axis 2

Scots Guards

German Forces

Sub-Machines Guns & Machines Guns

Sub-Machines Guns	Machines Guns
Maschinenpistole 34-35	Maschinengewehr 15
Maschinenpistole Emp	Maschinengewehr 34
Maschinenpistole 38-41 (known as mp 40 )	Maschinengewehr 42
Maschinenpistole 43-44	Maschinengewehr 35/36 Knorr-Bremse
	Maschinengewehr 37 T

Maschinenpistole 34-35

CALIBER ; 9mm

LENGTH ; 84cm

WEIGHT ; 4.05kg

BARREL ; 19.5cm long, 6 grooves right hand twist

FEED SYSTEM ; 32 Round detachable box

SYSTEM OF OPERATION ; Blowback, selective fire

RATE OF FIRE ; 650 R.P.M.

CALIBER ; 9mm

LENGTH ; 84cm

WEIGHT ; 4.05kg

BARREL ; 19.5cm long, 6 grooves right hand twist

FEED SYSTEM ; 32 Round detachable box

SYSTEM OF OPERATION ; Blowback, selective fire

RATE OF FIRE ; 650 R.P.M.

IN 1940 THE WAFFEN SS ADOPTED THIS WEAPON AS THEIR STANDARD SUB MACHINE-GUN, AND FROM THEN ON THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION WENT TO THE WAFFEN SS UNITS. IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN MOSTLY USED ON THE EASTERN FRONT.

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Maschinenpistole Emp

CALIBER ; 9mm

LENGTH ; 90cm

WEIGHT ; 4.14kg

BARREL ; 24.75cm long, 6 grooves right hand twist

FEED SYSTEM ; 25 or 32 Round detachable box

SYSTEM OF OPERATION ; Blowback, selective fire

RATE OF FIRE ; 500 R.P.M.

THE EMP REMAINED IN PRODUCTION FROM ABOUT 1932 TO MID 1938 WHEN THE ERMA-WERKE FACTORY WAS TURNED OVER ENTIRELY TO THE PRODUCTION OF THE MP38

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Maschinenpistole 38-41 (known as mp 40 )

CALIBER ; 9mm

LENGTH ; 83cm

WEIGHT ; 4.01kg

BARREL ; 25cm long, 6 grooves right hand twist

FEED SYSTEM ; 32 Round detachable box

SYSTEM OF OPERATION ; Blowback, automatic only

RATE OF FIRE ; 500 R.P.M.

THE STANDARD SUB MACHINE-GUN AND TRADEMARK OF THE GERMAN ARMY THROUGHOUT WORLD WAR TWO.

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Maschinenpistole 43-44

Caliber: 7.92mm (0.312 inch)
Length overall: 940mm (37 inch)
Length of barrel: 419mm (16.5 inch)
Weight: 5.22kg (11.5lb)
Muzzle velocity: 650m (2,132ft) per second
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
Maximum effective (combat) range: 800m
Rate of fire: 500 rpm cyclic

One of the German army's conclusions from the 1940 Blitzkrieg was that most infantry combats took place at ranges much closer than the 800-1000m range of the contemporary rifles.. Thus the army commissioned Haenel and Walther to design a new machine-carbine (Maschinenkarrabiner, MKb). The two resulting models were very similar, both using a curved 30-round box magazines below the barrel and easy to produce. Roughly 3,500 of each model were made and sent to the German troops in Russia. They quickly earned a fine reputation and respect from the troops. The MP 43 was to become what today are called assault rifles. Single shots could be fired for defensive fire. It could also fire automatic shots for shock effect, covering fire or close-quarter combat. Automatic fire was possible because relatively low-powered rounds were used; they were effective with normal combat ranges and yet allowed shots to be fired repeatedly. This capability of automatic fire freed the infantrymen from support fire by a machine gun, and enabled the soldiers to carry their own support fire. With the MP 43 the German infantry's combat power increased tremendously. The low-powered ammunition's disadvantage was compensated by a high rate of fire and much better accuracy.

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Maschinengewehr 15

CALIBER ; 7.92mm

LENGTH ; 133.4cm

WEIGHT ; 12.7kg

BARREL ; 59.7cm long, 4 grooves right hand twist

FEED SYSTEM ; 75 Round detachable drum

SYSTEM OF OPERATION ; Recoil, rotating bolt

RATE OF FIRE ; 850 R.P.M.

