Top best weapons of the Second World War. World War II infantry weapons

The further back in time the years of fighting with the Nazi occupiers go, the more big amount Myths, idle speculation, often accidental, sometimes malicious, surround those events. One of them is that the German troops were completely armed with the notorious Schmeissers, which are an unsurpassed example of an assault rifle of all times and peoples before the advent of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. What it really was like weapon The Wehrmacht of the Second World War, whether it was as magnificent as it is “painted”, is worth looking into in more detail to understand the real situation.

The blitzkrieg strategy, which consisted of a lightning-fast defeat of enemy troops with an overwhelming advantage of tank formations covered, assigned motorized ground forces almost an auxiliary role - to complete the final defeat of a demoralized enemy, and not to conduct bloody battles with the massive use of rapid-fire small arms.

Perhaps this is why, at the beginning of the war with the USSR, the overwhelming majority of German soldiers were armed with rifles rather than machine guns, which is confirmed by archival documents. So, infantry division The Wehrmacht in 1940 was required to have:

Rifles and carbines – 12,609 pcs.
Submachine guns, which would later be called machine guns - 312 pcs.
Light machine guns – 425 pcs., heavy machine guns – 110 pcs.
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 advantage in favor of traditional weapons ground forces- rifles. Therefore, by the beginning of the war, the infantry formations of the Red Army, mostly armed with excellent Mosin rifles, were in no way inferior to the enemy in this matter, and staffing quantity 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 popular small arms of the German army by 1939 was the Mauser rifle - Mauser 98K. It was a modernized version of a weapon developed by German designers at the end of the previous century, repeating the fate of the famous “Mosinka” model of 1891, 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. Equipping the German army with these simple, unpretentious weapons began in 1935. In total, more than 15 million units were manufactured, which undoubtedly indicates its reliability and demand among the troops.

The G41 self-loading rifle, on instructions from the Wehrmacht, was developed by German designers from the Mauser and Walther arms concerns. After state tests, the Walter system was recognized as the most successful.

The rifle had a number of serious shortcomings that were revealed 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 adding any constructive changes. This rifle, in terms of technical data and reliability, was significantly inferior to self-loading rifles produced in the Soviet Union, which is recognized by gunsmiths.

Submachine guns (PP) - machine guns

By the beginning of the war, the Wehrmacht had several types of automatic weapons, many of which had been developed back in the 20s, often produced in limited series for police needs, as well as for export sale:

Basic technical data of the MP 38, produced in 1941:

Caliber – 9 mm.
Cartridge – 9 x 19 mm.
Length with folded stock – 630 mm.
Magazine capacity of 32 rounds.
Sighting range shooting range – 200 m.
Weight with loaded magazine – 4.85 kg.
Rate of fire – 400 rounds/min.

By the way, by September 1, 1939, the Wehrmacht had only 8.7 thousand MP 38 units 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, mainly related to reliability, and the weapon became mass produced. In total, during the war years, the German army received more than 1.2 million units of the MP 38 and its subsequent modifications - MP 38/40, MP 40.

It was MP 38 that was called Schmeisser by the Red Army soldiers. Most probable cause This was due to the stamp on the magazines chambered for them with the name of the German designer, co-owner of the weapons manufacturing company, Hugo Schmeisser. His surname is also associated with a very common myth that he developed in 1944 assault rifle Stg-44 or Schmeisser assault rifle, externally similar to the famous Kalashnikov invention, is its prototype.

Pistols and machine guns

Rifles and machine guns were the main weapons of Wehrmacht soldiers, but we should not forget about officer or additional weapons - pistols, as well as machine guns - hand and easel, which were a significant force during the fighting. They will be discussed in more detail in the following articles.

Speaking of confrontation with Hitler's Germany, it should be remembered that in fact Soviet Union fought with the entire “united” Nazis, so the Romanian, Italian and many other countries’ troops had not only World War II Wehrmacht small arms produced directly in Germany, Czechoslovakia, which was a real arms forge, but also their own production. As a rule, it was of poorer quality and less reliable, even if it was produced according to the patents of German gunsmiths.

