Pagina 16 - Light infantry weapons

LIGHT INFANTRY WEAPONS !!!!
Walther PPK	ENGLISH :Specification: Calibres: 9mm short, 7.65mm, 6.35mm Length overall: 155mm Length of barrel: 86mm Weight: 0.568kg Muzzle velocity: 280m per second Magazine: 7-round box Maximum effective range: 25m Rate of fire: 21 rpm single-shot
ENGLISH :The PPK, a smaller version of the PP, was made to fill the need for a compact concealable handgun used by undercover police officers. Many police officers today trust their lives to this little pistol as a back-up to their service sidearm. As a side note, PPK stands for Polizei Police Kriminal , and was first introduced in 1931. It saw extensive service in the German government and military during WWII. Walther produced more than 150,000 during the war. Some of the more collectable PPK's are the Party Leader, ones with a heel magazine release in any caliber, and those marked with a Waffenamt "RZM" and "WaA359". The Party Leader was not acually a special gun, but rather the grips that were attached to it made it special. It was awarded by the Fuhrer, though not presented by Hitler himself in every case. Beware of fakes. These are the most copied grips out there. Many people think there is a definite block of serial numbers for these guns, but there was no such block reserved just for this purpose.
DEUTSCH:Schon kurz nach der Vorstellung der Walther PP wurde von der Firma Carl Walther eine weitere Pistole mit Double-Action System auf den Markt gebracht, das Modell "PPK".Die Selbstladepistole PPK ist eine kleinere Ausgabe der PP und für ein verdecktes Tragen gedacht. PPK heißt, nach Firmenangaben, Polizei-Pistole-Kriminal. Im Volksmund wird sie "Polizeipistole Kurz" genannt. Konstruktion und Technik sind entsprechend der PP. Abweichungen findet man lediglich am Griffstück.Die Reichsfinanzverwaltung übernahm im Jahre 1937 die Pistole PPK für den Zollfahndungsdienst. Hier wurde sie bis 1943 getragen. Nach der Neuorganisation der Zollverwaltung wurden mit Billigung der Alliierten 1948 wieder Walther PPK an Zollfahndungsbeamte ausgegeben. Pistolen dieses Modells sind bis heute im Bestand einiger Zollfahndungsdienststellen.
Walther PP	ENGLISH :Specification: Calibres: 9mm short, 7.65mm, 6.35mm Length overall: 173mm Length of barrel: 99mm Weight: 0.682kg Muzzle velocity: 290m per second Magazine: 8-round box Maximum effective range: 25m Rate of fire: 24 rpm single-shot
ENGLISH :The Walther PP, first produced in 1929, was the first successful double action automatic pistol manufactured. The pistol could safely be carried with a round in the chamber, ready to fire. The trigger pull on the first shot would be a longer heavier pull than subsquent shots. After the first shot, the retracting slide would cock the hammer for follow up shots if nessesary. The PP pictured in the above link was, according to the serial number, one of the first 20,000 pistols produced. Probably late 1929 or sometime in the first quarter of 1930. This example has the 90 degree safety and the large ring hammer, but does not have the loaded chamber indicator common to later pistols.The PP series is a blowback, or unlocked-breach design, meaning that the barrel is fitted and pinned to the receiver and does not move. When a round is fired the recoil ejects the spent casing and the slide strips another round from the magazine into the chamber ready to fire again. This design is used in smaller, lower power chamberings, typically 9mm Kurz or less.The Walther PP was chambered in .22, 6.35mm, 7.65mm, and 9mm kurz. The 7.65mm chambering was the most popular, with the 9mm kurz, or .380 ACP as it's known in the United States, gaining popularity toward the latter part of WWII. The PP and PPK chambered in caliber 6.35mm is extremely rare and not many examples exist today.There were various experimental models of the PP, such as a ten-round model, and one with a decocker mounted on the frame. These never made it into regular production. Though the decocker can be found on the PP Super.Almost all Walther models were produced at the Zella-Mehlis plant before and during the war. After the war, the plant was moved out of the Soviet sector of divided Germany, to the French sector in Ulm, West Germany, where some models are still manufactured today.
