Small arms of the Wehrmacht. Small arms of the Wehrmacht in the Second World War. Small arms of Germany

Thanks to Soviet movies about the war,most people had a stable opinion that the mass small arms (the photo is shown below) of the German infantry of the Second World War is a machine gun (the submachine gun) of the Schmeisser system, which is named after its designer. This myth and to this day is actively supported by the national cinema. However, in fact, this popular machine has never been a massive weapon of the Wehrmacht, and it was not created by Hugo Schmeisser. However, everything in order.

How myths are created

All should remember the footage from the domesticfilms, dedicated to the attacks of the German infantry on our positions. Brave blond guys pacing, not bending down, while they are firing from the machine "from the hip." And the most interesting thing is that this fact surprises no one, except those who were at war. According to the movies, the "Schmeissers" could fire target fire at the same distance as the rifles of our fighters. In addition, the viewer, when watching these films, had the impression that all the personnel of German infantry during the Second World War armed with automatic weapons. In fact, everything was different, and the submachine gun is not a mass firearm of the Wehrmacht, and it is impossible to shoot it from the hip, and it's not called Schmeisser. In addition, to conduct a trench attack by a subunit of submachine guns, in which there are fighters armed with shop rifles, is a clear suicide, since nobody would have reached the trenches before the trenches.

We dispel the myth: the automatic pistol MP-40

This small weapon of the Wehrmacht in WWIIofficially called the submachine gun (Maschinenpistole) MP-40. In fact, this modification of the MP-36. The constructor of this model, contrary to the prevailing opinion, was not the armourer H. Schmeisser, but the equally famous and talented master Heinrich Volmer. And why is it so firmly entrenched nickname "Schmeisser"? The thing is that Schmeisser owned a patent for the store, which is used in this submachine gun. And in order not to violate his copyrights, in the first installments of the MP-40 on the store receiver stamped the inscription PATENT SCHMEISSER. When these assault rifles came in as trophies to the soldiers of the allied armies, they mistakenly believed that the author of this model of small arms was naturally Schmeisser. That's how the MR-40 and fixed this nickname.

Initially, the German command armedmachine guns exclusively commanding staff. Thus, in the infantry units of the MP-40, only commanders of battalions, companies and branches had to be. Later, automatic pistols were supplied to drivers of armored cars, tankmen and paratroopers. Massively the same infantry they did not arm either in 1941, or after. According to the archives of the German army, in 1941 there were only 250,000 MP-40 machine guns in the troops, which is 7 234 000 people. As you can see, the submachine gun is not a mass weapon of the Second World War. In general, for the entire period - from 1939 to 1945 - only 1.2 million of these machines were produced, whereas in the part of the Wehrmacht more than 21 million people were drafted.

Why did not the infantry arm the MP-40?

Despite the fact that later specialistsrecognized that the MP-40 - is the best small arms of the Second World War, in the infantry units of the Wehrmacht it had units. The explanation is simple: the target range for this machine for group targets is only 150 m, and for single targets - 70 m. This is despite the fact that Soviet soldiers were armed with Mosin and Tokarev rifles (SVT), the range of which was 800 m in group goals and 400 m single. If the Germans fought with such weapons, as shown in the domestic films, they would never have been able to reach the enemy trenches, they would simply be shot, as in a dash.

Shooting on the move "from the hip"

MP-40 submachine gun with firevibrates, and if you use it, as shown in the movies, the bullets always fly past the target. Therefore, for effective shooting it must be tightly pressed to the shoulder, first having spread out the butt. In addition, this machine never shot long bursts, as it quickly heated up. Most often they beat a short burst of 3-4 rounds or fired a single fire. Despite the fact that the tactical and technical characteristics indicate that the rate of fire is 450-500 rounds per minute, in practice, such a result has never been achieved.

Advantages of MP-40

It can not be said that this is the small arms of the SecondThe world war was bad, on the contrary, it is very, very dangerous, but it must be used in close combat. That is why the subversive units first armed him. They were also often used by the scouts of our army, and the partisans respected this machine. The use of light rapid-fire small arms in close combat gave tangible advantages. Even now, the MP-40 is very popular among criminals, and the price of such a machine on the black market is very high. And they are delivered there by "black archaeologists" who excavate in places of military glory and very often find and restore weapons of the WWII times.

Mauser 98k

What can I say about this carbine? The most common small arms of Germany is the rifle of the Mauser system. Its aiming range is at shooting up to 2000 m. As you can see, this parameter is very close to the rifle of Mosin and SVT. This carbine was developed back in 1888. In the course of the war, this design was substantially modernized, mainly to reduce costs, as well as to rationalize production. In addition, this small weapon of the Wehrmacht was equipped with optical sights, and it was equipped with sniper units. The rifle of the Mauser system at that time was in service with many armies, for example, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia and Sweden.