Rifles of Germany, America, Japan, Britain, USSR (PHOTO)
Pistols
Submachine guns
Anti-tank weapons
Flamethrowers

Briefly, it can be noted that even before the outbreak of World War II, various countries the world, general directions in the development and production of small arms have taken shape. When developing new types and modernizing old ones, more attention was paid to increasing the density of fire. At the same time, accuracy and firing range faded into the background. This led to further development and increasing the number of automatic types small arms. The most popular were submachine guns, machine guns, assault rifles, etc.
The need to fire, as they say, on the move, led in turn to the development of lighter weapons. In particular, machine guns have become much lighter and more mobile.
In addition, weapons such as shotgun grenades, anti-tank rifles and grenade launchers have emerged for the fight.

Rifles of Germany, America, Japan, Britain, USSR

They were one of the most popular types of weapons during the Second World War. At the same time, most of them with a longitudinally sliding bolt had “common roots”, going back to the Mauser Hewehr 98, which entered service with the German troops even before the First World War.

The French also developed their own analogue of a self-loading rifle. However, due to its large length (almost one and a half meters), the RSC M1917 never became widespread.
Often, when developing rifles of this kind, designers “sacrificed” the effective firing range for the sake of increasing the rate of fire.

Pistols

Pistols from manufacturers known in the previous conflict continued to be personal small arms in World War II. Moreover, during the break between wars, many of them were modernized, increasing their effectiveness.
The magazine capacity of pistols of this period ranged from 6 to 8 rounds, which allowed continuous shooting.

The only exception in this series was the American Browning High-Power, whose magazine held 13 rounds.
The most widely known weapons of this type were the German Parabellums, Lugers, and later Walthers, the British Enfield No. 2 Mk I and the Soviet TT-30 and 33.

Submachine guns

The appearance of this type of weapon was the next step in strengthening the firepower of the infantry. Wide Application they were found in battles in the Eastern Theater of Operations.

Here German troops used the Maschinenpistole 40 (MP 40).
In service Soviet army were successively replaced by the “PPD 1934/38”, the prototype for which was the German “Bergman MR 28”, PPSh-41 and PPS-42.

Anti-tank weapons

The development of tanks and other armored vehicles led to the emergence of weapons that were capable of taking out even the heaviest vehicles.

So, in 1943, in service American troops The Ml Bazooka appeared, and subsequently its improved version, the M9.
Germany, in turn, taking US weapons as a model, mastered the production of the RPzB Panzerschreck. However, the most popular was the Panzerfaust, the production of which was relatively inexpensive, and it itself was quite effective.
The British used PIAT against tanks and armored vehicles.

It is noteworthy that the modernization of this type of weapon did not stop throughout the war. This was due, first of all, to the fact that it was also continuously strengthening and improving tank armor and to break through it, increasingly strong firepower was required.

Flamethrowers

Speaking about small arms of that period, one cannot fail to mention flamethrowers, which were one of the most scary views weapons and at the same time the most effective. The Nazis especially actively used flamethrowers to fight the defenders of Stalingrad, who were hiding in sewer “pockets”.

Thanks to Soviet films about the war, most people have a strong opinion that the mass-produced small arms (photo below) of the German infantry during the Second World War is a machine gun (submachine gun) of the Schmeisser system, which is named after the name of 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 it was not created by Hugo Schmeisser. However, first things first.

How myths are created

Everyone should remember the footage from domestic films dedicated to the attacks of 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 those who were in the war. According to movies, the “Schmeissers” could conduct aimed fire at the same distance as the rifles of our soldiers. In addition, when watching these films, the viewer got the impression that all the personnel of the German infantry during the Second World War were armed with machine guns. In fact, everything was different, and a submachine gun is not a mass-produced small arms weapon of the Wehrmacht, and it is impossible to shoot “from the hip” from it, and it is not called “Schmeisser” at all. In addition, carrying out an attack on a trench by a submachine gunner unit, in which there are soldiers armed with repeating rifles, is clearly suicide, since simply no one would reach the trenches.

