German army assault rifle 1941 1945. Wehrmacht small arms

The M-88 rifle was adopted for service in 1888. In 1905 and 1914. two modifications were carried out: Gewehr 88/05 and Gewehr 88/14. In addition, China produced an unlicensed copy under the designation Hanyang 88. The rifle was produced by Ludwig Loewe, Haenel, Steyr-Mannlicher, Imperial Arsenals of Amberg, Danzig, Erfurt, and Spandau, Hanyang Arsenal. A special feature of the rifle was the magazine, which was loaded using a pack of cartridges. During shooting, the pack of cartridges was in the magazine until the last cartridge, after which it fell out through the hole in the lower part of the magazine. This speeded up weapon reloading. In World War II, rifles were used in China, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. In total, about 2 million rifles and carbines were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1245 mm; barrel length – 740 mm; weight – 3.8 kg; magazine capacity – 5 cartridges 7.92x57 mm; sighting range – 2 km.

Based on the M-88 rifle, since 1890 a carbine of a similar caliber was produced and adopted by the cavalry. It differed from the rifle in having a shortened barrel, the absence of a ramrod and bayonet attachment, a different method of attaching the belt, and a bolt handle bent down. In 1891, it was modernized, receiving the designation "Gew.91" and a hook in the muzzle, designed to place carbines in the sawhorse. In addition, Haenel produced a number of carbines chambered for the 7x57 mm cartridge. These carbines were intended for sale in South America. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 950 mm; barrel length – 445 mm; weight without cartridges - 3.1 kg; magazine capacity – 5 cartridges 7.92x57 mm; sighting range - 1.2 km.

The automatic rifle was designed for German Airborne Forces by Rheinmetall-Borsig. In 1943, the Krieghoff company produced 2 thousand rifles without taking into account the comments of the selection committee. The machine gun was unofficially designated FG42-I. From the beginning of 1944, production of a thoroughly redesigned machine gun with the unofficial designation FG42-II began. The latest version was designated FG42-III in many documents. In addition to the above-mentioned companies, the machine gun was produced by Dietrich and Wagner & Co. By the end of the war, about 7 thousand rifles were produced.

The machine gun was produced by C.G. Haenel Waffen und Fahrradfabrik" since 1943 and served to equip elite units Wehrmacht Prototypes The machine guns were designated MKb-42, and the serial ones were MP-43. There is a known modification of the MP-43/1, which had the ability to install a 30-mm grenade launcher by screwing it onto the barrel. At the beginning of 1944, the machine gun received the designation MP-44, and at the end of the year it was renamed StG-44. Automatic gas-type rifle with removal of powder gases through a side hole in the barrel wall. The trigger mechanism was a hammer type, which allowed for single and automatic fire. The fire selector is located in the trigger box, and its ends extend outward from the left and right sides. To conduct automatic fire, the translator had to be moved to the right to the letter “D”, and for single fire - to the left to the letter “E”. The machine gun is equipped with a safety lock against accidental shots. Fire at a distance of up to 400 meters was carried out with single shots, and at the closest approaches the fighters switched to firing in short bursts. The sighting device was too high and the strong flames escaping from the barrel of the weapon unmasked the shooter. The machine gun could be equipped with mounts for quadruple “optics” (ZF-4) and infrared night vision sights. The machine's ammunition consisted of 6 magazines. A total of 446 thousand units were produced during the war. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 940 mm; barrel length – 419 mm; weight without ammunition – 4.9 kg, weight with ammunition – 6 kg; magazine capacity – 30 rounds of 7.92x33 mm; initial speed bullets - 690 m/s; rate of fire - 500 rounds per minute; sighting range – 600 m.

