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We had the M1 Garand. What did the Germans have?
- Thread starter Rome
- Start date
Sigmund:
Some GIs did take to the German submachine guns (MPs or Machinenpistole). In fact, the MP40 was quite popular with the Allied troops.
The funny thing was that many Germans ditched their MP40s and used captured Russian PPSh on the Russian Front. They liked its reliability and high capacity (not to mention its wide availability on the Russian Front) as their own MP40 had sometimes questionable reliability (and definitely less capacity).
BTW, I like the fact that there is a TV show on guns, but "Tales of the Gun" really needs to do some serious research. One episode displayed the Beretta 92FS as having a 17-round magazine and Glock 17 as having a 15-round magazine.
Skorzeny
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For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence. Sun Tzu
Some GIs did take to the German submachine guns (MPs or Machinenpistole). In fact, the MP40 was quite popular with the Allied troops.
The funny thing was that many Germans ditched their MP40s and used captured Russian PPSh on the Russian Front. They liked its reliability and high capacity (not to mention its wide availability on the Russian Front) as their own MP40 had sometimes questionable reliability (and definitely less capacity).
BTW, I like the fact that there is a TV show on guns, but "Tales of the Gun" really needs to do some serious research. One episode displayed the Beretta 92FS as having a 17-round magazine and Glock 17 as having a 15-round magazine.
Skorzeny
------------------
For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence. Sun Tzu
Mike Irwin
Staff
Skorzeny,
The Germans, after their initial successes in the Soviet Union, also took many thousands of Soviet subguns and rechambered them to 9mm as a stopgap measure.
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Smith & Wesson is dead to me.
If you want a Smith & Wesson, buy USED!
The Germans, after their initial successes in the Soviet Union, also took many thousands of Soviet subguns and rechambered them to 9mm as a stopgap measure.
------------------
Smith & Wesson is dead to me.
If you want a Smith & Wesson, buy USED!
I have spoken with a lot of WWII GIs and most told me the MP.38 and 40 were NOT used by our GIs. The reason was simple. Those guns have a distinctive sound, and firing one brought down some very unfriendly "friendly fire", plus of course return fire from the Germans who knew they were being shot at, no matter what with.
There was no regular source of ammo supply, either, as the U.S did not issue 9mm.
Further, troops were ordered not to use captured weapons for the reason above and also because there were instances of Germans executing captured Americans who were in possession of German weapons.
I have heard many tales of GIs using German MPs, but they were all of the "I was told" variety and mostly from people who were not there. One fellow assured me that MPs were widely used by GIs; he is 17 years old, so of course he knows all about it, but I rather think he wasn't in Europe in 1944.
Jim
There was no regular source of ammo supply, either, as the U.S did not issue 9mm.
Further, troops were ordered not to use captured weapons for the reason above and also because there were instances of Germans executing captured Americans who were in possession of German weapons.
I have heard many tales of GIs using German MPs, but they were all of the "I was told" variety and mostly from people who were not there. One fellow assured me that MPs were widely used by GIs; he is 17 years old, so of course he knows all about it, but I rather think he wasn't in Europe in 1944.
Jim
Badger Arms
New member
HEHEHE, Jim said "Antedates" HEHEHE
On the FG42, it was NOT intended as a BAR type of weapon. It was intended to give every soldier a single type of weapon to perform the duties normally given to weapons like the K98, Burp Guns, and the LMG's then in service. This would, in theory, result in a simplified logistical chain and greater firepower for light infantry.
The FG42 weighed LESS than the StG44! It was in the same weight class as the M-1 Garand and. The BAR far outweighed them. For a 10 pound gun with the same capabilities as the BAR, that's quite a feat. Even the excellent Johnson LMG outweighed it by three pounds. The fact that the FG42 was not fielded in greater numbers was good for our side to be sure. What-if's are not fair, though, as the FG42 was more expensive to produce and unproven at the time of its initial issue at which time Germany was being relatively successful with other guns. WHy change?
As to the K-98, it was only the 'backbone' of the German army in terms of numbers. Tactical doctrine, however, was that the Machine-guns were the primary weapons around which squads were built. Hitler himself acknowledged this with his efforts to hault further rifle production. There were quite enough Mausers out there, thank you.
On the FG42, it was NOT intended as a BAR type of weapon. It was intended to give every soldier a single type of weapon to perform the duties normally given to weapons like the K98, Burp Guns, and the LMG's then in service. This would, in theory, result in a simplified logistical chain and greater firepower for light infantry.
The FG42 weighed LESS than the StG44! It was in the same weight class as the M-1 Garand and. The BAR far outweighed them. For a 10 pound gun with the same capabilities as the BAR, that's quite a feat. Even the excellent Johnson LMG outweighed it by three pounds. The fact that the FG42 was not fielded in greater numbers was good for our side to be sure. What-if's are not fair, though, as the FG42 was more expensive to produce and unproven at the time of its initial issue at which time Germany was being relatively successful with other guns. WHy change?
As to the K-98, it was only the 'backbone' of the German army in terms of numbers. Tactical doctrine, however, was that the Machine-guns were the primary weapons around which squads were built. Hitler himself acknowledged this with his efforts to hault further rifle production. There were quite enough Mausers out there, thank you.