Dispelling the myth: MP-40 automatic pistol

This Wehrmacht small weapon in WWII is officially called the submachine gun (Maschinenpistole) MP-40. 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 less famous and talented craftsman Heinrich Volmer. Why is the nickname “Schmeisser” so firmly attached to him? The thing is that Schmeisser owned the patent for the magazine that is used in this submachine gun. And in order not to violate his copyright, in the first batches of the MP-40, the inscription PATENT SCHMEISSER was stamped on the magazine receiver. When these machine guns ended up as trophies among the soldiers of the Allied armies, they mistakenly believed that the author of this model of small arms was, naturally, Schmeisser. This is how this nickname stuck to the MP-40.

Initially, the German command armed only command staff with machine guns. Thus, in infantry units, only battalion, company and squad commanders were supposed to have MP-40s. Later, automatic pistols were supplied to drivers of armored vehicles, tank crews and paratroopers. Nobody armed the infantry with them en masse, either in 1941 or after. According to archives, in 1941 the troops had only 250 thousand MP-40 assault rifles, and this was for 7,234,000 people. As you can see, a submachine gun is not a mass-produced weapon of World War II. In general, during the entire period - from 1939 to 1945 - only 1.2 million of these machine guns were produced, while over 21 million people were conscripted into the Wehrmacht units.

Why weren't the infantry armed with MP-40s?

Despite the fact that experts subsequently recognized that the MP-40 was the best small arms of World War II, very few of the Wehrmacht infantry units had it. This can be explained simply: the effective firing 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 rifles (SVT), the sighting range of which was 800 m for group targets and 400 m for single targets. If the Germans had fought with such weapons as they showed in Russian films, they would never have been able to reach the enemy trenches; they would have simply been shot, as if in a shooting gallery.

Shooting on the move "from the hip"

The MP-40 submachine gun vibrates strongly when firing, and if you use it, as shown in the films, the bullets always fly past the target. Therefore, for effective shooting, it must be pressed tightly to the shoulder, having first unfolded the butt. In addition, long bursts were never fired from this machine gun, since it quickly heated up. Most often they fired in a short burst of 3-4 rounds or fired single fire. Despite the fact that in tactical and technical characteristics it is indicated that the rate of fire is 450-500 rounds per minute; in practice, such a result has never been achieved.

Advantages of MP-40

This cannot be said that this small arms weapon 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 in 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 among criminals, and the price of such a machine gun is very high. And they are supplied there by “black archaeologists” who carry out excavations 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 carbine? The most common small arms in Germany is the Mauser rifle. Its target 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 modernized, mainly to reduce costs, as well as to rationalize production. In addition, these Wehrmacht small arms were equipped optical sights, and it was used to staff sniper units. 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 Wehrmacht infantry units received the first automatic self-loading rifles of the Walter G-41 and Mauser G-41 systems for military testing. Their appearance was due to the fact that the Red Army had more than one and a half million similar systems in service: SVT-38, SVT-40 and ABC-36. In order not to give in Soviet soldiers, 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 as the best and adopted. The rifle is equipped with a hammer-type impact mechanism. Designed to fire only single shots. Equipped with a magazine with a capacity of ten rounds. This automatic self-loading rifle is designed to be used aimed shooting 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 contamination, it was produced in a small series. In 1943, the designers, having eliminated the indicated disadvantages, proposed a modernized version of the G-43 (Walter system), which was produced in quantities of several hundred thousand units. Before its appearance, Wehrmacht soldiers preferred to use captured Soviet (!) SVT-40 rifles.

Now let's return to the German gunsmith Hugo Schmeisser. He developed two systems, without which the Second World War could not have happened. World War.