The self-loading carbine (Volkssturm rifle/VG.1-5) was produced by the Gustloff Werke company since the end of 1944. A special feature of the carbine was an automatic system with a semi-blowback action when it was braked by powder gases. Trigger mechanism of hammer type. Firing was carried out only in single shots from a closed bolt, but some examples had a firing mode translator and the ability to fire in bursts. The carbine was fed with cartridges from detachable box magazines of the Stg-44 assault rifle. The carbines were made with extensive use of stamping from sheet steel, riveting and welding, with a minimum of machining of parts. Their quality was at the lowest level, and when firing there were delays due to contamination of the mechanism with powder soot. In addition to being cheap and easy to manufacture, the carbines had low recoil, a large-capacity magazine, and fairly high firing efficiency at close combat ranges. Fixed sights did not allow accurate fire at different firing distances. In total, about 10 thousand units were produced. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 885 mm; barrel length – 378 mm; weight without cartridges - 4.6 kg; magazine capacity – 30 rounds of 7.92x33 mm; rate of fire - 20 rounds per minute; sighting range – 300 m.

The VG-1 carbine was produced by Walther in 1944-1945. and served to arm Volkssturm soldiers as the cheapest and simplest weapon with low performance characteristics. The rifle is repeating, with manual reloading and manual locking by turning the bolt. Sights are non-adjustable. In total, about 100 thousand units were produced. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1092 mm; barrel length – 589 mm; weight – 3.8 kg; Magazine capacity – 10 rounds of 7.92x57 mm.

The VG-2 carbine, like other rifles intended for the Volkssturm, was produced by the Spree-Werke company in 1944-1945, had an extremely simplified and cheaper design, rough finish, and low service life. The rifle is repeating, with manual reloading and locking by turning the bolt. In total, about 50 thousand units were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1068 mm; barrel length – 595 mm; weight – 3.9 kg; magazine with a capacity of 10 cartridges 7.92x57; sighting range – 100 m.

The G-41 (W) self-loading rifle was produced by Walther and BLM in 1942-1943. The rifle had low reliability, sensitivity to contamination (including due to the original bolt sliding along guides on the outer surface of the receiver, which were very susceptible to contamination), heavy weight. If necessary, it was equipped with an optical sight, as well as a bayonet. In total, about 145 thousand rifles were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1130 mm; barrel length – 545 mm; weight without cartridges – 5 kg; Magazine capacity – 10 rounds of 7.92x57 mm; rate of fire - 20 rounds per minute; initial bullet speed – 745 m/s; sighting range – 800 m.

The G-41(M) self-loading rifle was produced by Mauser in 1941. It had a manual safety on the receiver cover and could be equipped with a standard bayonet. Due to many claims from the military, it was discontinued. A total of 6.7 thousand units were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length - 1172 mm; barrel length – 550 mm; weight without cartridges – 5 kg; Magazine capacity – 10 rounds of 7.92x57 mm.

The G-43 self-loading rifle (Kar.43.) is a modernized version of the G-41, which began to be produced in 1943 by Carl Walther Waffenfabrik. The rifles had a simple finish; casting and stamping were widely used in their design; the outer surface of many parts had very rough processing and coating. The automatic rifle was built on the basis of a gas exhaust system. A gas piston with a short stroke is located above the barrel. The safety is located on the rear of the receiver, above the neck of the stock. The cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines. Magazines could also be loaded directly on the weapon using standard 5-round clips. Based on the G-43, a whole range of experimental developments, including an automatic rifle capable of burst fire, as well as a variant chambered for the 7.92x33mm Kurtz cartridge, which used 30-round magazines from the Stg-44. For use as sniper weapons, the rifle was equipped with a ZF-4 optical sight.

Until the end of the war, 53.4 thousand rifles with “optics” were produced, and total quantity rifles produced reached 403 thousand. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92; length – 1115 mm; barrel length – 560 mm; weight without cartridges and optics – 4.2 kg; magazine capacity – 10 or 30 rounds of 7.92x57 mm; initial bullet speed – 745 m/s; rate of fire - 30 rounds per minute; sighting range – 800 m.

