Weapons of the Second World War. German machine gun from the Second World War - Small arms of the Wehrmacht. Small arms of the Wehrmacht in WWII. German small arms Machine guns 3 Reich

Let's talk about many myths that have long been boring, about true and fictional facts and about the real state of affairs during the Great Patriotic War.

On the topic of the Great Patriotic War, there are many myths directed against Russia, from "they filled up with corpses" and up to "two million raped German women." One of them is the superiority of German weapons over Soviet ones. It is important that this myth is also spread without anti-Soviet (anti-Russian) motivation, “accidentally” – a typical example is the depiction of Germans in films. Often this is highly artistically portrayed as a procession of "blond beasts" with rolled up sleeves, which from the hip water the soldiers of the Red Army from the "Schmeisers" (see below) in long bursts, and they only occasionally snarl with rare rifle shots. Cinematic! This happens even in Soviet films, and in modern films it can even reach one shovel handle for three against sailing "tigers".
Let's compare the weapons that were at that time. However, this is a very broad topic, so let's take for example small arms, moreover, "in a narrow range", mass for the rank and file. That is, we do not take pistols, machine guns - too (we would like them, but the article has a limited volume). We also do not consider specific ones, such as Vorsatz J / Pz curved nozzles, and we will examine the indicated “narrow” nomenclature specifically for mass products, without specifically highlighting early models (SVT-38 from SVT-40, MP-38 from MP-40, for example) . I apologize for such superficiality, but you can always read the details on the Internet, and now we only need a comparative review of mass models.
Let's start with the fact that the impression from many of the film "almost all the Germans had, unlike the Red Army, automatic weapons" is false.
In 1940, the German infantry division was supposed to have 12609 rifles and carbines, and only 312 submachine guns, i.e. less than the actual machine guns (425 light and 110 easel), and in the Soviet in 1941 - 10386 rifles and carbines (including sniper ones), submachine guns - 1623 pieces (and, by the way, 392 light machine guns and 166 easel, and also 9 large-caliber). In 1944, the Germans per division had 9420 carbines and rifles (including snipers), which accounted for 1595 submachine guns and assault rifles, and in the Red Army - 5357 rifles with carbines, submachine guns - 5557 pieces. (Sergey Metnikov, Confrontation between Wehrmacht and Soviet small arms systems, "Arms" No. 4, 2000).

It is clearly seen that according to the state, the share of automatic weapons in the Red Army was greater even at the beginning of the war, and over time, the relative number of submachine guns only increased. However, it is worth considering that “it is necessary according to the state” and “there was actually” did not always coincide. Just at that time, the rearmament of the army was going on, and a new range of weapons was only being formed: “As of June 1941, in the Kiev Special Military District, rifle formations of light machine guns had from 100 to 128% of the staff, submachine guns - up to 35%, anti-aircraft machine guns - 5-6% of the state." It should also be taken into account that the largest losses of weapons occurred at the beginning of the war, in 1941.

It was in the Second World War that the role of small arms changed compared to the First: long-term positional "trench" confrontations were replaced by operational maneuvering, which made new demands on small arms. By the end of the war, the specialization of weapons was already quite clearly divided: long-range (rifles, machine guns) and for short distances using automatic fire. Moreover, in the second case, at first a battle was considered at a distance of up to 200 m, but then an understanding came of the need to increase the aiming range of automatic weapons to 400-600 m.
But let's get down to specifics. Let's start with German weapons.

First of all, of course, the Mauser 98K carbine comes to mind.

Caliber 7.92x57 mm, manual reloading, magazine for 5 rounds, effective range - up to 2000 m, so it was widely used with optical sights. The design turned out to be very successful, and after the war, Mausers became a popular base for hunting and sporting weapons. Although the carbine is a remake of a rifle from the end of the previous century, the Wehrmacht began to arm itself with these carbines en masse only from 1935.

The first automatic self-loading rifles in the infantry of the Wehrmacht began to arrive only from the end of 1941, these were the Walther G.41.