DEUTSCHDie von der Firma Carl Walther in Zella Mehlis hergestellte Selbstladepistole "Walther PP" ließ nach der Vorstellung im Jahre 1927 durch die Fortschrittlichkeit der Konstruktion jede andere Selbstladepistole über Nacht veralten.Zum erstenmal gab es eine Pistole mit einem funktionsfähigen und verläßlichen Double-Action System. Ursprünglich war sie als Polizeipistole gedacht (daher auch die Bezeichnung PP für Polizei-Pistole). Kurz nach der Einführung bei der Polizei fand sie auch bei verschiedenen Behörden Verwendung.Auch in der Reichsfinanzverwaltung erkannte man die Vorteile dieser neuen Pistole. Ab 1935 wurde die Walther PP zunächst in verschiedenen, vom Reichsfinanzminister speziell genannten Oberfinanzdirektionen, erprobt und nach kurzer Zeit (bis 1.11.1935) eingeführt.Die Umrüstung war notwendig, da die "Selbstladepistolen älterer Systeme teilweise in schlechtem Zustand" waren.Letztmals wurde sie 1943 in den Verzeichnissen des Reichsfinanzzeugamtes erwähnt.Beleg für die Ausrüstung der Grenzaufsichtsbeamten mit der Walther PP. Die Walther PP wird heute noch in unveränderter Form und Funktionsweise hergestellt, lediglich ist der Firmensitz nicht mehr in Zella Mehlis sondern in Ulm.The model "PP", Polizei Pistole, or Police Pistol, is a direct descendant of the Model 8 produced in 1920.
Luger P 08	ENGLISH :Specification: Calibre: 9-mm Parabellum Weight: 0.87 kg loaded Length: 223 mm Barrel length: 102 mm Muzzle velocity: 350 metres per second Feed: 8-round detachable box
ENGLISH :The classic German officer’s weapon in countless war movies, the 9-mm version of the Luger was actually adopted by the German arm in 1908 and had been officially replaced before the start of World War II. The Wehrmacht took its final deliveries in 1941 and the Luger went out of production. However, enough were in service for the Luger to be encountered in all combat theatres, and it became a prized was souvenir for British and American soldiers. The Luger is an undeniably handsome weapon, and it remains popular with collectors today. Since SS weapons are especially saleable, unscrupulous dealers have been known to stamp the SS runes on standard service weapons. But the Luger was not an outstanding design. Its trigger operation is fairly harsh, acceptable for military use earlier this century but not today. Its feed mechanism was prone to give trouble unless top-quality ammunition was being used, and it was never the equal of the greatest early 20th century pistol, the Colt M1911. However, for intimidating civilians and prisoners and other close-range word, the Luger was perfectly adequate.
Walther P 38	ENGLISH :Specification: Cartridge: 9mm Parabellum Length overall: 219mm Length of barrel: 124mm Weight: 0.960kg Muzzle velocity: 350 Magazine: 8-round box Maximum effective range: 50m Rate of fire: 24 rpm single-shot
ENGLISH :The Walther P.38 is probably as well known as the Walther PPK. It too, has been used in various movies and television shows. The predecessors of the P.38 were the Models MP and AP. The MP was in development just after WWI and was a blowback design like the PP series. This design would not stand up to the punishment of a 9mm round. The AP was a refined version with a new type of locking system, extractor, breech, and firing pin. Patents were awarded for protecting these inovative designs. Walther took these designs and futher refined his new pistol to be called the P.38. This pistol was first available in 1938, and a civilian version called the HP was the commercial model. Postwar P.38's were constructed with an alloy frame and a P-1 was issued to the military and West German Police. This example is an AC43 built at the Zella-Mehlis plant in June or July of 1943. Machining marks are evident on the slide in this image. Starting in 1942, exterior machining suffered in favor of higher volume production. Internally, it is every bit as good as earlier examples. This pistol has the brownish-reddish grips. It is in excellent condition, with little noticable wear
Mauser k-98 Mauser k-98 with ZF41 ZF41 with carrier Winter trigger	ENGLISH :Specification: Calibre: 7.92-mm Weight: 4.2 kg Length: 1110 mm Barrel length: 600 mm Muzzle velocity: 745 metres per second Feed: 5-round internal box
ENGLISH :Fortunately for the Allies, Hitler did not believe that the German infantry needed much new equipment to fight World War II, and he forbade several research projects designed to improve their weapons. As a result, German riflemen fought the war armed with the Karabiner 98k: a slightly modified version of the rifle their fathers had used in World War I. Robust and reliable, the Mauser bolt-action rifle was surpassed only by the British Lee-Enfield, which was better suited to rapid fire. Like the British rifle its basic design dated to the end of the 19th century, and it was not intended for a battlefield dominated by tanks and machine-guns. Quality of manufacture was excellent up to the last year of the war, when shortages led to inferior wood being used for some of the stocks.With their enormous political influence, the best SS formations acquired a higher proportion of automatic weapons than many armyunits. They replaced their Kar 98ks with MP40 sub-machine guns, Soviet SMGs and, eventually, StG44 assault rifles.