Small arms - MP-41

This model was developed simultaneously with the MP-40. This machine gun was significantly different from the “Schmeisser” familiar to everyone from the movies: it had a forend trimmed with wood, which protected the fighter from burns, it was heavier and had a long barrel. However, these 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 gun due to a lawsuit from ERMA, which claimed illegal copying of its patented design. The MP-41 small arms were used by Waffen SS units. It was also successfully used by Gestapo units and mountain rangers.

MP-43, or StG-44

Schmeisser developed the next Wehrmacht weapon (photo below) in 1943. At first it was called MP-43, and later - StG-44, which means “assault rifle” (sturmgewehr). This automatic rifle is appearance, and for some technical specifications, resembles (which appeared later), and differs significantly from the MP-40. Its aimed fire range was up to 800 m. The StG-44 even had the ability to mount a 30 mm grenade launcher. To fire from cover, the designer developed a special attachment that was placed on the muzzle and changed the trajectory of the bullet by 32 degrees. This weapon went into 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 elite units of the Wehrmacht and to Waffen SS units. Subsequently, these Wehrmacht weapons were used in

Automatic rifles FG-42

These copies were intended for paratroopers. They combined fighting qualities light machine gun and an automatic rifle. The development of weapons was undertaken by the Rheinmetall company already during the war, when, after assessing the results of airborne operations carried out by the Wehrmacht, it became clear 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 then it was put into service. In the process of using the mentioned weapon, disadvantages associated with low strength and stability during automatic shooting also emerged. In 1944, a modernized 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. The 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 shooting, a bipod is attached under the barrel. The FG-42 rifle is designed to fire at a range of 1200 m. Due to its high cost, it was released in limited quantities: only 12 thousand units of both models.

Luger P08 and Walter P38

Now let's look at 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, units of the German army had more than half a million of these pistols. This Wehrmacht small arms were produced until 1942, and then they were replaced by the more reliable Walter.

This pistol was put into service in 1940. It was intended for firing 9-mm cartridges; the magazine capacity is 8 rounds. The target range of the "Walter" is 50 meters. It was produced until 1945. Total number P38 pistols produced amounted to 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, there were about 80 thousand units of this weapon in the Wehrmacht. The machine gun allows you to fire both single shots and continuous fire. To do this, he had a trigger with two notches. When you press the top one, the shooting was carried out in single shots, and when you press the bottom one - in bursts. It was intended for 7.92x57 mm Mauser rifle cartridges, 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 that the impetus for changes in weapons systems and the tactics of 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 significantly simplified and reduced the cost of production of these weapons. Thus, 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 shooting- 1200-1300 rounds per minute. Such significant changes had a negative impact on the stability of the unit when firing. Therefore, to ensure accuracy, it was recommended to fire in short bursts. The ammunition for the new machine gun remained the same as for the MG-34. The aimed fire range was two kilometers. Work to improve 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, no one could boast of such a rate of fire infantry machine gun that time. However, this modification appeared too late and was not in service with the Wehrmacht.

PzB-39 and Panzerschrek

PzB-39 was developed in 1938. These weapons of the Second World War were used with relative success at the initial stage to combat wedges, tanks and armored vehicles with bulletproof armor. Against the heavily armored 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 rocket-propelled anti-tank rifles “Panzerschrek”, “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 “pierce” 35 mm armor.

"Panzerschrek". This is a German lung anti-tank weapon is a modified copy of the American Bazooka jet gun. German designers equipped it with a shield that protected the shooter from the hot gases escaping from the grenade nozzle. Anti-tank companies of motorized rifle regiments were supplied with these weapons as a matter of priority. tank divisions. Rocket guns were extremely powerful weapons. "Panzerschreks" were weapons for group use and had a maintenance crew consisting of three people. Since they were very complex, their use required special training in calculations. In total, 314 thousand units of such guns and more than two million rocket-propelled grenades for them were produced in 1943-1944.

Grenade launchers: “Faustpatron” and “Panzerfaust”

The first years of World War II showed that anti-tank rifles were not up to the task, so the German military demanded anti-tank weapons that could be used to equip the infantryman, operating on the “fire and throw” principle. 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 service in August of the same year. All models of this anti-tank grenade launcher had a similar design: they consisted of a barrel (a smooth-bore seamless tube) and an over-caliber grenade. The impact mechanism and sighting device were welded to the outer surface of the barrel.

