First submachine guns
If we talk about the role of submachine guns (PP) in stories military conflicts, this role is difficult to overestimate. Self weapon it appeared so quickly that some contemporaries did not fully understand its main purpose. So what was the purpose of the first submachine guns and who can be considered the author of this small arms?
In the course of the First World War, any new products that the warring parties “threw” to each other. These are gas attacks and a massive offensive of huge tanks and, of course, the use of the very submachine gun. It is believed that the author of the PP is a German designer with the famous last name Schmeiser. But even before him, work was done on creating a device that would be able to conduct automatic firing based on the charge of pistol cartridges. So the major of the Italian army, Mr. Abel Revelli, in 1914 designed the world's first machine gun, which was designed to use Glistente pistol cartridges. Signor Revelli's submachine gun had as many as two barrels and allowed to fire up to 3000 rounds per minute. In those days, it was a real breakthrough in small arms. One would like to note, if only our current majors would come up with such ideas ... You look, and there would be order in the army. But now the conversation is not about that. The Revelli submachine gun did not take root due to its main shortcomings. His bullet flew a short distance and the mass of weapons was clearly not for use in battle. PP Revelli weighed about 6,5 kg.
But Hugo Schmeiser managed to reduce the mass of his submachine gun to 4 kg 180 g and put the production of MP18 on stream. The German MP18 submachine gun, which entered the German forces in 1917, operated automatically on the principle of a free gate. The barrel was covered with a protective casing in which the ventilation holes were made. This was a real revolution in the organization of rapid-fire weapons. And how could 1917 do without revolutions for a year ... The rate of fire of this type of submachine guns was up to 500 rounds per minute.
So why do we need this type of small arms as MP18 German soldiers. The thing is that during the so-called trench phase of the war, when the forces of the opponents became approximately equal, there was a need for extraordinary solutions. This decision of the German command was the stage of preparation of mobile groups. Mobile groups had to secretly reach the enemy’s trenches and impose a struggle on their own territory on this very enemy, at which time the active phase of the operation could begin from the main German forces. So, mobile groups were created, their actions were strictly described in accordance with all the requirements of German pedantry, but one serious problem arose. It was the lack of a suitable weapon. It was necessary either to run to the attack with long rifles, or with pistols, but neither of them was suitable. Why? Because while the soldier will reload the rifle, it is simply pierced with a bayonet. This is where PP MP18 is needed.
In our country, the first submachine gun was adopted for use more than 75-ti years ago. It was PPD - Degtyarev submachine gun. The beginning of its mass use was the Soviet-Finnish war, and then PPD was successfully used in the Great Patriotic War. The weapon was distinguished by a rather small mass - a little more than 3,5 kg and a high rate of fire - 800 shots / min.
In 1941, one of the most famous submachine guns in the world appeared - PPSh (Shpagin submachine gun). They were armed with the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War. By rate of fire, he is on 100 shots / min. exceeded PPD, and on weight was on 150 g easier than its "brother". And for weapons every gram and every shot counts. Served PPSH faithfully and right up to the 1951 year. Today PPSh can be seen in museums and in sculptural compositions. So one of the sculptures in Berlin's Treptow Park shows the Soviet war, kneeling, and with the PCA in hand.
Submachine guns largely determined the course of world wars.
In the course of the First World War, any new products that the warring parties “threw” to each other. These are gas attacks and a massive offensive of huge tanks and, of course, the use of the very submachine gun. It is believed that the author of the PP is a German designer with the famous last name Schmeiser. But even before him, work was done on creating a device that would be able to conduct automatic firing based on the charge of pistol cartridges. So the major of the Italian army, Mr. Abel Revelli, in 1914 designed the world's first machine gun, which was designed to use Glistente pistol cartridges. Signor Revelli's submachine gun had as many as two barrels and allowed to fire up to 3000 rounds per minute. In those days, it was a real breakthrough in small arms. One would like to note, if only our current majors would come up with such ideas ... You look, and there would be order in the army. But now the conversation is not about that. The Revelli submachine gun did not take root due to its main shortcomings. His bullet flew a short distance and the mass of weapons was clearly not for use in battle. PP Revelli weighed about 6,5 kg.
But Hugo Schmeiser managed to reduce the mass of his submachine gun to 4 kg 180 g and put the production of MP18 on stream. The German MP18 submachine gun, which entered the German forces in 1917, operated automatically on the principle of a free gate. The barrel was covered with a protective casing in which the ventilation holes were made. This was a real revolution in the organization of rapid-fire weapons. And how could 1917 do without revolutions for a year ... The rate of fire of this type of submachine guns was up to 500 rounds per minute.
So why do we need this type of small arms as MP18 German soldiers. The thing is that during the so-called trench phase of the war, when the forces of the opponents became approximately equal, there was a need for extraordinary solutions. This decision of the German command was the stage of preparation of mobile groups. Mobile groups had to secretly reach the enemy’s trenches and impose a struggle on their own territory on this very enemy, at which time the active phase of the operation could begin from the main German forces. So, mobile groups were created, their actions were strictly described in accordance with all the requirements of German pedantry, but one serious problem arose. It was the lack of a suitable weapon. It was necessary either to run to the attack with long rifles, or with pistols, but neither of them was suitable. Why? Because while the soldier will reload the rifle, it is simply pierced with a bayonet. This is where PP MP18 is needed.
In our country, the first submachine gun was adopted for use more than 75-ti years ago. It was PPD - Degtyarev submachine gun. The beginning of its mass use was the Soviet-Finnish war, and then PPD was successfully used in the Great Patriotic War. The weapon was distinguished by a rather small mass - a little more than 3,5 kg and a high rate of fire - 800 shots / min.
In 1941, one of the most famous submachine guns in the world appeared - PPSh (Shpagin submachine gun). They were armed with the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War. By rate of fire, he is on 100 shots / min. exceeded PPD, and on weight was on 150 g easier than its "brother". And for weapons every gram and every shot counts. Served PPSH faithfully and right up to the 1951 year. Today PPSh can be seen in museums and in sculptural compositions. So one of the sculptures in Berlin's Treptow Park shows the Soviet war, kneeling, and with the PCA in hand.
Submachine guns largely determined the course of world wars.
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