MG42
|
|
The Maschinengewehr 42, MG-42, or MG42 was a machine gun that was developed for and entered service with Nazi Germany in 1942, during World War II. The 7.92 mm rifle caliber weapon was developed from, and was intended to supplant the MG34 machine gun, though both would be continued to be used and manufactured until the end of that war. The MG42 formed the basis for the nearly identical MG3 and MG42/59, in service with many armies during the Cold War and into the 21st century.
| Contents |
History
Development of the MG 42 was by Metall und Lackierwarenfabrik Johannes Grossfuss AG and resulted from further attempts at improving on the MG34, particularly making them easier to mass-manufacture. The internals were still a short recoil system like the MG34, but the bolt locking system was a design originally patented by Edward Stecke of Poland.
A limited run of about 1500 of its immediate predecessor the MG34/41 had been completed in 1941 and tested combat trials. It was officially accepted, and the main manufacturing of the production design began in 1942; contracts going to Grossfuss, Mauser-Werke, Gustloff-Werke, and others. Production during the war amounted to over 400,000 (1942: 17,915; 1943: 116,725; 1944: 211,806; 1945: 61,877). It could be produced in roughly half the number of man-hours as the MG34, using less metal in the process.
One of the weapon's most noted features was its comparatively high rate of fire of about 1200 rounds per minute, with some versions allowing several hundred rpm more (around 1500, and in some cases 1800). At this rate the human ear does not discern the sound of individual bullets being fired, and thus when in use the gun makes a sound described both as "ripping cloth" and "Hitler's Buzzsaw". The gun was sometimes called a "Spandau" after the suburb of Berlin where some were produced.
The high rate of fire had resulted from experiments with preceding weapons that concluded that since a soldier only has a short window of time to shoot an enemy, it was imperative to fire the highest number of bullets possible to increase the likelihood of a hit.
In the late 1930s the MG34 had proved satisfactory. However, it did have its drawbacks, such as sensitivity to dust and a comparatively expensive production. One attempt at improvement was the MG34 S, an incremental improvement on the basic 34 design. A much bigger improvement would come a design from, Metall-und-Lackierwarenfabrik Johannes Grossfuss AG, experts in pressed and punched steel parts. Their efforts resulted in a dramatic reduction in complexity – it took 75 man-hours to complete the new gun as opposed to 150 for the MG34, and cost 250 RM as opposed to 327 RM.
The resulting MG39 remained largely similar to the earlier MG34, a deliberate decision made in order to maintain familiarity. The only major change from the gunner's perspective was dropping the drum-feed options, leaving it with belt only, and the further increase in the rate of fire. Although made of "cheap" parts, the prototypes also proved to be considerably more rugged and resistant to jamming than the somewhat temperamental MG34.
The MG42 weighed 11.6 kg in the light machine gun role with the bipod, lighter than the MG34 and easily portable. The bipod, the same one used on the MG34, could be mounted to the front or the center of the gun depending on where it was being used. In the role as a heavy machine gun it used a newly developed Lafette 42 tripod that weighed 20.5 kg on its own. The barrel was lighter than the MG34s and wore out more quickly, but could be replaced in seconds by an experienced gunner.
Operation
The MG42 is roller-locked and recoil operated. It features a recoil-booster at the muzzle which increases the recoil of the weapon. The system used by the MG42 to sustain autmatic fire works on a recoil-based system. In a rifle or say a revolver, the recoil force just pushes the weapon towards the user. However, in a recoil-based firing system, the same recoil is used to move mechanisms which allow the gun to preform the process to fire the weapon and sustain automatic fire. The recoil is also reduced through the use of this system as it is dissapated in the firing mechanisms rather than into the operator. Thus increasing the recoil would allow the MG42 to increase its rate of fire.
Like nearly every other machine gun, but unlike rifles, the MG42 fires from an open bolt. The trigger releases the bolt assembly instead of releasing the firing pin. The shoulder stock is designed to permit the stock to be gripped with the left hand and held in place on the shoulder. The repeated recoil otherwise caused the stock to creep across the infantryman's chest.
Variants and devlopments
In 1944 the acute material shortages of the Third Reich led to a newer version, the MG45 (or MG42V), which used steel of lesser quality, reduced weight to only 9 kg, and yet further increased the maximum rate of fire. First tests were undertaken in June 1944, but development dragged on and eventually only ten were ever built. The MG42V had some influence in the postwar development of roller-delayed blowback, as in Heckler und Koch small arms.
The MG42, with minor modifications resulted in the MG42/59 and Rheinmetall MG3, which is the primary heavy machine gun of the modern German army (Bundeswehr).A number of other armies around the world have adopted versions of the original, and guns looking similar, or identical, to the MG42 remain in widespread service today. The US Army's M60 is based upon the FG42 paratrooper rifle and the belt feed mechanism of the MG42.
- Rate of fire: 1200 rpm (1500 some versions;MG45 version- up to 1800 rpm or without Recoil Booster (Rueckstossverstaerker) )
- Changes parts: barrel in 8-12 seconds, barrel and lock in 25 to 30 seconds.
External Links
- Later MG3 similar to MG42 in Parts (http://www.bimbel.de/artikel/artikel-14.html)
See also
Template:WWIIGermanInfWeaponsde:Maschinengewehr 42 fr:Maschinengewehr 42 ja:グロフスフMG42 pl:MG42