AS THE WAR PROGRESSED, THE MG15 WAS SUPERSEDED IN AIRCRAFT BY HEAVIER CALIBER WEAPONS, AND AT THE SAME TIME THERE WAS A CONTINUAL DEMAND FROM THE ARMY FOR MORE MACHINE-GUNS. AS A RESULT THE MG15 WAS TAKEN INTO INFANTRY SERVICE IN 1944. THE MG15 WAS TO CUMBERSOME TO BE A SUCCESSFUL INFANTRY WEAPON.

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Maschinengewehr 34

Caliber: 7.92mm (0.31 inch)
Length overall: 1219mm (48 inch)
Length of barrel: 627mm (24.69 inch)
Weight: 11.5kg (25.4lb) with bipod; 29.7kg (65.34lb) with tripod
Muzzle velocity: 755m (2,475ft) per second
Feed: 50 round belt (five belt lengths), or 75-round saddle-drum
Maximum effective (combat) range: 500m
Rate of fire: 800-900 rpm cyclic

special clause in the Versailles Treaty of 1919 forbade Germany to develop any type of rapid and sustained-fire weapon. However, this prohibition was ingeniously avoided by the arms manufacturer Rheinmetall-Borsig by the easy and convenient method of establishing a shadow firm under its control during the early 1920s at Solothurn in Switzerland. Research and development into air-cooled machine-gun designs led to the birth of a weapon called the Solothurn Model 1930. It was as advanced and forward design and had many innovations that were later seen in weapons. The firm received a few production orders, but the Germans thought something could be improved. Thus the Model 1929 sustained only a short production run, but it did become the father of the Rheinmetall MG 15, an aircraft machine gun, which remained in service for the Luftwaffe for a long time. An infantry squad could carry the gun and fire it from a bipod or on a heavier tripod for continuous fire for a long time. The mechanism was of the all-in-line kind and the barrel could be replaced quickly for cooling. Two types of feed could be used: from a belt feed or the saddle-drum magazine housing 75 rounds (also used by the MG 15). In addition to all these features, the MG 34 was capable of a high rate of fire and thus effective against low-flying aircraft.
The MG 34 was an immediate and enormous success and put directly into production for all the different branches and auxiliaries of the German armed forces, and even the police. Right until the end of the war the demand for the MG 34 stood high, and production frequently failed to meet the demand. In addition, the number of mounts and accessories that were designed to go with the weapon complicated the supply situation. These included clumsy tripods and twin mountings to elaborate and sophisticated fortress and tank mountings. There was even a periscope device to facilitate use by soldiers in trenches. These various gadgets occupied much of the production potential of the gun itself. In any case, mass production of the gun was not helped by the fact that the design was too delicate for military use. The production process took too long and required too many complicated and expensive machining processes. The product was an excellent weapon all right, but deploying it was like using a sports-car as a tractor -- it was too good for its task. Therefore the Germans were utilizing a weapon they could ill afford to produce, but at the same time they had to produce to meet the needs.

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Maschinengewehr 42

Caliber: 7.92mm (0.31 inch)
Length overall: 1220mm (48.03 inch)
Length of barrel: 533mm (20.98 inch)
Weight: 11.5kg (25.4lb) with bipod; 29.7kg (65.34lb) with tripod
Muzzle velocity: 755m (2,475ft) per second
Feed: 50 round belt (five belt lengths)
Maximum effective (combat) range: 500m
Rate of fire: up to 1,550 rpm cyclic

Although the MG 34 had very excellent qualities, it was simply too expensive to produce and too delicate for its task. Therefore by 1940 the Mauser designers were thinking of a simpler substitute, even though a complete production facility for the MG 34 had already been established to meet the enormous demand. A lesson learned from the MG 34 was that feed could be improved. Captured Polish designs indicated that a totally new and radical breech locking system could be used. The Mauser designers also used ideas from Czechoslovakia, in addition to their own. It was within this plethora of inspiration that the MG 39/41 was born. After a battery of trials and tests with the MG 39/41 came finally the legendary Maschinengewehr 42 or MG 42, which is still one of the best of its type.
The MG 42 also used many metal stampings for the receiver and the barrel house that had an effective barrel-change system. This was crucial because the MG 42 had a high rate of fire that sounded like tearing linoleum. The peculiar noise was produced by the simple but reliable locking mechanism of the gun. The system, which was derived from several sources, used two locking rollers shuttling up and down along an internal ramp. In the forward position the rollers fixed the breech securely by mechanical power, and the ramp was allowed to release the locking. For feeding ammunition an arm on the bolt was fitted to lead the ammunition belts across into the receiver easily but also efficiently. Unlike the MG 34, the MG 42 used only the 50-round belts. The MG 42 is a living legend that still serves in many army today.