The 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, which houses the trigger mechanism; the propellant charge was placed in the barrel. In addition, the designers were able to increase the grenade's flight speed. In total, more than eight million grenade launchers of all modifications were manufactured during the war years. This type of weapon caused significant losses Soviet tanks. Thus, in the battles on the outskirts of Berlin, they knocked out about 30 percent of armored vehicles, and during street battles in the German capital - 70%.

Conclusion

The Second World War had an impact significant influence 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 means weapons, the role of rifle units is not diminished. The accumulated experience in using weapons in those years is still relevant today. In fact, it became the basis for the development and improvement of small arms.

Developed by Wertchod Gipel and Heinrich Vollmer at the Erma plant (Erfurter Werkzeug und Maschinenfabrik), the MP-38 is better known as the "Schmeisser", in fact, weapons designer Hugo Schmeisser was responsible for the development of the MP-38 and Mr 40 German machine gun Wehrmacht of World War II war photos, has no relation. In literary publications of the time, all German submachine guns were mentioned as being based on " Schmeisser system" Most likely this is where the confusion came from. Well, then our cinema got down to business, and crowds of German soldiers, all armed with MP 40 machine guns, went for a walk on the screens, which has nothing to do with reality. At the beginning of the invasion of the USSR, about 200,000 thousand MP.38/40 were manufactured (the figure is not at all impressive). And during all the years of the war, the total production amounted to about 1 million guns; for comparison, the PPSh-41 was produced over 1.5 million in 1942 alone.

German submachine gun MP 38/40

So who armed the pistol with the MP-40 machine gun? Official order adoption dates back to the 40th year. Armed infantrymen, cavalrymen, tank and armored vehicle crews, drivers vehicle staff officers and several other categories of military personnel. The same order introduced the standard ammunition load of six magazines (192 rounds). In mechanized troops there are 1536 rounds of ammunition per crew.

incomplete disassembly of the MP40 machine gun

Here we need to go a little into the background history of creation. Even today, more than 70 years after the end of the war, the MP-18 is a classic automatic weapon. Caliber chambered for a pistol cartridge, operating principle - blowback. The cartridge's reduced charge meant that it was relatively easy to hold, even when firing at full force. automatic mode, while lightweight hand-held weapons are almost impossible to control when firing in bursts when using a full-size cartridge.
DEVELOPMENTS BETWEEN WARS

After military depots with the MP-18 went to the French army, the pistol was replaced with a 20- or 32-round box magazine, inserted on the left, with a “disc” (“snail”) magazine similar to the Lugger magazine.

MP-18 with snail magazine

The MP-34/35 9mm pistol, developed by the Bergman brothers in Denmark, was very similar in appearance to the MP-28. In 1934, its production was established in Germany. Large stocks of these weapons, made by the Junker und Ruh A6 plant in Karlsruhe, went to the Waffen SS.

SS man with MP-28

Until the very beginning of the war, machine guns remained special weapons, used primarily by secret units.

A very revealing photo of the weapons of the SS sd and police units from left to right Suomi MP-41 and MP-28

With the outbreak of hostilities, it became clear that this was a uniquely convenient weapon. universal application, so it was necessary to schedule production large quantity new weapons. This requirement was met in a revolutionary way by a new weapon - the MP-38 assault rifle.

German infantryman with an mp38\40 machine gun

Little different mechanically from other automatic pistols of the period, the MP-38 did not have the well-made wooden stock and intricate details inherent in automatic weapons of earlier designs. It was made from stamped metal parts and plastic. It was the first automatic weapon equipped with a folding metal stock, which reduced its length from 833 mm to 630 mm and made the machine an ideal weapon for paratroopers and vehicle crews.