Caliber 7.92x57 mm, gas automatics, magazine for 10 rounds, effective range - up to 1200 m. The main disadvantages: poor balance (the center of gravity is strongly shifted forward) and demanding maintenance, which is difficult in front-line conditions. In 1943, it was upgraded to the G-43, and before that, the Wehrmacht often preferred to use captured Soviet-made SVT-40s. However, in the Gewehr 43 version, the improvement was precisely in the use of a new gas exhaust system, borrowed just from the Tokarev rifle.

The most famous weapon in appearance is the "schmeiser" of a characteristic shape.

Which has nothing to do with the designer Schmeisser, Maschinenpistole MP-40 was developed by Heinrich Volmer.
We will not consider the early modifications of the MP-36 and -38 separately, as mentioned.

Caliber: 9x19 mm Parabellum, rate of fire: 400-500 rounds per minute, magazine: 32 rounds, effective range: 150 m for group targets, for single targets - generally 70 m, since the MP-40 vibrates heavily when fired. This is just in time for the question of “cinematic versus realism”: if the Wehrmacht had attacked “like in a movie”, then it would have been a shooting range for Red Army soldiers armed with “mosquitoes” and “lights”: the enemy would have been shot for another 300-400 meters. Another significant drawback was the lack of a barrel casing when it was heated quickly, which often led to burns when firing in bursts. It should also be noted the unreliability of stores. However, for close combat, especially urban combat, the MP-40 is a very good weapon.
Initially, the MP-40 was only for command personnel, then they began to issue drivers, tankers and paratroopers. There has never been a cinematic mass character: 1.2 million MP-40s were produced during the entire war, more than 21 million people were drafted into the Wehrmacht, and in 1941 there were only about 250 thousand MP-40s in the troops.

Schmeisser, in 1943, developed the Sturmgewehr StG-44 (originally MP-43) for the Wehrmacht.

By the way, it is worth noting that there is a myth that the Kalashnikov assault rifle was allegedly copied from the StG-44, which arose due to some external similarity in ignorance of the device of both products.

Caliber: 7.92x33 mm, rate of fire: 400-500 rounds / min, magazine: 30 rounds, effective range: up to 800 m. It was possible to mount a 30 mm grenade launcher and even use an infrared sight (which, however, required backpack batteries and itself was by no means compact). Quite a worthy weapon for its time, but mass production was mastered only in the fall of 1944, in total, approximately 450 thousand of these assault rifles were produced, which were armed with SS units and other elite units.

Let's start, of course, with the glorious Mosin rifle of the 1891-30 model, and, of course, the carbine of the 1938 and 1944 model.

Caliber 7.62x54 mm, manual reloading, magazine for 5 rounds, effective range - up to 2000 m. The main small arms of the Red Army infantry units of the first period of the war. Durability, reliability and unpretentiousness have entered into legends and folklore. The disadvantages include: a bayonet, which, due to an outdated design, had to be constantly attached to the rifle, a horizontal bolt handle (that's real - why not bend down?), The inconvenience of reloading and a fuse.

Soviet gunsmith F.V. Tokarev developed a 10-shot self-loading rifle SVT-38 in the late 30s

Then a modernized version of the SVT-40 appeared, weighing 600 g less, and then a sniper rifle was created on this basis.

Caliber 7.62x54 mm, gas automatics, magazine for 10 rounds, effective range - up to 1000 m operation. In addition, in front-line conditions, there was often a shortage of lubricants, and inappropriate ones could be used. Additionally, the low quality of the cartridges supplied under Lend-Lease, which gave a large soot, should be indicated. However, it all comes down to the need to comply with the maintenance regulations.
At the same time, the SVT had more firepower due to automation and twice as many rounds in the magazine as the Mosin rifle, so the preferences were different.
As mentioned above, the Germans valued captured SVTs and even adopted them as a "limited standard".

