with Nazi Germany, it should be remembered that in fact the Soviet Union fought with the entire “united” Nazis, therefore, the Romanian, Italian and other troops of many other countries had not only the small arms of the Wehrmacht of the Second World War, produced directly in Germany, Czechoslovakia, the former real forge of weapons, but also of its own production. As a rule, it was of lower quality, less reliable, even if it was produced according to the patents of German gunsmiths.
Rifles deserve special attention. The operation of rifles does not require such a long training as, for example, to operate a tank or pilot an aircraft, and even women or completely inexperienced fighters can easily handle them. The relatively small size and ease of operation made the rifles one of the most massive and popular weapons for warfare.
M1 Garand (M-One Garand)
The Em-One Garand was the standard US Army infantry rifle from 1936 to 1959. The semi-automatic rifle, which General George S. Patton called "the greatest fighting weapon ever created," gave the American army a huge advantage in World War II.
While the German, Italian, and Japanese armies still issued bolt-action rifles to their infantry, the M1 was semi-automatic and highly accurate. This caused the popular Japanese strategy of "desperate attack" to be much less effective, as they now faced an enemy who fired quickly and without missing. M1 was also produced with additions in the form of a bayonet or grenade launcher.
Lee Enfield (Lee Enfield)
The British Lee-Enfield No. 4 MK became the main infantry rifle of the British and Allied armies. By 1941, when mass production and use of Lee-Enfield began, the rifle underwent a number of changes and modifications to the sliding bolt mechanism, the original version of which was created back in 1895. Some units (such as the Bangladesh Police) still use the Lee-Enfield, making it the only bolt-action rifle in use for such a long time. In total, there are 17 million released by Lee-Enfield of various series and modifications.
The rate of fire at Lee Enfield is similar to Em One Garand. The sighting slit of the sight was designed in such a way that the projectile could hit the target from a distance of 180-1200 meters, which significantly increased the range and accuracy of fire. Shot Lee-Enfield cartridges 303 British with a caliber of 7.9 mm and fired up to 10 shots at a time in two bursts of 5 rounds.
Colt 1911 (Colt 1911)
The Colt is undoubtedly one of the most popular handguns of all time. It was Colt who set the bar for quality for all pistols of the 20th century.
The reference weapon of the US Armed Forces from 1911 to 1986, the Colt 1911 has been modified to serve it today.
The Colt 1911 was designed by John Moses Browning during the Philippine-American War as the troops needed a high stopping power weapon. Colt 45 caliber coped with this task perfectly. It was a reliable and powerful weapon of the US infantry during World War II.
The first Colt - Colt Paterson - was created and patented by Samuel Colt in 1835. It was a six-shot revolver with a percussion cap. By the time John Browning designed his famous Colt 1911, no less than 17 Colts were being produced at the Colt's Manufacturing Company. First it was single-action revolvers, then double-action revolvers, and since 1900 the company began to produce pistols. All predecessor pistols of the Colt 1911 were small in size, relatively low power and were intended for concealed carry, for which they were nicknamed "vest". Our hero won the hearts of many generations - he was reliable, accurate, heavy, looked impressive and turned out to be the longest-lived weapon in the United States, serving the military and police faithfully until the 1980s.
The Shpagin submachine gun (PPSh-41) is a Soviet-made assault rifle used both during and after World War II. Made primarily from stamped sheet metal and wood, the Shpagin submachine gun was produced in quantities of up to 3,000 daily.
The Shpagin submachine gun replaced the earlier version of the Degtyarev submachine gun (PPD-40), being its cheaper and more modern modification. "Shpagin" produced up to 1000 rounds per minute and was equipped with an automatic loader of 71 rounds. Firepower The USSR with the advent of the Shpagin submachine gun has increased significantly.
Submachine gun STEN (STEN)
The British STEN submachine gun was developed and created in the conditions of a massive shortage of weapons and an urgent need for combat units. Having lost a huge amount of weapons during the Dunkirk operation and under the constant threat of a German invasion, the United Kingdom needed strong infantry firepower - in no time and at little cost.
STEN was perfect for this role. The design was simple, and assembly could be carried out in almost all factories in England. Due to lack of funding and the difficult conditions in which it was created, the model turned out to be crude, and the military often complained about misfires. Nevertheless, it was the kind of boost to arms production that Britain so desperately needed. The STEN was so simple in design that many countries and guerrilla forces quickly adopted its production and began producing their own models. Among them were members of the Polish resistance - the number of STENs they made reached 2000.
During World War II, the United States produced over 1.5 million Thompson submachine guns. The Thompson, which would later become known as the weapon of American gangsters, was highly valued during the war years for its high efficiency in close combat, especially among paratroopers.
The mass production model for the US Army starting in 1942 was the M1A1 carbine, which was a simpler and cheaper version of the Thompson.
Equipped with a 30-round magazine, the Thompson fired the .45 caliber rounds that were very popular in the US at the time and showed excellent stopping power.
Bren light machine gun (Bren)
The Bren light machine gun was a powerful, easy-to-use weapon that could always be relied upon and was the go-to weapon for British infantry platoons. A licensed British modification of the Czechoslovak ZB-26, the Bren was introduced into the British Army as the main light machine gun, three per platoon, one for each firing station.
Any problem that arose with Bren could be solved by the soldier himself, simply by adjusting the gas spring. Designed for the 303 British used at Lee Enfield, the Bren was fitted with a 30-round magazine and fired 500-520 rounds per minute. Both Bren and his Czechoslovak predecessor are very popular today.
The Browning M1918 automatic rifle was a light machine gun station in service with the US Army in 1938 and was used until the Vietnam War. Although the US never set out to develop a practical and powerful light machine gun like the British Bren or the German MG34, the Browning was still a worthy model.
Weighing 6 to 11 kg, chambered in 30-06 caliber, the Browning was originally conceived as a support weapon. But when American troops faced heavily armed Germans, tactics had to be changed: at least two Brownings were now given to each rifle squad, which were the main elements of a tactical decision.
A single MG34 machine gun was one of the weapons that made up the military power of Germany. One of the most reliable and high-quality machine guns of World War II, the MG34 had an unsurpassed rate of fire - up to 900 rounds per minute. It was also equipped with a double trigger that made both semi-automatic and automatic firing possible.
The StG 44 was developed in Nazi Germany in the early 1940s and mass production began in 1944.
StG 44 was one of the main weapons in the Wehrmacht's attempts to turn the course of the war in their favor - the factories of the Third Reich produced 425 thousand units of this weapon. The StG 44 became the first mass-produced assault rifle, and significantly influenced both the course of the war and the further production of weapons of this type. However, she still did not help the Nazis.
Thanks to Soviet films about the war, most people have a strong opinion that the mass small arms (photo below) of the German infantry during the Second World War 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 of them had it in the infantry units of the Wehrmacht. This is explained simply: the aiming 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 aiming 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 in appearance, and in some technical characteristics, 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 the fighting qualities of a light machine gun and an automatic rifle. The Rheinmetall company took up the development of weapons already during the war, when, after evaluating the results of airborne operations carried out by the Wehrmacht, it turned out that the MP-38 submachine guns did 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 German light anti-tank weapon is a modified copy of the American Bazooka rocket-propelled 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 inflicted significant losses on 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.
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