Gewehr 41(M) Gewehr 41(W)	ENGLISH :Specification: Caliber: 7.92mm Length overall: 1124mm Length of barrel: 546mm Weight: 5.03kg Muzzle velocity: 776m per second Magazine capacity: 10 rounds Maximum effective (combat) range: 800m Rate of fire: 20 rpm
ENGLISH :There was in the German army an overall "quality control" department that was responsible for devising ways to make the German armed forces more efficient. By 1940, it became apparent to this section that some form of a self-loading rifle with a higher rate of fire was needed to improve the German infantry's combat efficiency. The army issued a specification to the gun producers and both Mauser and Walther submitted prototypes that were very similar. Both models used a mechanism known as the "Bang" system (after its Norwegian designer Soren H. Bang). In this system, gases from a fired bullet was trapped near the muzzle and used to pull a piston that opened the breech to automatically reload the gun. Springs then would return the muzzle cone and piston to their original positions so the cycle would continue. The Mauser model was shown unsuitable for combat use and subsequently the Walther design was adopted. It was put into production in 1941 as the Gewehr 41(W). The Gewehr 41(W), however, did not perform very well on the battlefield. The Bang system was too complicated and broke down frequently under the stress and wear of combat. And the gun itself was too heavy for handy use. Reloading the gun also proved difficult and time-consuming. Since it was the only self-loading rifle available to the German army, it had to be produced in numbers. And even in the factories, the Gewehr 41(W) was hard to mass-produce. In 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. On the Eastern Front the Germans captured many Tokarev 7.62mm SVT38s and '40s self-loading rifles. The Tokarev rifle employed a much simpler but more effective gas-operated mechanism, which was duly copied by the Germans into the Gewehr 41(W).
Gewehr G43 Gewehr G43 with telescopic sight	ENGLISH :Specification: Calibre: 7.92-mm Weight: 4.33 kg Length: 1117 mm Barrel length: 558 mm Muzzle velocity: 746 metres per second Feed: 10-round detachable box
ENGLISH :The German army had experimented with self-loading rifles before 1914, but it was not until 1940 that such a weapon was issued in any numbers. By this time, the US Army had already become the first army to adopt a self-loader, the M1 Garard rifle. The first German self-loader, the Gewehr 41(W), was a complex weapon which was handicapped by a 10-round magazine that was impossible to load quickly. The Gewehr 43 was a much improved version which used a better gas system, run along the top of the barrel like the Russian Tokarev rifle. Most Gewehr 43s were designed to mount a telescopic sight. Like the Red Army, the Germans often issued their snipers with a self-loading weapon, and it was in this role that the Gewehr 43 was most often encountered. Most appear to have been used on the Russian front, and ‘economy’ versions with badly finished stocks were manufactured towards the end of the war. As an advanced infantry weapon, the Gewehr 43 was eclipsed by the fully automatic StG44.
MP42-Haenel Maschinenkarabiner 42(H) Mp42 Walther Maschinenkarabiner 42(W) Mp43/ StG44 Sturmgewehr	ENGLISH :Specification: Calibre: 7.92-mm kurz Weight: 5.1 kg Length: 940 mm Barrel length: 418 mm Muzzle velocity: 657 metres per second Feed: 30-round detachable box
ENGLISH :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 trorps. For some mysterious reasons, however, Hitler ordered a halt to further development of the gun. The army, on the other hand, supported Haenel to put the gun into full production. The name was changed from Maschinenkarabiner 42(H) to Maschinenpistole 43 or MP 43 to fool the Führer. 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 trememdously. The low-powered ammunition's disadvantage was compensated by a high rate of fire and much better accuracy. The MP 43 proved invaluable on the Eastern Front. Quite abnormal for wartime German practice, production rather than development was emphasized. The only altered version was the MP 43/1. It was equipped with a grenade-launching cup on the muzzle. In 1944, Hitler lifted the ban and designated the gun with the more accurate name Sturmgewehr 44 (assault rifle) or StG 44. The basic design of the gun was not changed, but some extra parts were also made. An infra-red night sight called Vampir was one. A more peculiar addition was a curved barrel called Krummlauf. It could direct bullets to an angle between 30o and 45 o, and a special periscope sight was created for aiming. It would allow troops to fire around corners but was mainly designed for armored fighting vehicle crews to ward off tank-killing infantry. After the war, several nations like Czechoslovakia retained and used many MP 43s. Some were used in the Arab-Israeli conflicts. And some still show up amongst the "freedom fighters" in Africa.