As for automatic weapons, at the beginning of the war the troops had a certain number of V.A. submachine guns. Degtyareva PPD-34/38

It was developed back in the 30s. Caliber 7.62x25 mm, rate of fire: 800 rounds / min, magazine for 71 rounds (drum) or 25 (horn), effective range: 200 meters. It was used mainly by the border units of the NKVD, since, unfortunately, the combined arms command still thought in terms of the First World War and did not understand the significance of submachine guns. In 1940, the PPD was structurally modernized, but still remained of little use for mass production in wartime, and by the end of 1941 was replaced in service with the cheaper and more efficient Shpagin PPSh-41 submachine gun

PPSh-41, which became widely known thanks to the cinema.

Caliber 7.62x25 mm, rate of fire: 900 rounds / min, effective range: 200 meters (sighting - 300, which is important for firing single shots). PPSh inherited a drum magazine for 71 rounds, and later received a more reliable carob magazine for 35 rounds. The design was based on stamping-welded technology, which made it possible to mass-produce the product even in harsh military conditions, and in total about 5.5 million PPSh were produced during the war years. Main advantages: high effective firing range in its class, simplicity and low cost of manufacture. The disadvantages include significant weight, as well as too high a rate of fire, which leads to an overrun of cartridges.
You should also remember the PPS-42 invented in 1942 by Alexei Sudayev (then PPS-43).

Caliber: 7.62x25 mm, rate of fire: 700 rounds per minute, magazine: 35 rounds, effective range: 200 meters. The bullet retains lethal force up to 800 m. Although the PPS was very technologically advanced in production (stamped parts are assembled by welding and rivets; material costs are half and labor costs are three times less than those of the PPSh), it never became a mass weapon, although over the remaining years of the war there were about half a million copies produced. After the war, the PPS was massively exported, and also copied abroad (the Finns made a replica of the M44 under the 9 mm cartridge already in 1944), then it was gradually replaced by the Kalashnikov assault rifle in the troops. PPS-43 is often called the best submachine gun of World War II.
Some will ask: why, since everything was so good, the blitzkrieg almost succeeded?
Firstly, do not forget that in 1941 the rearmament was just underway, and the provision of automatic weapons according to the new standards had not yet been carried out.
Secondly, small arms in the Great Patriotic War are not the main damaging factor, their losses are usually estimated between a quarter and a third of the total.
Thirdly, there are areas where the Wehrmacht had a clear advantage at the beginning of the war: mechanization, transport and communications.

But the main thing is the number and concentration of forces accumulated for a treacherous attack without declaring war. In June 1941, the Reich concentrated 2.8 million Wehrmacht troops to attack the USSR, and the total number of troops with the allies was more than 4.3 million people. At the same time, in the western districts of the Red Army, there were only about 3 million people, and it was in the districts, while less than 40% of the personnel were located near the border. Combat readiness, alas, was also far from 100%, especially in terms of technology - let's not idealize the past.

Also, one should not forget about the economy: while the USSR was forced to hastily evacuate factories to the Urals, the Reich used the resources of Europe with might and main, which gladly fell under the Germans. Czechoslovakia, for example, before the war was the leader in arms production in Europe, and at the beginning of the war, every third German tank was produced by the Skoda concern.

And the glorious traditions of weapons designers continue in our time, including in the field of small arms.

Rifles deserve special attention. The operation of rifles does not require such a long training as, for example, to operate a tank or pilot an aircraft, and even women or completely inexperienced fighters can easily handle them. The relatively small size and ease of operation made the rifles one of the most massive and popular weapons for warfare.

M1 Garand (M-One Garand)

The Em-One Garand was the standard US Army infantry rifle from 1936 to 1959. The semi-automatic rifle, which General George S. Patton called "the greatest fighting weapon ever created," gave the American army a huge advantage in World War II.

While the German, Italian, and Japanese armies still issued bolt-action rifles to their infantry, the M1 was semi-automatic and highly accurate. This caused the popular Japanese strategy of "desperate attack" to be much less effective, as they now faced an enemy who fired quickly and without missing. M1 was also produced with additions in the form of a bayonet or grenade launcher.