The Mauser 98 rifle was put into service in 1898 and was produced until 1945. The advantages of the rifle include: good ballistics; excellent bolt with powerful ejector; fast and convenient charging; the magazine is completely hidden in the stock, which protects it from damage; convenient and reliable flag-type fuse; block mounting of the bolt clutch assembly with mainspring and fuse. To install an optical sight, the bolt handle was bent down. Gewehr 98 rifles were also used in World War II, but most of them were converted into carbines. The rifle was produced by at least 15 companies, and was in service with Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, Peru, China, and was produced in Austria, Poland and other countries. In total, more than 24 million units were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm;; length – 1250 mm; barrel length – 740 mm; weight – 4.1 kg magazine capacity – 5 cartridges 7.92x57 mm; initial bullet speed – 760 m/s; sighting range – 2 km; rate of fire - 15 rounds per minute.

The carbine was put into service in 1935 and was a shortened, modified version of the Mauser 98 rifle. It had an integral double-row magazine loaded with clips, a downward-curved bolt handle, a cavalry swivel mount, and a clip ejector. The carbine was equipped with a bayonet and a short cleaning rod. For use as a sniper weapon, specimens that gave maximum accuracy were selected from standard screw guns. About 200 thousand rifles were equipped with optical sights. Muzzle grenade launchers were developed for the carbine, which were attached to the barrel using a folding clamp. There are also two types of silencers for a carbine, with a similar mount for a grenade launcher. The carbine was produced by 10 companies in Austria, Germany and Slovakia. In total, about 14.6 million units were produced. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1110 mm; barrel length - 600 mm; weight – 3.9 kg; magazine capacity – 5 rounds – 7.92x57 mm; initial bullet speed – 880 m/s; rate of fire - 15 rounds per minute; sighting range - 1.2 km.

The Kar-98a carbine was a shortened version of the Gewehr 98 rifle, created for cavalry, signalmen and artillerymen. It was produced in 1899-1908. In 1908, the production of the “1898AZ” model began, which was distinguished by the presence of a hook under the muzzle of the barrel for mounting in a sawhorse, a bayonet fastening and a handle bent downwards with a corresponding recess in the stock. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1110 mm; barrel length – 600 mm; weight without cartridges - 3.9 kg; magazine capacity – 5 cartridges 7.92x57 mm; initial bullet speed - 830 m/s.

The carbine was developed on the basis of the Mauser 98k for arming Volkssturm units. It was produced at the beginning of 1945 by the Austrian company "Steyr" by order of the Wehrmacht. The VK-98 carbine is a single-shot bolt action weapon. There was no store. To fire each subsequent shot, you must load the rifle manually, placing one cartridge into the chamber. The short wooden stock had a simple finish. Sights consist of openly located, non-adjustable front and rear sights. They were shot at a distance of 100 m. In total, at least 5 thousand units were produced. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1030 mm; barrel length – 530 mm; weight without cartridges - 3.2 kg.

The rifle (three-barrel shotgun) was produced by Sauer & Sohn in 1941-1945. for Air Force pilots who fought in North Africa. It was intended for the survival of the crew in conditions wildlife. This shotgun was a three-barrel combination shotgun of a “breaking” design: two horizontal “smooth” barrels of 12 or 16 gauge and a third rifled barrel chambered for the 9.3x74R hunting cartridge, located at the bottom center. The ammunition was stored in a special box, where the gun was also stored. The ammunition consisted of 20 rifle cartridges with a semi-jacketed bullet, 20 cartridges of 12 or 16 caliber with a bullet and 25 cartridges with shot. A total of 2,456 rifles were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber 12 or 16; length – 1143 mm; barrel length – 635 mm; weight – 3.4 kg.

The further back in time the years of fighting with the Nazi occupiers go, the more a large number 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 the Wehrmacht small arms of the Second World War actually were like, whether they were as great as they are “painted”, it 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, the Wehrmacht infantry division in 1940 should have had:

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 reloading 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.
Target firing 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.

It provides firing with both self-cocking and manual pre-cocking. The German company Geko manufactured insert barrels for this pistol for firing 4 mm caliber cartridges, while the bolt had to be opened manually, since the power of the cartridge was not enough to ensure the operation of the automation. As an experiment during the war, a batch of pistols with a frame and a bolt casing made of aluminum alloy was also produced. Pistols R 38 (N) were different good quality manufacturing, high reliability and shooting accuracy.