Sub-machine gun MP38 Sub-machine gun MP40	ENGLISH :Specification: Calibre: 9-mm Parabellum Weight: 3.97 kg unloaded Length: 629 mm (stock folded) Barrel length: 248 mm Muzzle velocity: 381 metres per second Feed: 32-round detachable box
ENGLISH :Often wrongly referred to as the “Schmeisser’ (Hugo Schmeisser had nothing to do with the design), the MP38 remains one of the most famous sub-machine guns ever made. The MP38 broke new ground by abandoning wood for the stock. But the MP38 design was too time-consuming and expensive to meet wartime demand, and a simplified version, the MP40, was introduced. Eschewing high-grade steel in favour of spot-welded sheet stampings, the MP40 was produced in vast numbers and used on all fronts. Compared with the Soviet PPSh, the MP40 looks a far more professionally-made weapon. Yet German soldiers found to their cost that few of their weapons were easily adapted to the Russian winter. As the thermometer sank to -30°C, finely-made German machine-guns tended to seize up – as the gun oil froze. The Soviet weapon’s 71-round drum magazine was another source of envy, and some MP40s were fitted with a double magazine of their own, although this did not prove successful.
Maschinegewehr MG34 MG34 single spare barrel carrier MG34 double spare barrel carrier MG34 gunners pouch MG34 tripod / for use as a heavy machine gun MG34 lafette Z34 sight / for use as an heavy machine gun MG34 tripod / for use as a Anti Aircraft machine gun	ENGLISH :Specification: Calibre: 7.92mm Length overall: 1219mm Length of barrel: 627mm Weight: 11.5kg with bipod; 29.7kg with tripod Muzzle velocity: 755ms-1 Feed: 50 round belt, or 50 round saddle drum Maximum effective range: 2000m Rate of fire: 800-900 rpm cyclic
ENGLISH :The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG34, was a German machine gun first issued in 1934, considered by many to be the first modern general-purpose machine gun. It was used as the primary infantry machine gun during the 1930s, and remained as the primary tank and aircraft defensive weapon. It was intended that it would be replaced in infantry service by the related MG42, but there were never enough of the new design to go around, and MG34s soldiered on in all roles until the end of World War II.The MG34 was designed primarily by Heinrich Vollmer from Mauser Werke, based on the recently introduced Rheinmetall designed Solothurn 1930 (MG30) that was starting to enter service in Switzerland. The principle changes were to move the feed mechanism to a more convienient location on the left of the breech, and the addition of a shroud around the barrel. Changes to the operating mechanism improved the rate of fire to between 800 and 900 RPM.The MG34 could use both magazine-fed and belt-fed 7.92mm ammunition. Belts were supplied in 50-round single strips or 250-round boxes. The drums held either 50 rounds in the standard version, or 75 in the "double drum" version. Early guns had to be modified to use the drums by replacing a part on the gun, but this modification was later supplied from the factory.In the light machine gun role it was used with a bipod and weighed only 12.1 kg, considerably less than other machine guns of the era. In the medium machine gun role it could be mounted on one of two tripods, a smaller one weighing 6.75 kg, the larger 23.6 kg. The larger included a number of features making it useful for a number of roles. The legs could be extended to allow it to be used in the anti-aircraft role (and many were), and when lowered it could be placed to allow the gun to be fired "remotely" while it swept an arc in front of the mounting with fire, or aimed through a periscope attached to the tripod.The new gun was accepted for service almost immediately and was generally liked by the troops. It was used to great effect by German soldiers assisting the fascists in the Spanish Civil War. At the time it was considerably more advanced than guns being used by other forces (with the exception of the MG30), both in terms of rate of fire, and in being easily man portable by a single gunner. However the MG34 was also very expensive, both in terms of construction and the raw materials needed (49 kg of steel) and it was unable to be built in the sorts of numbers required for the ever expanding German army. It also proved to be rather tempermental, jamming easily when dirty.By the late 1930s an effort had started to simplify the MG34, leading to the MG42. The MG42's square barrel cover made it unsuitable for use in tank cupolas however, and the MG34 remained in production until the end of the war for this role.The MG34 was also used as the basis of a new aircraft gun, the MG81. For this role the breech was slighly modified to allow feeds from either side, and in one version two guns were bolted together on a single trigger to form a weapon known as the MG81Z (for zwillig, twin in German). Production of the MG34 was never enough to satisfy any of its users, and while the MG81 was a huge improvement over the earlier MG30-based MG15 and MG17, those guns could be still found in use until the end of the war.