Lee Enfield (Lee Enfield)

The British Lee-Enfield No. 4 MK became the main infantry rifle of the British and Allied armies. By 1941, when mass production and use of Lee-Enfield began, the rifle underwent a number of changes and modifications to the sliding bolt mechanism, the original version of which was created back in 1895. Some units (such as the Bangladesh Police) still use the Lee-Enfield, making it the only bolt-action rifle in use for such a long time. In total, there are 17 million released by Lee-Enfield of various series and modifications.

The rate of fire at Lee Enfield is similar to Em One Garand. The sighting slit of the sight was designed in such a way that the projectile could hit the target from a distance of 180-1200 meters, which significantly increased the range and accuracy of fire. Shot Lee-Enfield cartridges 303 British with a caliber of 7.9 mm and fired up to 10 shots at a time in two bursts of 5 rounds.

Colt 1911 (Colt 1911)

The Colt is undoubtedly one of the most popular handguns of all time. It was Colt who set the bar for quality for all pistols of the 20th century.

The reference weapon of the US Armed Forces from 1911 to 1986, the Colt 1911 has been modified to serve it today.

The Colt 1911 was designed by John Moses Browning during the Philippine-American War as the troops needed a high stopping power weapon. Colt 45 caliber coped with this task perfectly. It was a reliable and powerful weapon of the US infantry during World War II.

The first Colt - Colt Paterson - was created and patented by Samuel Colt in 1835. It was a six-shot revolver with a percussion cap. By the time John Browning designed his famous Colt 1911, no less than 17 Colts were being produced at the Colt's Manufacturing Company. First it was single-action revolvers, then double-action revolvers, and since 1900 the company began to produce pistols. All predecessor pistols of the Colt 1911 were small in size, relatively low power and were intended for concealed carry, for which they were nicknamed "vest". Our hero won the hearts of many generations - he was reliable, accurate, heavy, looked impressive and turned out to be the longest-lived weapon in the United States, serving the military and police faithfully until the 1980s.

The Shpagin submachine gun (PPSh-41) is a Soviet-made assault rifle used both during and after World War II. Made primarily from stamped sheet metal and wood, the Shpagin submachine gun was produced in quantities of up to 3,000 daily.

The Shpagin submachine gun replaced the earlier version of the Degtyarev submachine gun (PPD-40), being its cheaper and more modern modification. "Shpagin" produced up to 1000 rounds per minute and was equipped with an automatic loader of 71 rounds. The firepower of the USSR with the advent of the Shpagin submachine gun increased significantly.

Submachine gun STEN (STEN)

The British STEN submachine gun was developed and created in the conditions of a massive shortage of weapons and an urgent need for combat units. Having lost a huge amount of weapons during the Dunkirk operation and under the constant threat of a German invasion, the United Kingdom needed strong infantry firepower - in no time and at little cost.

STEN was perfect for this role. The design was simple, and assembly could be carried out in almost all factories in England. Due to lack of funding and the difficult conditions in which it was created, the model turned out to be crude, and the military often complained about misfires. Nevertheless, it was the kind of boost to arms production that Britain so desperately needed. The STEN was so simple in design that many countries and guerrilla forces quickly adopted its production and began producing their own models. Among them were members of the Polish resistance - the number of STENs they made reached 2000.

During World War II, the United States produced over 1.5 million Thompson submachine guns. The Thompson, which would later become known as the weapon of American gangsters, was highly valued during the war years for its high efficiency in close combat, especially among paratroopers.

The mass production model for the US Army starting in 1942 was the M1A1 carbine, which was a simpler and cheaper version of the Thompson.

Equipped with a 30-round magazine, the Thompson fired the .45 caliber rounds that were very popular in the US at the time and showed excellent stopping power.

Bren light machine gun (Bren)

The Bren light machine gun was a powerful, easy-to-use weapon that could always be relied upon and was the go-to weapon for British infantry platoons. A licensed British modification of the Czechoslovakian ZB-26, the Bren was introduced into the British Army as the main light machine gun, three per platoon, one per firing station.