Self-loading rifles

At the end of 1941, the infantry divisionsWehrmacht for the military tests received the first automatic self-loading rifles of the Walter G-41 system and the Mauser G-41. Their appearance was due to the fact that the Red Army was armed with more than one and a half million such systems: SVT-38, SVT-40 and АВС-36. In order not to yield to the Soviet soldiers, German gunsmiths had to develop their versions of such rifles. As a result of the tests, the G-41 system (the Walter system) was recognized and adopted as the best. The rifle is equipped with a hammer-type impact mechanism. Designed to fire only single shots. It is equipped with a magazine with a capacity of ten cartridges. This automatic self-loading rifle is designed to conduct aimed fire at a distance of up to 1200 m. However, due to the heavy weight of this weapon, as well as low reliability and sensitivity to contamination, it was released in a small series. In 1943, designers, eliminating these shortcomings, proposed an upgraded version of the G-43 (Walter system), which was released in the number of several hundred thousand units. Prior to its appearance, the Wehrmacht soldiers preferred to use captured Soviet-made (!) SVT-40 rifles.

And now back to the German gunsmith Hugo Schmeisser. He developed two systems, without which the Second World War did not.

Small arms - МР-41

This model was developed simultaneously with theMR-40. This machine was significantly different from the one familiar to everyone on the films "Schmeisser": it had a forearm, trimmed with wood, which protected the soldier from burns, was heavier and longer-barreled. However, this small weapon of the Wehrmacht was not widely distributed and was not produced for long. Total produced about 26 thousand units. It is believed that the German army abandoned this machine in connection with the claim of the firm ERMA, which announced the illegal copying of its patented design. The small arms MP-41 were used by the Waffen SS units. And also successfully used by Gestapo units and mountain hunters.

MP-43, or StG-44

The next weapon of the Wehrmacht (photo below)Schmeisser developed in 1943. First it was called MP-43, and later - StG-44, which means "assault rifle" (sturmgewehr). This automatic rifle in appearance, and for some technical characteristics, resembles a Kalashnikov assault rifle (which appeared later), and differs significantly from the MR-40. The target fire range was up to 800 m. The StG-44 even envisaged the possibility of fixing a 30 mm grenade launcher. To conduct shooting from the shelter by the designer, a special nozzle was developed, which was mounted on the muzzle and changed the trajectory of the bullet by 32 degrees. In mass production, this weapon fell only in the fall of 1944. During the war, about 450,000 such rifles were fired. So few of the German soldiers managed to use such a machine. StG-44 were supplied to elite units of the Wehrmacht and to Waffen SS units. Later, these weapons of the Wehrmacht were used in the Armed Forces of the GDR.

Automatic rifles FG-42

These copies were intended forparachute troops. They combined the combat qualities of a machine gun and an automatic rifle. The development of weapons was undertaken by the firm "Rheinmetall" already during the war, when, after assessing the results of airborne operations conducted by the Wehrmacht, it turned out that the MR-38 submachine guns did not fully meet the combat requirements of this kind of troops. The first tests of this rifle were carried out in 1942, and at the same time it was taken into service. In the process of using the mentioned weapons, shortcomings associated with low strength and stability in automatic shooting were also revealed. In 1944 the modernized rifle FG-42 (model 2) was released, and model 1 was removed from production. The trigger mechanism of this weapon allows for automatic or single fire. The rifle is designed for a standard Mauser cartridge of 7.92 mm. The store capacity is 10 or 20 cartridges. In addition, the rifle can be used for firing special grenades. To increase the stability when shooting under the trunk fixed bipod. The FG-42 rifle is designed to fire at a range of 1200 m. Due to the high cost it was released in limited quantities: only 12 thousand units of both models.

Luger P08 and Walter P38

Now we will consider what types of pistols were onarming with the German army. "Luger", the second name "Parabellum", had a caliber of 7.65 mm. By the beginning of the war in the German army units there were more than half a million of these pistols. This small weapon of the Wehrmacht was produced before 1942, and then it was replaced by a more reliable "Walter".

This pistol was adopted in 1940year. It was intended for shooting 9-mm cartridges, the capacity of the magazine is 8 cartridges. The range of sight at the "Walter" is 50 meters. It was produced until 1945. The total number of P38 pistols produced was approximately 1 million units.