Machinegewehr MG42 MG42 tripod / for use as a heavy machine gun Model 41 MG34 & 42 amunition box	ENGLISH :Specification: Calibre: 7.92-mm Weight: 11.5 kg Length: 1219 mm Barrel length: 533 mm Muzzle velocity: 755 metres per second Feed: 50-round belt
ENGLISH :The MG42 general-purpose machine-gun was one of the key weapons of World War II. It had an incredible rate of fire – over 1,200 rounds per minute. The barrel rapidly overheated, but it could be changed without interrupting the hail of bullets for more than a few seconds. Whether providing support for an attack or simply holding a trench against hordes of Russian infantry, the MG42 gave the Germans a major advantage. The mechanised infantry of the SS Panzer divisions lost no time in acquiring large quantities of MG42s, and many SS veterans rated them as their most important infantry weapon. The MG42 was developed from the MG43, a fine machine-gun, but too slow and expensive to produce to meet the demand. It used plenty of metal stamping in its construction and the finish did not match that earlier German machine-guns. But the MG42 was so successful that the modern West German army still uses it. Modified to 7.62-mm calibre and with a few minor changes, it has never really been surpassed.
Fg 42	DEUTSCH: Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 (FG 42) Modell 1 Hersteller: Rheinmetall Länge: 940 mm Gewicht: 4,53 kg Lauflänge: 502 mm Kaliber: 7,92 x 57 mm (8 x 57 mm IS) Mündungsgeschwindigkeit: 761 m/s Feuerrate: 750 bis 800 Schuss/min Munitionszufuhr/Magazingröße: 10 oder 20 Schuss Kastenmagazin Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 (FG 42) Modell 3 Hersteller: Rheinmetall Länge: 970 mm Gewicht: 4,98 kg Lauflänge: 502 mm Kaliber: 7,92 x 57 mm (8 x 57 mm IS) Mündungsgeschwindigkeit: 755m/s Feuerrate: 600 Schuss/min Munitionszufuhr/Magazingröße: 10 oder 20 Schuss Kastenmagazin
ENGLISH :The Fallschirmjägergewehr ("paratrooper rifle") is a large automatic rifle firing the regular Mauser 7.9mm rifle ammunition. Regarding size and role it is comparable to the american BAR and the british Bren, therefore the weapon might also be classified as a light machine gun. One of the main demands in the design order for an automatic rifle for airborne troops was the prohibition to use critical material for the weapon. This was met only party. The proposed design made by the company Rheinische Metallwaren- und Maschinenfabrik (Rheinmetall) in Sömmerda under the chief developer Louis Stange was accepted for a prototype series to prepare mass production. Prototypes were finished in mid-1942; the weapon was officially introduced into service as Fallschimrjägergewehr 42, abbreviated FG 42, at the turn of year 1943/1944 but only for the Luftwaffe ("air force") since the Heer ("army") was looking for a weapon using the new Kurzpatrone (which eventually resulted in the Sturmgewehr 44). The production was never able to meet requirements even party. Three easily discernible models of the FG 42 are differentiated: model 1 has a pistol grip that is bent back at an extremely high and odd angle; model 2 is the same as model 1 but the pistol grip is more conventional and pointing down. Model 3, whose pistol grip is also pointing down, features a unique hand guard fore of the barrel that has 13 deep but short grooves on the left side as opposed to the many thin grooves on the left side of the hand guard on the other models 1 and 2. Model 1 was produced only in very limited numbers for evaluation purposes; model 2 remedied many of the problems encountered with the model 1, was much simplified and produced in noticeable numbers. The definitive version was model 3 which addressed the too strong recoil and lack of stability during firing of the model 2. Total production numbers are differing depending on the source; some state that no more than 7,000 FG 42 of all variants were produced, while others say 5,000 or only a maximum of 1,500. The only definitive production number is that of the FG 42 produced late in the war for the army: 4,397. The weapon is gas-operated, the gas nozzle is located only a third of barrel length from the breech, the second, thin "barrel" all the way to the muzzle often seen in pictures is the bayonet in folded-back position. The weapon is magazine fed from box-magaziones of 10 or 20 round capacity attached to the right, the spent shells were expelled to the left. The diopter sights range from 100m to 1,500m; all FG 42 could be fitted with scopes and indeed it was often used as a sniper rifle. The weapon had an integrated bipod and an integrated bayonet. The rifle-grenade device Gewehrgranatgerät or Schiessbecher could be attached to the FG 42. Technical data FG 42 model 3: length 97.5cm; barrel length (w/o muzzle break) 50cm; weight (empty) 4.98kg; weight of empty 10-round magazine 190g (full: 460g); weight of empty 20-round magazine 290g (full: 830g); ammunition: Mauser Infanteriepatrone 7.92x57 in 10 and 20 round box magazines; system rate of fire: 600/min; Vo 755m/s (other sources 685m/s, probably for other ammunition type than 7.92x57 sS). The magazines were caried in a variation of the standard paratrooper Mauser 98k ammunition bandoleer; the canvas ammo bandoleer for the FG 42 had 2 sets of 4 larger pockets each holding one magazine; making for a total default ammo loadout of 8 magazines of 20 rounds each totaling 160 rounds excluding the magazine in the weapon.