Any problem that arose with Bren could be solved by the soldier himself, simply by adjusting the gas spring. Designed for the 303 British used at Lee Enfield, the Bren was fitted with a 30-round magazine and fired 500-520 rounds per minute. Both Bren and his Czechoslovak predecessor are very popular today.

The Browning M1918 automatic rifle was a light machine gun station in service with the US Army in 1938 and was used until the Vietnam War. Although the US never set out to develop a practical and powerful light machine gun like the British Bren or the German MG34, the Browning was still a worthy model.

Weighing 6 to 11 kg, chambered in 30-06 caliber, the Browning was originally conceived as a support weapon. But when the American troops faced the heavily armed Germans, tactics had to be changed: at least two Brownings were now given to each rifle squad, which were the main elements of the tactical decision.

A single MG34 machine gun was one of the weapons that made up the military power of Germany. One of the most reliable and high-quality machine guns of World War II, the MG34 had an unsurpassed rate of fire - up to 900 rounds per minute. It was also equipped with a double trigger that made both semi-automatic and automatic firing possible.

The StG 44 was developed in Nazi Germany in the early 1940s and mass production began in 1944.

StG 44 was one of the main weapons in the Wehrmacht's attempts to turn the course of the war in their favor - the factories of the Third Reich produced 425 thousand units of this weapon. The StG 44 became the first mass-produced assault rifle, and significantly influenced both the course of the war and the further production of weapons of this type. However, she still did not help the Nazis.

German submachine gun Schmeiser MP 40

One of the first submachine guns of the modern type, the Wehrmacht's stereotypical weapon, the excellent German Schmeiser MP40 submachine gun was a thunderstorm for the then Allies and sowed death among the enemies of the Reich. The advanced technological base, high accuracy and ergonomics of the weapon made the MP40 the most important transitional link in the development of submachine guns in general.

Creation of Schmeiser

Schmeiser MP40 - the best weapon of the Third Reich?
Being intended primarily for landing and tank troops, the Schmeiser assault rifle differed from its competitors in the absence of a wooden stock, and the presence of the first, for that period of time, folding butt. This design provided ergonomics that were relevant for auxiliary and mobile troops, and therefore enjoyed high popularity among them. The MP40 shutter lever was on the left side, which did not allow the right-handed shooter to justify wearing the machine gun on his chest by hanging it by a belt around his neck.
The Schmeiser MP40 automation was based on the recoil of a free bolt, the braking of which was carried out thanks to a telescopic spring located behind it. It was through the introduction of this technology that the rate of fire of the German machine gun was reduced to 400 rounds per minute, thereby significantly increasing its accuracy. Using such weapons, an experienced shooter could effectively hit targets at a distance of up to 150 meters, which is a fairly high indicator for PP.

The flag fuse and the fire mode switch are absent. For safe carrying of weapons, the shutter lever can be installed in a safety groove that completely blocks its movement. For firing single shots, only a partial pull of the trigger is required.
Ammunition supply of the original model was carried out using box magazines with a capacity of 32 rounds, the design of the receiver for which was far ahead of its time. Schmeiser MP40 used 9x19 Parabellum cartridges as ammunition, which, given the low level of personal protection of that time, had incredible effectiveness at known distances.

As for the sights, in the MP40 they are represented by a fully adjustable 100 and 200 meters, respectively, and a ring front sight. Holding the machine while aiming is carried out by resting the butt on the right shoulder and guiding the grip with the left hand of the magazine receiver.
MP40 most famous predecessors and successors
Close-up
The first German assault rifle similar to the familiar Schmeiser was the 1938 model with the corresponding name MP38. Unlike competitors, he already had a well-known folding butt, a capacious magazine located in the lower part of the receiver, as well as a latch-lock that allows you to rest the weapon against the sides of the equipment, thereby increasing the accuracy of shooting.

