Position with automatic weapons in prewar Germany
The German designers, according to the myth of the "German machine gunners," had to work hard to build submachine guns, in the pre-war years.
However, they did not know about the terrible power of "miracleweapons»And all 20-e years, the work went on the problem of creating small arms, combining the properties of a rifle and machine gun under the pistol cartridge. The Germans learned well the experience of the end of the First World War.
Already in 1927, the company Rheinmetall-Borzig developed an intermediate cartridge 8x42,5 and “Gever-28” weighing kg 4,5 with an 20-ty cartridge shop. In 1934-1935 the cartridge 7,75х40 was created by the company Volmer. Under it was prepared carbine "M 35" weight 4,2 kg. Then the cartridges were created - 8,15x46 of RWS, 7,5x40 developed by Walter and DWM and the result was the cartridge of Polte 7,92x33 ((7.92 mm Kurz). The weapon for shooting 800 m was created for him. The weapon was finished in 1942 m. created the Sturmgever-43.
Prototypes of "intermediate" cartridges
The main types of 7,92-mm automaton cartridges
7,75-mm automatic Vollmer M. Carabiner. 35III
Sturmgewehr (Sturmgever) - automatic (assault rifle) Haenel Schmeisser MP 43 MP 44 Stg.44 (Germany)
Known to everyone from films about the war, a submachine gun appeared as a highly specialized weapon - in 1936 the Arms Department issued a task for the development of weapons for crews tanks and armored personnel carriers. An Erma-36 submachine gun was created. In view of the war in Spain, the famous MP-38 was created, which was also considered a specialized weapon for tank crews and paratroopers. The weapon turned out to be quite simple and not expensive (18 man-hours, 57 marks; for example: a Walter pistol required 13 man-hours, at a cost of 31 marks, a Mauser 98k carbine - 22 man-hours, 70 marks). An even simpler MP-40 cost 40 marks.
The Wehrmacht began to buy submachine guns for weapons officers and non-commissioned officers in the infantry. But the only unit where you could see all armed with machine guns was the construction organization of Todt. At the end of the war, the Sturmgeverers were to become mass weapons of infantry; before that, the infantry was basically armed with 98K carbines.
Before the advent of the “stormtroopers”, the infantry and tank units also armed with the self-loading rifles “G.41 (M)” and “G.41 (W)”.
The development of small arms Reich traced the same trends as in the USSR. The fighters tried to give automatic and long-range weapons, but not submachine guns, but automatic rifles.
Submachine gun ERMA 36 ERMA 36
MP - 38
Carabiner Mauser 98k
Position with automatic rifles in the USA
In the US, they also did not rush to create a “miracle weapon” machine gun in 1936, they adopted the Garand automatic rifle. After some improvements (a problem with the vapor system) in the year 1941 adopted a modified rifle, the old remade under the new standard.
According to the US Infantry Division 1940 of the year, it was armed with: 375 self-loading rifles, 6942 rifles, 35 (!) Submachine guns, more than 7 thousand pistols.
M1 Garand
However, they did not know about the terrible power of "miracleweapons»And all 20-e years, the work went on the problem of creating small arms, combining the properties of a rifle and machine gun under the pistol cartridge. The Germans learned well the experience of the end of the First World War.
Already in 1927, the company Rheinmetall-Borzig developed an intermediate cartridge 8x42,5 and “Gever-28” weighing kg 4,5 with an 20-ty cartridge shop. In 1934-1935 the cartridge 7,75х40 was created by the company Volmer. Under it was prepared carbine "M 35" weight 4,2 kg. Then the cartridges were created - 8,15x46 of RWS, 7,5x40 developed by Walter and DWM and the result was the cartridge of Polte 7,92x33 ((7.92 mm Kurz). The weapon for shooting 800 m was created for him. The weapon was finished in 1942 m. created the Sturmgever-43.
Prototypes of "intermediate" cartridges
The main types of 7,92-mm automaton cartridges
7,75-mm automatic Vollmer M. Carabiner. 35III
Sturmgewehr (Sturmgever) - automatic (assault rifle) Haenel Schmeisser MP 43 MP 44 Stg.44 (Germany)
Known to everyone from films about the war, a submachine gun appeared as a highly specialized weapon - in 1936 the Arms Department issued a task for the development of weapons for crews tanks and armored personnel carriers. An Erma-36 submachine gun was created. In view of the war in Spain, the famous MP-38 was created, which was also considered a specialized weapon for tank crews and paratroopers. The weapon turned out to be quite simple and not expensive (18 man-hours, 57 marks; for example: a Walter pistol required 13 man-hours, at a cost of 31 marks, a Mauser 98k carbine - 22 man-hours, 70 marks). An even simpler MP-40 cost 40 marks.
The Wehrmacht began to buy submachine guns for weapons officers and non-commissioned officers in the infantry. But the only unit where you could see all armed with machine guns was the construction organization of Todt. At the end of the war, the Sturmgeverers were to become mass weapons of infantry; before that, the infantry was basically armed with 98K carbines.
Before the advent of the “stormtroopers”, the infantry and tank units also armed with the self-loading rifles “G.41 (M)” and “G.41 (W)”.
The development of small arms Reich traced the same trends as in the USSR. The fighters tried to give automatic and long-range weapons, but not submachine guns, but automatic rifles.
Submachine gun ERMA 36 ERMA 36
MP - 38
Carabiner Mauser 98k
Position with automatic rifles in the USA
In the US, they also did not rush to create a “miracle weapon” machine gun in 1936, they adopted the Garand automatic rifle. After some improvements (a problem with the vapor system) in the year 1941 adopted a modified rifle, the old remade under the new standard.
According to the US Infantry Division 1940 of the year, it was armed with: 375 self-loading rifles, 6942 rifles, 35 (!) Submachine guns, more than 7 thousand pistols.
M1 Garand
- http://topwar.ru"rel =" nofollow ">http://topwar.ru
Information