DEUTSCH:Im Juni 1941 landeten deutsche Fallschirmjägertruppen auf Kreta um die britische Oberherrschaft in diesem Bereich des Mittelmeers zu brechen und eine halbwegs sichere Seeroute für die deutschen und italienischen Frachter zu schaffen, die lebensnotwendigen Nachschub für die Front in Nordafrika heranschaffen mussten (Unternehmen Merkur). Die Besetzung der kleinen Mittelmeerinsel war äußerst verlustreich und gelang erst nach harten Kämpfen gegen die sich verbissen wehrenden britischen, griechischen und neuseeländischen Truppen. Als Konsequenz aus den schlechten Erfahrungen, die man mit dem wenig Feuerkraft bietenden Karabiner K98k gemacht hatte, wurde von der Luftwaffe eine neuartige Waffe gefordert, auf Basis der durchschlagskräftigen Patrone 8x57 IS und mit der Möglichkeit zu vollautomatischem Feuer. Das Heer konzentrierte sich dagegen aufgrund anderer taktischer Vorstellungen auf die Kurzpatrone 7,92x33 mm. Rheinmetall konnte schließlich nach umfangreichen Truppenerprobungen das 7,92 mm Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 (FG 42) vorstellen, eine für die Deutschen wahrlich neuartige Konstruktion, die als eine der ersten Waffen eine geradlinige Schulterstütze verwendete. Mit dieser lässt sich der Rückstoß einer automatischen Waffe um ein Vielfaches besser kontrollieren, ein Merkmal, das sich durchgesetzt hat und heute bei jedem Sturmgewehr zu finden ist. Das Magazin mit zehn oder zwanzig Schuss befand sich auf der linken Seite und war beim Transport der Waffe am Mann oftmals hinderlich, und ließ das FG 42 beim Feuern schlecht ausbalanciert erscheinen. Serienmäßig gab es ein stabiles Zweibein, welches in angeklappter Position das Bajonett verdeckte. Das FG 42 war ein Gasdrucklader für Einzel- und Dauerfeuer. Interessanterweise funktionierte dieses System bei Einzelfeuer aufschießend und bei Dauerfeuer zuschießend um eine bessere Kühlung zu gewährleisten. Das Dioptervisier konnte auf Entfernungen zwischen 100 und 1.500 m eingerichtet werden, die Verwendung eines optischen Visiers war optional und erlaubte den Einsatz als feuerstarkes Heckenschützengewehr. Zusatzgeräte wie ein Wurfbecher zum Verschuss von Granaten konnten ebenfalls angebracht werden und dienten zur Erweiterung des Einsatzspektrums. Die von der Luftwaffe geforderten hohen Stückzahlen konnten während des Krieges mit den resultierenden knappen Ressourcen nicht erreicht werden, woran letztendlich auch die komplizierte Fertigung des FG 42 nicht ganz schuldlos war. Änderungen in Details der Waffe wurden in die laufende Produktion eingebracht und machten eine Serienproduktion schließlich möglich. So wurden der Schaft und der Pistolengriff ab der dritten Ausführung ausschließlich aus Holz gefertigt, das Zweibein wurde verstärkt und wanderte weiter in Richtung der Mündung um die Waffe besser beherrschbar zu machen. Der Wert dieser Einsparungen und Umbauten war jedoch nur gering und die Stückzahl blieb daher bis zum Ende des Krieges auf 7.000 Stück begrenzt. Nicht weiter tragisch, da der Einsatz von Luftlandetruppen im weiteren Verlauf des Krieges so gut wie nicht mehr erfolgte und für den Abwehrkampf im Rahmen des Heeres gab es taktisch bessere Alternativen. Der erste Einsatz des FG 42 fand im September 1943 im Rahmen des Einsatzes "Eiche" statt, als 9 Lastensegler mit der 1. Kompanie des Fallschirmjäger-Lehrbattallions unter Kommando von Oberleutnant Freiherr von Berlepsch und einem SD-Sonderkommando unter Sturmbannführer Skorzeny in einer waghalsigen Aktion den gestürzten italienischen Diktator Mussolini aus dem Berghotel Campo Imperatore befreiten und ihn mit einem Fieseler Storch vorerst ins immer noch von der Wehrmacht besetzte Rom brachten. Als Vorläufer und "Trendsetter" hat sich das FG 42 einigen Ruhm erworben, Konstruktionsmerkmale dieser Waffe sollen angeblich im M60 zu finden sein und die gerade Schulterstütze ist, wie bereits angesprochen, ein Merkmal aller modernen Sturmgewehre.