A further development of the model was the sample MP38, which differs from its predecessor in somewhat better ergonomics and a more reliable method of manufacturing parts - milling. Despite the high cost, this approach was much more profitable than stamping due to the lack of a proper scientific and technological basis for the latter.
After the spread of the MP40 model at the front, the Germans were inspired by the success of the Soviet competitor of the PPSh, as a result of which the rare MP41 model was born. It was at this stage of production that the famous designer Hugo Schmeiser joined the submachine gun franchise. Having a real rifle stock in its arsenal, the new German machine gun could not boast of having a pistol grip, while ensuring high accuracy of fire. At the same time, it was possible to fire single shots in earlier models, and the 41st could not boast of any innovative innovations, which was the reason for its failure in the military market.

Analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of Schmeiser

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With a number of strengths and weaknesses, Schmeiser is not much different from competitors. So, among the most significant of its shortcomings can be identified:
1. Insufficiently capacious store;
2. Low resistance to pollution, due to the abundance of deep grooves and small space between parts;
3. Extremely inconvenient maintenance, requiring time and tools;
4. Unusual placement of the shutter lever, which complicates the wearing and quick "vskid" of the machine;
5. Raw technology for fastening a folding butt, leading to loosening, and subsequent deterioration in the accuracy of fire.
6. The use of long and straight stores, greatly increasing the profile of the shooter when shooting prone.
At the same time, the absolute advantages of weapons include:
1. High accuracy when firing bursts at a distance of up to 100 m;
2. Excellent ergonomics guaranteeing comfort when shooting in confined spaces;
3. Low rate of fire for PP, which guarantees savings in ammunition;
4. The presence of revolutionary solutions in the design.

German assault rifle Schmeiser - development history and heritage.

Being developed by the German company ERMA as an effective and best weapon for landing and tank troops, the Schmeiser assault rifle had nothing to do with the designer of the same name. Only after the popularization of the 36th model in infantry circles, and the appearance of the popular MP40 model, Hugo Schmeiser was noted in the development of a concept called MP41. On the other hand, the patent for the design of magazines and magazine receivers of the machine belonged to him, which may be the reason for the appearance of the false name Schmeiser, to designate the ERMAMP36-40 software.

Also, contrary to the general misconception and the great regret of the Reich itself, the Schmeiser assault rifle was by no means the main weapon of the Wehrmacht. Before the end of the war, less than 100,000 units were produced, taking into account all models of the line, which in no way could cover the needs of the German military machine. Just as in the Soviet Union the main weapon of an infantryman was the good old three-ruler, the Mauser 98K carbine was listed as the basic weapon unit of the Reich. As a result, the image of a brave Aryan soldier with Schmeiser turned out to be no less false archetype than the image of a Red Army soldier with PPSh.
After the end of the Second World War, the German machine Schmeiser MP40 was used several times in a number of guerrilla wars, but over time it was replaced by more progressive counterparts. Fortunately, he himself gave a wide move to the latter.

The holiday of the Great Victory is approaching - the day when the Soviet people defeated the fascist infection. It is worth recognizing that the forces of the opponents at the beginning of World War II were unequal. The Wehrmacht is significantly superior to the Soviet army in armament. In support of this "ten" small arms soldiers of the Wehrmacht.

1 Mauser 98k

A German-made repeating rifle that entered service in 1935. In the Wehrmacht troops, this weapon was one of the most common and popular. In a number of parameters, the Mauser 98k was superior to the Soviet Mosin rifle. In particular, the Mauser weighed less, was shorter, had a more reliable shutter and a rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute, against 10 for the Mosin rifle. For all this, the German counterpart paid with a shorter firing range and weaker stopping power.

2. Luger pistol

This 9mm pistol was designed by Georg Luger back in 1900. Modern experts consider this pistol the best at the time of the Second World War. The design of the Luger was very reliable, it had an energy-efficient design, low accuracy of fire, high accuracy and rate of fire. The only significant defect of this weapon was the impossibility of closing the locking levers with the design, as a result of which the Luger could become clogged with dirt and stop firing.

