| 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. |
| .jpg)
MP42-Haenel Maschinenkarabiner 42(H)
.jpg)
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
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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 |
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| ENGLISH :LP-42 (Leuchtpistole 42/ Kampfpistole)
Flare Pistol: Shoots 27mm flares, smoke grenades, anti-personel grenades
and anti-armour grenades. |
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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 Waffenfäbrik Brno)
Gewehr 98 (ö) (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-Schönauer 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 Nº 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)
Stützen 95 (ö) (Austrian Repetier-Stützen-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
7.92*mm 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 Gerät 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 Fallschirmjägergewehr 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 (ö) (ex-Austrian S1-100 variant)
MP.34 (ö) (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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