27mm Walther Leuchttpistole
ENGLISH :The first pistol is a smooth bore weapon. This fires all 1 in signal cartridges, three types of HE and a smoke grenade. It also has a rifled 23 mm liner, sights and a butt, which may be fitted to enable it to fire A/Tk grenades. The German designation for this equipment is 27 mm Leuchtpistole Walther and is a part of the ancillary equipment of German Tanks
27mm Leuchtpistole 42
ENGLISH :LP-42 (Leuchtpistole 42/ Kampfpistole) Flare Pistol: Shoots 27mm flares, smoke grenades, anti-personel grenades and anti-armour grenades.
LIST OF LIGHT WEAPONS USED BY THE GERMANS IN WWII 1-Bolt-action rifles G-98 G-221/223 (Jugoslavians) War reparations after WWI G-299 or 98 (Polish) idem Gewehr 24 (Czech) build under licence Gew 29/40 (Austrian) Gew 262 (Belgian) Gew 289 (Polish) Gew 290/298 (Jugoslavian) build under licence Gewehr 98/40 (original 8 mm Huzagol 35M from Hungary) Gewehr 33/40 (manufactured in CZ Brno or WaffenfÃ¤brik Brno) Gewehr 98 (Ã¶) (Austrian Repetier Gewehr 1895 in 8 mm) Gewehr 306 (Greek, Italian or jugoslavian G-9 Gewehr 294 (ex G-98 recalibrated by the jugoslavians to 7.9) Gewehr 33 (Musketon vz 16/33 the standard Czech Army carbine) Gewehr 209 (Italian Fucille modelo 38 in 6.5 mm) Gewehr 210 (Italian Fucille modelo 41 in 6.5 mm) Gewehr 211 (Dutch Geweer M95 Manlicher in 6.5 mm) Gewehr 214 (Italian Fucille modelo 91 in 6.5 mm) Gewehr 215 (Greek mannlicher-SchÃ¶nauer Model 03/14 in 6.5 mm) Gewehr 231 (Italian Fucille modelo 38 in 7.35 mm) Gewehr 241 (French model 07-15 M34 in 7.5 mm) Gewehr 242 (French MAS-36 in 7.5 mm) Gewehr 249 (American Springfield M 03 in 7.62) Gewehr 252 (Russian Mosin M-91 in 7.62 and Jugoslavian Puska M91R) Gewehr 254 (Russian Mosin M-91/30 in 7.62) Gewehr 256 (Russian Mosin M-91/30 in 7.62 with 3.5 telescope) Gewehr 261 (Belgian Fusil 1889 Mauser in 7.65 mm) Gewehr 263 (Belgian Fusil 36 Mauser in 7.65 mm) Gewehr 281 (British Rifle NÂº 1 Mk III in 7.7 mm) Gewehr 301 (French model 1886 transforme 1893 in 8 mm) Gewehr 302 (French model 1907 transforme 1915 in 8 mm) Gewehr 303 (French model 1886 racroche 1935 in 8 mm) Gewehr 304 (French model 1916 in 8 mm) Gewehr 305 (French model 1907 dit colonial in 8 mm) Gewehr 307 (Jugoslavian Puska 8 mm M93) Gewehr 311 (Danish Gevaer m/89-10 in 8 mm) K-98a K-492 (Jugoslavian) War reparations after WWI K-493 (Polish) idem K-98b K98k Karabiner 408 (Italian Moschetto modello 38 in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 409 (Italian Moschetto modello 91 for cavalry in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 410 (Italian Moschetto m 91 for technical troops in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 411 (Dutch Karabijn aantal 1 in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 412 (Dutch Karabijn aantal 1 OM en NM in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 413 (Dutch Karabijn aantal 3 OM en NM in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 414 (Dutch Karabijn aantal 4 OM en NM in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 411(n) (Norwegian Kavalerikarabin m/1894 in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 412(n) (Norwegian Kavalerikarabin m/1895 in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 413(n) (Norwegian Ingenieorkarabin m/1904 in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 414(n) (Norwegian Artillerikarabin m/1907 in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 415 (Norwegian Karabin m/1912 in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 416 (Italian moschetto modello 91/24 in 6.5 mm) Karabiner 430 (Italian moschetto modello 38 in 7.35 mm) Karabiner 451 (Belgian Carabine 1889 in 7.65 mm) Karabiner 453 (Belgian Carabine 1916 in 7.65 mm) Karabiner 