3.MP 38/40

This Maschinenpistole, thanks to Soviet and Russian cinema, has become one of the symbols of the Nazi war machine. Reality, as always, is much less poetic. Popular in media culture, the MP 38/40 has never been the main small arms for most units of the Wehrmacht. They armed drivers, tank crews, detachments of special units, rear guard detachments, as well as junior officers of the ground forces. The German infantry was armed for the most part with the Mauser 98k. Only sometimes MP 38/40 in a certain amount as an "additional" weapon were transferred to assault squads.

4. FG-42

The German semi-automatic rifle FG-42 was designed for paratroopers. It is believed that the impetus for the creation of this rifle was Operation Mercury to capture the island of Crete. Due to the nature of the parachutes, the Wehrmacht troops carried only light weapons. All heavy and auxiliary weapons were landed separately in special containers. This approach caused heavy losses on the part of the landing force. The FG-42 rifle was a pretty good solution. I used cartridges of caliber 7.92 × 57 mm, which fit into 10-20 piece magazines.

5. MG 42

During the Second World War, Germany used many different machine guns, but it was the MG 42 that became one of the symbols of the aggressor in the yard with the MP 38/40 PP. This machine gun was created in 1942 and partially replaced the not very reliable MG 34. Despite the fact that the new machine gun was incredibly effective, it had two important drawbacks. First, MG 42 was very sensitive to contamination. Secondly, it had an expensive and labor-intensive production technology.

6. Gewehr 43

Before the outbreak of World War II, the Wehrmacht command was least interested in the possibility of using self-loading rifles. It was assumed that the infantry should be armed with conventional rifles, and for support, have light machine guns. Everything changed in 1941 with the outbreak of the war. The semi-automatic rifle Gewehr 43 is one of the best in its class, second only to the Soviet and American counterparts. In terms of its qualities, it is very similar to the domestic SVT-40. There was also a sniper version of this weapon.

7.StG44

The Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle was not the best weapon of the Second World War. It was heavy, absolutely uncomfortable, difficult to maintain. Despite all these shortcomings, the StG 44 was the first modern type of assault rifle. As you might guess from the name, it was already produced in 1944, and although this rifle could not save the Wehrmacht from defeat, it revolutionized the field of handguns.

8. Stielhandgranate

Another "symbol" of the Wehrmacht. This hand-held anti-personnel grenade was widely used by German forces in World War II. It was a favorite trophy of the soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition on all fronts, in view of its safety and convenience. At the time of the 40s of the XX century, the Stielhandgranate was almost the only grenade completely protected from arbitrary detonation. However, it also had a number of shortcomings. For example, these grenades could not be stored in a warehouse for a long time. They also often leaked, which led to wetting and deterioration of the explosive.

9. Faustpatrone

The first single-shot anti-tank grenade launcher in the history of mankind. In the Soviet army, the name "Faustpatron" was later assigned to all German anti-tank grenade launchers. The weapon was created in 1942 specifically "for" the Eastern Front. The thing is that the German soldiers at that time were completely deprived of the means of close combat with Soviet light and medium tanks.

10. PzB 38

The German Panzerbüchse Modell 1938 anti-tank rifle is one of the most obscure types of small arms from World War II. The thing is that it was discontinued already in 1942, as it turned out to be extremely ineffective against Soviet medium tanks. Nevertheless, this weapon is a confirmation that such guns were used not only in the Red Army.

In continuation of the weapon theme, we will introduce you to how shooting balls from a bearing.

Sniper units were widely used during the Great Patriotic War to destroy especially important enemy targets. German snipers were mainly engaged in the so-called "free hunting". They freely tracked down targets and destroyed Soviet commanders, signalmen, gun crews and machine gunners.

During the offensive of the Red Army, the main task of the Wehrmacht snipers was to destroy the commander. Due to the relatively poor quality of optics, German snipers were forbidden to engage in battle at night, since Soviet snipers most often came out victorious in night skirmishes.

With what rifles did German snipers hunt Soviet commanders? What is the aiming range of the best German sniper rifles of that time?