Photo of a German MP38 assault rifle in service with the Wehrmacht

The machine gun had a protrusion under the barrel, nicknamed the “rest plate,” which made it possible to conduct automatic fire through machine loopholes and embrasures, without fear that vibrations would move the barrel to the side. Due to the sharp sound made when firing, the MP-38/40 assault rifle earned the inelegant nickname “belching machine gun.”

German soldier with MP 40

Design disadvantages: Mr 40 German Wehrmacht machine gun of the Second World War photo

mp-40 German machine gun of the Second World War

The MP-38 entered production, and soon, during the 1939 campaign in Poland, it became clear that the weapon had a dangerous flaw. When cocking the hammer, the bolt could easily fall forward, unexpectedly initiating shooting. An improvised way out of the situation was a leather collar, which was put on the barrel and kept the weapon cocked. At the factory, the easiest way was to make a special “delay” for safety in the form of a folding bolt on the bolt handle, which could be pinched by a recess on the receiver, which would prevent any forward movement of the bolt.

The soldiers were colder than the MP 40 machine gun

The weapon of this modification received the designation “ MP-38/40».
The desire to reduce production costs led to the MP-40. In this new weapon, the number of parts requiring processing on metal-cutting machines was reduced to a minimum, and stamping and welding were used wherever possible. The production of many parts of the machine gun and the assembly of the machine gun were located in Germany at the Erma, Gaenl and Steyr factories, as well as in factories in the occupied countries.

soldier armed with a submachine gun MP 38-40

The manufacturer can be identified by the code stamping on the back of the bolt box: “ayf” or “27” means “Erma”, “bbnz” or “660” - “Steyr”, “fxo” - “Gaenl”. At the beginning of World War II, slightly less MP38 assault rifles were produced 9000 things.

stamping on the back of the bolt: "ayf" or "27" means Erma production

This weapon was well received by German soldiers, and the machine gun was also popular among Allied soldiers when it was given to them as a trophy. But he was far from perfect: while fighting in Russia, soldiers armed MP-40 assault rifle , found that Soviet soldiers armed with a PPSh-41 assault rifle with a 71-round disc magazine were stronger than them in battle.

Often German soldiers used captured PPSh-41 weapons

Not only that soviet weapons had a large firepower, it was simpler and turned out to be more reliable in the field. Bearing in mind problems with firepower, Erma introduced the MP-40/1 assault rifle at the end of 1943. The assault rifle had a special configuration that included two disc magazines with 30 rounds each, placed side by side. When one ran out, the soldier simply moved the second magazine in place of the first. Although this solution increased the capacity to 60 rounds, it made the machine heavier up to 5.4 kg. The MP-40 was also produced with a wooden stock. Under the designation MP-41, it was used by paramilitary militarized forces and police units.

In war as in war

By the end of the war, more than one million MP-40 assault rifles were produced. It was reported that communist partisans used the MP-40 to shoot the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini, taking him prisoner in 1945. After the war, the machine gun was used by the French and remained in service with Norwegian Army AFV crews in the 1980s.

Shooting from MP-40, no one shoots from the hip

With the front line approaching for Germany, under pressure from both the East and the West, the need for simple, easy-to-manufacture weapons became critical. The answer to the request was MP-3008. A weapon very familiar to British troops is the modified Sten Mk 1 SMG. The main difference was that the store was placed vertically down. The MP-3008 assault rifle weighed 2.95 kg, and the Sten - 3.235 kg.
The German "Sten" had initial speed bullets 381 m/s and rate of fire 500 rounds/min. They produced about 10,000 MP-3008 assault rifles and used them against the advancing Allies.

MP-3008 is a modified Sten Mk 1 SMG for manufacturability

The Erma EMR-44 is a rather crude, crude weapon made of sheet steel and pipes. The ingenious design, which used a 30-round magazine from the MP-40, was not put into mass production.

World War II is the greatest military conflict in human history. Most countries in the world have something to do with it. During the war, soldiers used the most modern weapons at that time. Many types of weapons have become very popular for one reason or another. In this top we will look at the most popular weapons of the Second World War.

