WW2 Weapons History and Research MP40 Ww2dbasemp 40

WW2 weapons history and research

MP40

ww2dbaseMP 40 submachine guns went into production only two years after their predecessors, MP 38 submachine guns, arrived on the scene. Weapons of the two designs were collectively nick named "burp guns" by Allied soldiers. A more distinctive nick name for MP 40 was "Schmeisser", after the weapons designer Hugo Schmeisser, who actually had little to do with the MP 40; the designer of the weapon was Heinrich Vollmer of the firm Erma Werke. The literal meaning of the acronym MP was Maschinepistole, or in English, machine pistol.

MP 40 submachine guns were fully automatic, but the relatively low rate of fire allowed skilled shooters to prevent ammunition wastage by controlled trigger squeezes. Open bolts were seen atop MP 40 submachine guns, which also acted as safeties. They featured a folding stock, which was a first for submachine guns. The 32-round single-feed magazines that fed the guns from below were sensitive to dirt, and the soldiers who wielded MP 40 submachine guns quickly learned to slap when jamming, for that the jams were likely caused by dirt which could easily be loosened by sudden shakes.

Although just over 1 million MP 40 submachine guns were built through the course of the war, the usage of MP 40 submachine guns was relatively low. They were typically issued only to paratroopers, platoon leaders, squad leaders, and specialized urban assault platoons.

After the war, many MP 40 submachine guns remained in use. Ukrainian rebel groups used large quantities of them against the communist government in the 1940s and 1950s, the Israeli Army them until 1956, among others.

I want to use the mp40 in my designs for the game because they were very popular in WW2 with the German army and are pretty easy to draw simply.

Chen, P. (2009). MP 40 Submachine Gun. Available: http://ww2db.com/weapon.php?q=8. Last accessed 27th March 2017.

Panzershrek

THE PANZERSCHRECK OR “tank fright” was a German-built hand-held anti-tank weapon that made life uncomfortable for Allied tank crew, especially in urban areas. Here are five things you ought to know about this fearsome Axis weapon.

In 1943, German forces in Tunisia captured a quantity of U.S. 2.36-inch anti-tank weapons. The weapon, which was known informally as the Bazooka, was of immediate interest to the Axis, who commissioned the development of a Wehrmacht equivalent. The result was the Raketenpanzerbüsche 43 (RPzB 43). The design was clearly indebted to the U.S. weapon, but with some key improvements. Among these was the RPzB 43’s 88mm shaped-charge warhead – it provided better penetrative capability than the 60mm U.S. version. Rounds were fired electrically via an impulse magneto, something that the U.S. Army adopted for later Bazooka models like the M9/M9A1 — earlier variants used a battery ignition system.

Panzerschrecks were produced in huge numbers from facilities like the HASAG works in Meuselwitz. In total, some 290,000 launchers of all variants were manufactured, along with over two million rockets.

The Panzerschreck was nicknamed the Ofenrohr (stovepipe) by German troops because of the large amount of smoke and dust it generated during firing. These clouds often gave away the position of Panzerschreck teams to enemy infantry and tanks. As a result, rocket crews would have to move fast after a launch or risk being killed by enemy small-arms fire, all of which could outdistance the relatively short 180-metre effective range of the Panzerschreck.

During firing, the RPzB 43 missile left the tube in full burn, something that made life unpleasant for the user. Gas masks and fire-retardant clothing were often essential when shooting a Panzerschreck. Later models, like the RPzB 54 (built from mid-1944 onwards), provided a shield on the launcher to reduce this problem, although this increased the weight of the weapon to 11kg (24.2lb) from 9.5kg (20.9lb). Variants like the the RPzB 54/1 had a slightly shorter tube, but improved RPzBGr 4992 rockets provided an increased range but offered a reduced blast issue since most of the propellant was consumed in the tube. Even with these refinements, anyone standing up to 10m (32 feet) behind the weapon risked serious injuries from the weapon’s back-blast.

As with other shoulder-launched rocket weapons such as the Panzerfaust, users had get dangerously close to an enemy tank in order to destroy it. In battle zones such as Normandy, this often involved setting up roadblock ambushes along wooded trails and then attacking enemy tanks as they came to a halt. Alternatively, Panzerschreck teams operating in open country would often lie unseen when tanks approached making use of any available obstacle or shell hole for cover. Once the weapon was fired, Panzerschreck crews were exposed and could expect to face a torrent of fire. Not surprisingly, the weapons were most effective in urban areas where combat took place at much closer ranges. The ample cover also gave crews virtually limitless firing positions and just as many escape routes.

I want to also use the panzerschrek as a weapon in my designs because this was the go to missile launcher to deal with most situations in WW2 and is easy to design.

Alex, M. (2015). Panzerschreck — Five Amazing Facts About the German Bazooka . Available: http://militaryhistorynow.com/2015/09/28/panzerschreck-five-amazing-facts-about-the-german- bazooka/. Last accessed 27th March 2017.

Thompson M1

Also known as the Tommy Gun, the Thompson was a popular submachine gun that became [in]famous during prohibition, when gangsters would use it because of the high volume of automatic fire it made available from such a compact firearm and it could be attained legally.

Designed during World War I by General John T. Thompson, the Tommy Gun was available in the .45 Caliber ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge, and was used by the US Army through WW2. The means of operation is direct blow-back, although early models made use of the Blish lock, turning the mechanism into a delayed blow-back system. After WW2 it saw limited service in Korea, and was carried unofficially by a smattering of soldiers in Vietnam. Domestically, it was used by law enforcement, most prominently by the FBI, until 1976 when it was declared obsolete, and all Thompsons in government possession were destroyed, except for a few token museum peices and training models. Owing to both its gangster and WWII connections, Thompsons are highly sought after collector's items. An original 1928 gun in working condition can easily fetch $15,000. Semi-auto replicas are currently produced by the Auto-Ordnance Company, which is operated as a division of Kahr firearms.

This was also a popular gun to use in the uk army and is pretty easy to use and I used this info to gain an understanding of what the gun is and who used it.

Steven, E. (2017). Thompson M1. Available: http://world-war-2.info/weapons/wp_3.php. Last accessed 27th March 2017.

This helped me to learn more about the history of the guns I drawn and this can be used for research for the weapons.