During the Second World War, the leading Belgian enterprise for the production of small arms, Fabric National, produced more than 319 thousand pistols for the Wehrmacht, which in the Wehrmacht received the designation P 640 (c) “Browning” mod. 1935 The famous designer John Moses Browning began developing this pistol immediately after the end of the First World War. In 1934 new gun was offered by Fabric National on the global arms market. The automatic operation of this powerful military pistol works by using the recoil energy of the barrel during its short stroke. For long-range shooting, it was envisaged to use a detachable wooden butt, for fastening which there was a corresponding groove on the back wall of the handle. In addition to Fabrique Nacional, the Browning system pistol mod.

1935 During the Second World War, it was also produced by the Canadian company John Inglis according to design documentation delivered by Factory National employees who emigrated from Belgium after its occupation by Germany. About 152 thousand of these pistols were manufactured in Canada and entered service with the armies of Great Britain, Canada, China and Greece. Thus, Browning pistols were widely used on both sides of the front. At the beginning of the Second World War, experiments were carried out aimed at adapting a conventional smooth-bore signal pistol (flare gun) of the Walther system to fire specially designed grenades. These grenades were intended to destroy enemy personnel and equipment and were combat units hand grenades for various purposes, connected to special shanks that were inserted into the barrel of the signal pistol. However, a significant increase in accuracy, efficiency and firing range was achieved only after the creation in 1942. based on the signal pistol of a special assault pistol, designated "Z".

Like the original model, this weapon is a single-shot pistol with a breakaway barrel and a hammer-type percussion mechanism. Its main difference is This is due to the presence of rifling in the barrel, due to which an improvement in combat characteristics was achieved. For this pistol, a high-explosive fragmentation fan “Z” was developed to combat enemy personnel and an anti-tank grenade 42 LP to combat armored targets. The cumulative charge of this grenade weighing 0.8 kg penetrated armor 80 mm thick. In addition, signal, lighting and smoke grenades were created for the pistol. To ensure the required range of 75 m when firing the heavy anti-tank fan 42 LP, an attached shoulder rest was used.

The “Z” pistol was produced in a relatively small series of 25 thousand pieces, since in the fight against manpower it did not have significant advantages over rifle grenade launchers, and by that time faust cartridges had already been developed to destroy tanks. Plug-in rifled barrels for conventional signal pistols, manufactured during the war years in the amount of 400 thousand pieces, became much more widespread. Mauser system repeating rifle mod. 1898 is further development 7.92 mm rifle mod. 1888, created on the basis of the campaigns carried out by the German army in 1864, 1866 and 1870-1871.

From the original model rifle arr. 1898 features a simplified design of the shutter and feed mechanism, as well as modified M method of filling a store box. By its design, the rifle belongs to the magazine rifles with a sliding bolt that rotates when locked. For rifle shooting, the German industry produced thirteen types of 7.92 mm cartridges. The design of the Mauser rifle was used by designers in many countries when creating their rifles. The most successful of these rifles is considered to be the Czechoslovakian 7.92 mm rifle mod.

1924 Rifles mod. 1898 were produced by German industry until 1935.

When they were replaced in the production of 98k carbines. Due to its considerable length, the rifle mod. 1898 did not fully satisfy the requirements of the Wehrmacht, which was actively preparing to conduct combat operations with widespread use motorized infantry.

For this reason, as the main small arms for all branches of the military in 1935. The 98k carbine, developed on the basis of the rifle mod. 1898 The letter “k” used in the designation of the carbine was an abbreviation of the German word “kurz”, i.e. “short”, which reflects the main difference between the carbine and the rifle - the barrel length reduced from 740 to 600 mm. Thus, the length of the carbine was reduced to 1110 mm. Other changes include a bolt handle that is curved toward the stock and an improved magazine loading method.