Mauser 98k

The basic Mauser 98k rifle has been in service with the German army since 1935. For sniper rifles, specimens were selected that had the best accuracy of fire. Almost all rifles of this class were equipped with a ZF41 sight with a magnification of 1.5. But on some rifles, there were also ZF39 sights with a magnification of 4.

In total, about 200,000 Mauser 98k rifles were equipped with sights. The rifle had good operational and ballistic qualities. It was easy to handle, assemble, disassemble and trouble-free in operation.

The first experience of using rifles with a ZF41 sight showed that they are poorly suited for aimed fire. The fault was an inconvenient and inefficient sight. In 1941, all sniper rifles began to be produced with a more advanced ZF39 sight. The new sight was also not without flaws.

The main one is a limited field of view of 1.5 degrees. The German sniper simply did not have time to quickly catch a moving target. To solve this problem, the installation site of the sight on the rifle was moved several times to find the most optimal solution.

Characteristics:

Caliber - 7.92 mm

Cartridge - 7.92x57 mm

Rate of fire - 15 rds / min

Magazine capacity - 5 rounds

The initial speed of the bullet - 760 m / s

Sighting range - 1,500 m

Gewehr 41

Self-loading sniper rifle developed in 1941. The first prototypes were immediately sent for military trials directly to the Eastern Front. As a result of the tests, certain flaws were found, but the army's severe need for automatic rifles forced the command to adopt it.

Before the G41 rifles entered service, German soldiers actively used captured Soviet SVT-40 sniper rifles with automatic loading. The G41 rifle was armed with individual experienced snipers. In total, about 70,000 units were produced.

G41 allowed sniper fire at distances up to 800 meters. The magazine capacity of 10 rounds was very handy. Frequent delays in shooting due to contamination, as well as problems with the accuracy of fire, once again proved the need to refine the rifle. It has been upgraded to version G43.

Characteristics:

Caliber - 7.92 mm

Cartridge - 7.92x57 mm

Gewehr 43

This automatic sniper rifle is a modification of the G41 rifle. Adopted in 1943. During the modification, the principle of operation of the Soviet SVT-40 rifle was used, due to which it was possible to create an effective and accurate weapon.

The Gewehr 43 was equipped with a Zielfernrohr 43 (ZF 4) optical sight, which was also an analogue of the famous Soviet PU. Sight magnification - 4. The rifle was very popular with German snipers and became a real deadly weapon in the hands of an experienced shooter.

With the advent of the Gewehr 43, Germany acquired a really good sniper rifle that could compete with Soviet models. The G43 was produced until the very end of the war. In total, more than 50,000 units were produced.

Characteristics:

Caliber - 7.92 mm

Cartridge - 7.92x57 mm

Rate of fire - 30 rds / min

Magazine capacity - 10 rounds

The initial speed of the bullet - 745 m / s

Sighting range - 1,200 m

MP-43/1

An automatic sniper rifle designed specifically for snipers based on the MP-44 and Stg assault rifles. 44. It was possible to conduct aimed fire from the MP-43/1 from a distance of up to 800 meters. A mount for a four-fold ZF-4 sight was installed on the rifle.

It was also possible to mount a ZG infrared night vision sight. 1229 "Vampire". A sniper rifle with such a sight significantly increased the accuracy of shooting at night.

Characteristics:

Caliber - 7.92 mm

Cartridge - 7.92x33 mm

Rate of fire - 500 rds / min

Magazine capacity - 10 rounds

The initial speed of the bullet - 685 m / s

Sighting range - 800 m

The concept of lightning war did not involve sniper firefights. The popularity of sniper business in Germany in the pre-war period was very low. All the advantage was given to tanks and aircraft, which were supposed to march victoriously through our country.

And only when the number of German officers killed from Soviet sniper fire began to grow, the command recognized that the war could not be won by tanks alone. German sniper schools began to appear.

However, until the very end of the war, German snipers were never able to catch up with the Soviet ones either in terms of weapons, or in terms of training and combat effectiveness.