454 (Russian Karabin obr 1938 g in 7.62 mm) Karabiner 457 (Russian Karabin obr 1944 g in 7.62 mm) Karabiner 494 (Greek S-95) Karabiner 497 (Polish Karabinek 91/98/25 in 7.92 mm [ex Mosin]) Karabiner 505 (Italian or jugoslavian S-95) Karabiner 506/1 (Danish Fodfolkskarabin m/89-24 in 8 mm) Karabiner 506/2 (Danish Artilleriekarabin m/89-24 in 8 mm) Karabiner 506/3 (Danish Ingeniorkarabin m/89-24 in 8 mm) Karabiner 506/1 (Danish Rytterkarabin m/89-24 in 8 mm) Karabiner 551 (French model 1890 in 8 mm) Karabiner 552 (French model 1892 in 8 mm) Karabiner 553 (French model 1916 in 8 mm) StÃ¼tzen 95 (Ã¶) (Austrian Repetier-StÃ¼tzen-Gewehr m-1895 in 8 mm) VG 1 (Volksturgewehr 1) VG 2 Volksturmkarabiner 98 2-Automatic rifles 7.92 Vollmer Selbstladegewehr 29 Projected in 1929, not adopted by the Reichswehr 7.92 mm Mauser Gewehr 35 Developed as a private venture in 1935, not accepted for service. Two versions S and M 7.92 mm Maschinenkarabiner M35 Vollmer Developed also as private venture in 1935, version Typ A 35/II follows in 1938 and Typ A 35/III in 1939 7.92 mm Gewehr 41 (W) Walther self-loading rifle adopted as standard in 1942 7.92 mm Gewehr 41 (M) Mauser design tested in 1941, not accepted for service 7.92 mm Gewehr 43 Modification of G 41 (W) to gas-operated 7.92 mm Karabiner 43 Shorter version of G 43, introduced in 1944 7.92* mm MaschinenKarabiner 42 (H) Designed by Hugo Schmeisser. Accepted after troop trials in 1943, about 8000 produced, served as prototype to MP 43. 7.92* mm MaschinenKarabiner 42 (W) After combat trials not accepted for service 7.92* mm Maschinenpistole 43 Evolved from Mkb 42 (H) First series completed in July 43, First combat use in Esatern Front. 7.92* mm Maschinenpistole 43/1 Variant of MP 43 with provision for an screw-on grenade launcher 7.92mm Maschinenpistole 44 Name of MP 43 altered in the spring of 1944 7.92 mm Sturmgewehr 44 New name for the MP 44, no changes in design 7.92 mm GerÃ¤t 06 (H) Mauser Developed as private venture in 1942-43 7.92* mm Sturmgewehr 45 Experimental lightweight selective-fire weapon, with roller-locked retarded blowback system, also known as MP 45 (M) only prototypes bulit prior to end of war. Forefunner of the Spanish CETME 58. 7.92* mm Volkssturmgewehr 1-5 Intended as a cheap and mass produced self-loading weapon. First series completed in late 44. 7.92 mm FallschirmjÃ¤gergewehr 42 Evolved by Rheinmetall from a Luftwaffe requirement. Accepted for service in 1942. 3-Sub-machine guns MP.18,I (WWI Bergmann) MP.28 (improved MP.18,I) MP.30 (Ã¶) (ex-Austrian S1-100 variant) MP.34 (Ã¶) (ex-Austrian Steyr Solothurn) MP.34 Bgm. (Bergmann) MP.35 (Bergmann version of the MP.34 Bgm.) MP.38 (Predecessor to the MP40) MP.38/40 (produced as production of the MP.40 was starting, this model had elements of both designs) MP.40 (the standard SMG) MP.40/II (MP40 w/ dual magazine) MP.41 (MP.40 w/ MP.28-like stock) MP.44 / MP.43 (StG. 44) EMP44 (cheapy weapon made by Erma at the end of the war; it wasn't any good) MP.704(f) (ex-Frence PM Vollmar Erma) MP.715(r) (PPD 34/38) MP.716(r) (PPD 40) MP.717(r) (PPSh 41) MP.719 (r) Captured Russian PPs-43 MP.722 (f) Captured French Mas-38 MP.738 (i) Beretta model 38/42 MP.739(i) (Beretta Mo.938) MP.740(b) (ex-Belgian Mi.Schmeisser-Bayard Mle.34) MP.741 (d) (The license built Bergman made in Denmark) MP.746 (d) (Madsen M-42) MP.749 (e) Captured British Sten Mk II MP.751 (e) Captured British Sten Mk II with silencer MP.760 (e)/(j)/(a)/(r) Captured Thompson M-28 from British, US, Jugoslavian or Soviet) MP.761 (f) Captured Thompson M-1921 purchased by France in 1939 MP.3008 (German near-copy of the Sten Mk.II made at the end of the war) MP.E (Erma)

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