Thanks to new form grooves on the receiver, the shooter was able to easily and quickly install a clip of cartridges, and the removal of an empty clip after loading the carbine was done automatically when the bolt moved forward. U ka Rabinov 98k, in addition, the design of the feeder has been changed, as a result of which, after expending the last cartridge from the magazine, the bolt cannot be closed, which is a kind of signal to the shooter about the need to fill the magazine. Like the rifle mod. 1898, 98k carbines were equipped with blade-type bayonets attached to the tip of the stock.

To be worn on a waist belt, the bayonet was placed in a special sheath. The carbine was fired without a bayonet, using Mauser cartridges with bullets for various purposes, but mainly with light and heavy bullets. When using a 30 mm rifle grenade launcher, the carbine could also fire rifle grenades for various purposes. Before the start of World War II, 2,769,533 units of the 98k carbine were produced; during the war years (until April 1, 1945), the Wehrmacht received another 7,540,058 units of this weapon. As of the beginning of March 1945, the troops had 3,404,337 98k carbines, of which 27,212 were equipped with optical sights.

By this time, only 2,356 carbines were stored in warehouses. In this regard, it should be noted that, despite the shortage of small arms, 258,399 98k carbines were supplied to countries friendly to Germany, including Portugal and Japan, during the war. The Wehrmacht infantry units received self-loading rifles of the Walter G41 (W) and Mauser C 41 (M) systems for military testing. Their appearance was a kind of reaction to the fact that the Red Army had more than one and a half million automatic self-loading rifles ABC-36, SVT-38 and SVT-40, which emerged after Germany’s attack on the USSR. According to the test results, the Walter rifle, adopted by the Wehrmacht under the designation G41, was recognized as the best. The rifle has a hammer-type impact mechanism; its trigger mechanism allows firing only single shots.

To prevent accidental shots, the rifle has a safety lever mounted behind the receiver. The safety is turned on by turning the flag to the right, which locks the trigger. To fire the G41(W) self-loading rifle, the same ammunition is used as for the repeating rifle mod. 1898 The cartridges are fed from an integral magazine with a capacity of 10 rounds, filled using clips. After all the cartridges in the magazine are used up, the bolt remains in the rear position, which signals the need to fill the magazine. Despite the adoption of the G 41(W) rifles for service, they were produced only in a small series, since front-line units received complaints about their heavy weight, low reliability and sensitivity to contamination.

The elimination of these shortcomings led to the creation in 1943. the modernized G 43 (W) rifle, which was produced in quantities of several hundred thousand copies. Before the start of its deliveries, Wehrmacht units widely used captured Soviet SVT-40 rifles, which received the German designation 453 (R). The 7.92mm FG 42 automatic rifle was in service with the paratroopers and combined the combat qualities of an automatic rifle and a light machine gun. The development of the rifle was started by the designer of the Rheinmetall company, Louis Stange, already during the Second World War, when, after large-scale airborne operations carried out by the Wehrmacht, it became clear that the MP 38 submachine guns and carbines 98k and 33/40, which were in service, were not fully adequate requirements of the parachute troops. The rifle was tested in 1942.

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 the submachine gun is not a mass-produced small arms weapon of the Wehrmacht, and it is impossible to shoot from the hip, 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 master 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 at all mass weapons 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. Small arms The MP-41 was 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 parachute troops. They combined the fighting qualities of a 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 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. Designers have significantly simplified and reduced the cost of production of this weapon. 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 of 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 could not cope with the assigned tasks, so the German military demanded anti-tank weapons that could be used to equip infantrymen, 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.

The holiday of the Great Victory is approaching - the day when the Soviet people defeated the fascist infection. It is worth recognizing that the forces of the opponents at the beginning of World War II were unequal. The Wehrmacht is significantly superior to the Soviet army in armament. In confirmation of this “dozen” small arms of Wehrmacht soldiers.

1. Mauser 98k

Magazine rifle German made, which was put into service in 1935. In the Wehrmacht troops, this weapon was one of the most common and popular. In a number of parameters, the Mauser 98k was superior to the Soviet Mosin rifle. In particular Mauser weighed less, was shorter, had a more reliable bolt and a rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute, versus 10 for the Mosin rifle. The German counterpart paid for all this with a shorter firing range and weaker stopping power.