10 SVT-40 Tokarev self-loading rifle

This rifle was developed by the Soviet designer Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev in 1940 and was adopted by the Red Army in the same year. During the Great Patriotic War it was the most popular rifle, and it was also mass-produced. Despite its shortcomings, such as unreliability, large dimensions and sensitivity to contamination, it was popular among soldiers in Germany, the USA and Finland. This SVT-40 rifle was produced until the end of World War II, and after that it was discontinued due to its shortcomings.
9 StG 44

This assault rifle was developed by Hugo Schmeisser in 1943 and adopted by the Third Reich in the same year. This rifle was the first to implement the idea of an intermediate cartridge, which was something in between a pistol and a rifle cartridge. The StG 44 had high shooting accuracy at short and medium distances, and was also distinguished by its rate of fire, convenience and compactness. However, it also had disadvantages, such as excess weight and fragility of the stem. This weapon became the prototype for many other types of weapons. Its production ceased in 1945, with the fall of the Third Reich.
8 M1 Garand

Developed in 1936, the rifle was adopted by the US Army in 1931 and was used by US forces throughout US involvement in World War II. This rifle was distinguished by reliability, good accuracy, and a high rate of fire, twice as high as conventional rifles. However, due to the overly powerful cartridge, it was overweight and expensive to produce. The M1 Garand rifle was discontinued in 1957.
7

This rifle, developed in 1935, was adopted the same year and became the most popular rifle of the Third Reich army. Its main advantages include its good penetration capabilities, convenience compared to analogues, and a hidden magazine. Disadvantages are the rifle's low magazine capacity - 5 rounds, strong recoil, not very high rate of fire and high cost of production. This was produced until the end of World War II.
6 Thompson Thompson submachine gun

This submachine gun was developed in 1920, which did not prevent it from remaining in production until 1971. It had a high rate of fire and the ability to use a disk magazine, which increased the number of cartridges in the magazine several times. He was also different high quality. However, it was heavy, and its production was expensive and difficult.
5 Mosin rifle

The Mosin rifle was developed in 1891 by Sergei Ivanovich Mosin and was produced until 1965. This rifle was extremely easy to manufacture, maintain and use. It was also distinguished by its reliability and good accuracy. However, despite all these advantages, it was very inconvenient, since during the Second World War it was already obsolete.
4 TT Tula Tokareva

This pistol was developed in 1930 by Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev. It was developed on a competitive basis in order to replace the outdated Nagan pistol, which is in service with the Red Army. The gun is inexpensive and is also easy to manufacture and maintain. TT has high accuracy and high penetrating power. This pistol continues to be used today.
3 Luger Parabellum Luger Pistol

This pistol was developed in 1900 by designer Georg Luger. This pistol was very expensive and difficult to manufacture, but had very high accuracy, as well as high level rate of fire for its time. This pistol is a fairly successful model of pistols, and therefore is still produced to this day.
2 PPSh Shpagin submachine gun

This submachine gun was developed by designer Georgy Semyonovich Shpagin in 1940. In the same year, it was adopted by the USSR Army. It remained the main submachine gun of the Soviet army until the 60s, when it was replaced by the Kalashnikov assault rifle. The PPSh was distinguished by its low cost and ease of production, ease of use, reliability, rate of fire and high penetrating ability. However, it also had disadvantages, such as a high probability of spontaneous discharge when falling. It also often jammed due to the not very successful structure of the cartridges.
1 MP-40

Thanks to Soviet cinema, this submachine gun, developed in Germany in 1938, became a kind of personification of the army of the Third Reich. However, this submachine gun was not the most popular machine gun in the German army, as it was presented. This is primarily due to the high cost of production. However, now in the minds of contemporaries this machine gun is the most famous weapon of the Wehrmacht. The MP-40 submachine gun was distinguished by high accuracy and accuracy of fire. Thanks to all these factors, it became the most popular weapon of the Second World War and a kind of symbol of the Third Reich.