Weapons of World War II: MG-34, MG-42 and MG-45

In the early 1930s, the German militarydecided to create a machine gun, which could be used both as a machine gun and as a manual. They were supposed to shoot at enemy aircraft and arm the tanks. Such a machine gun was MG-34, designed by the firm "Rheinmetall" and adopted in service in 1934. At the beginning of the military operations in the Wehrmacht, there were about 80,000 units of this weapon. The machine gun allows you to fire as a single shot, and continuous. For this, he had a trigger with two notches. When you click on the upper shooting was conducted by single shots, and when you click on the bottom one - by bursts. For him, rifle cartridges Mauser 7,92x57 mm, with light or heavy bullets. And in the 1940s, armor-piercing, armor-piercing-tracer, armor-piercing-incendiary and other types of cartridges were developed and used. This suggests that the impetus for introducing changes in the weapons systems and tactics of their use was the Second World War.

The small arms used in thiscompany, replenished and a new model of the machine gun - MG-42. It was developed and adopted in 1942. The designers greatly simplified and reduced the cost of production of this weapon. Thus, in its production, spot welding and stamping were widely used, and the number of parts was reduced to 200. The trigger mechanism of the machine gun allowed to conduct only automatic shooting - 1200-1300 rounds per minute. Such significant changes adversely affected the stability of the unit during firing. Therefore, to ensure accuracy, it was recommended to fire in short bursts. Ammunition for the new machine gun remained the same as for the MG-34. The range of aiming fire was two kilometers. Work to improve this design continued until the end of 1943, which led to the creation of a new modification, known as the MG-45.

This machine gun weighed only 6.5 kg, andThe rate of fire was 2,400 rounds per minute. By the way, such a rate of fire could not boast of any infantry machine gun of that time. However, this modification appeared too late and was not in service with the Wehrmacht.

Anti-tank rifles: PzB-39 and Panzerschrek

PzB-39 was developed in 1938. This weapon of the Second World War was used relatively reliably at the initial stage to combat tank wagons, tanks and armored cars with anti-bullet armor. Against the heavily armored tanks (French B-1, British Matilde and Churchill, Soviet T-34 and KV), this gun was either ineffective, or completely useless. As a result, it was soon replaced by anti-tank grenade launchers and anti-tank anti-tank rifles "Pantsershrek", "Ofenror", as well as the famous "Faustpatronami". In PzB-39 we used a cartridge with a caliber of 7.92 mm. The shooting range was 100 meters, the ability to pierce allowed to "pierce" 35 mm armor.

Pantsershrek. This German light anti-tank weapon is a modified copy of the American Bazooka jet gun. German designers supplied him with a shield, which was defended by an arrow from the hot gases escaping from the grenade nozzle. With this weapon, anti-tank companies of motorized rifle regiments of tank divisions were supplied as a matter of priority. Reactive guns were an exceptionally powerful tool. "Pantsershreki" were a weapon for group use and had a service calculation consisting of three people. Since they were very complex, their use required special training calculations. In total, in 1943-1944, 314,000 units of such guns and more than two million rocket-propelled grenades were fired.

Grenade launchers: "Faustpatron" and "Panzerfaust"

The first years of World War II showed thatanti-tank rifles do not cope with the tasks set, so the German military demanded anti-tank weapons, which can be armed infantry, acting on the principle of "shot - threw." The development of a hand-held grenade launcher was launched by HASAG in 1942 (chief designer Langweiler). And in 1943 serial production was launched. The first 500 "Faustpatronov" entered the army in August of the same year. All models of this anti-tank grenade launcher had a similar design: they consisted of a barrel (smoothbore seamless pipe) and a grenade. To the outer surface of the barrel, a shock mechanism and a sighting device were welded.

"Panzerfaust" is one of the most powerfulmodifications "Faustpatrona", which was developed at the end of the war. His shooting range was 150 m, and armor penetration was 280-320 mm. "Panzerfaust" was a reusable weapon. The barrel of the grenade launcher is equipped with a pistol grip in which the shock-trigger mechanism is located, a propellant charge is placed in the barrel. In addition, the designers were able to increase the speed of the grenade's flight. Over the years of the war, more than eight million grenade launchers of all modifications were manufactured. This type of weapons caused significant losses to Soviet tanks. So, in the battles on the outskirts of Berlin, they were killed about 30 percent of armored vehicles, and during street battles in the capital of Germany - 70%.

Conclusion

The Second World War had a significant impacton small arms, including the automatic weapons of the world, its development and tactics of use. According to its results, it can be concluded that, despite the creation of the most advanced weapons, the role of infantry units does not decrease. The accumulated experience of using weapons in those years is relevant today. In fact, it became the basis for the development, as well as the improvement of small arms.