2. Luger pistol

This 9mm pistol was designed by Georg Luger back in 1900. Modern experts consider this pistol to be the best during the Second World War. The Luger's design was very reliable; it had an energy-efficient design, low firing accuracy, high accuracy and rate of fire. The only significant flaw of this weapon was the inability to close the locking levers with the structure, as a result of which the Luger could become clogged with dirt and stop shooting.

3. MP 38/40

Thanks to Soviet and Russian cinema, this “Maschinenpistole” became one of the symbols of the Nazi war machine. The reality, as always, is much less poetic. The MP 38/40, popular in media culture, has never been the main small arms for most Wehrmacht units. They armed them with drivers, tank crews, and squads. special units, rear guard detachments, as well as junior officers of the ground forces. The German infantry was mostly armed with Mauser 98k. Only occasionally MP 38/40s were handed over to assault troops in some quantity as “additional” weapons.

4.FG-42

The German semi-automatic rifle FG-42 was intended for paratroopers. It is believed that the impetus for the creation of this rifle was Operation Mercury to capture the island of Crete. Due to the specifics of parachutes, the Wehrmacht landing force carried only light weapons. All heavy and auxiliary weapons were dropped separately in special containers. This approach caused big losses from the landing side. The FG-42 rifle was a fairly good solution. I used 7.92x57 mm caliber cartridges, which fit into 10-20 magazines.

5.MG 42

During World War II, Germany used many different machine guns, but it was the MG 42 that became one of the symbols of the aggressor in the yard with the MP 38/40 submachine gun. This machine gun was created in 1942 and partially replaced the not very reliable MG 34. Despite the fact that new machine gun was incredibly effective, it had two important drawbacks. Firstly, the MG 42 was very sensitive to contamination. Secondly, it had an expensive and labor-intensive production technology.

6. Gewehr 43

Before the start of World War II, the Wehrmacht command was least interested in the possibility of using self-loading rifles. It was believed that the infantry should be armed with conventional rifles, and for support have light machine guns. Everything changed in 1941 with the outbreak of war. The Gewehr 43 semi-automatic rifle is one of the best in its class, second only to its Soviet and American counterparts. Its qualities are very similar to the domestic SVT-40. There was also a sniper version of this weapon.

7. StG 44

The Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle was not the most best weapon times of the Second World War. It was heavy, completely uncomfortable, and difficult to maintain. Despite all these flaws, the StG 44 became the first machine gun modern type. As you can easily guess from the name, it was produced already in 1944, and although this rifle could not save the Wehrmacht from defeat, it carried out a revolution in the field of manual firearms.

8.Stielhandgranate

Another “symbol” of the Wehrmacht. This anti-personnel hand grenade was widely used by German troops in World War II. Was a favorite trophy of soldiers anti-Hitler coalition on all fronts, in view of your safety and convenience. At the time of the 40s of the 20th century, Stielhandgranate was almost the only grenade completely protected from arbitrary detonation. However, it also had a number of disadvantages. For example, these grenades could not be stored in a warehouse for a long time. They also often leaked, which led to wetness and damage to the explosive.

9. Faustpatrone

The first single-action anti-tank grenade launcher in human history. IN Soviet army The name "Faustpatron" was later assigned to all German anti-tank grenade launchers. The weapon was created in 1942 specifically “for” the Eastern Front. The thing is that German soldiers at that time were completely deprived of the means of close combat with Soviet light and medium tanks.

10. PzB 38

The German anti-tank rifle Panzerbüchse Modell 1938 is one of the most little-known types of small arms from the Second World War. The thing is that it was discontinued in 1942, as it turned out to be extremely ineffective against Soviet medium tanks. However, this weapon is confirmation that it was not only the Red Army that used such guns.

Continuing the weapon theme, we will introduce you to how a ball shoots from a bearing.