KStudio Photography
Technician 5th. Grade (3rd. U.S. Army)
A Technician 5th. Grade (T/5) of General George S. Patton’s 3rd. U.S. Army takes some time to try out a captured German Maschinenpistole 44 (MP 44). The Germans were seeking a way to bridge the gap between rifle rounds and pistol ammunition. The power of rifle rounds could not be taken advantage of at long range where accuracy suffered and pistol ammunition often used in sub-machineguns were useful only in close combat and lacked stopping power at more extended ranges. The Germans had been investigating such an intermediate round since 1918 but the concept never took hold. Developments in small arms, notably in semi-automatic weapons, by the Soviet Union rekindled the idea and in 1942, the forerunner of the MP 44 appeared as the Maschinenkarabiner 1942 (MKb 42). Two versions were tested, one made by Walther (MKb 42(W)) and the other made by Haenel (MKb 42(H)). Both were troop trialed on the Eastern Front in 1942 and the MKb 42(H) proved superior. After some design changes, the Maschinenpistole 43 (MP 43) appeared. The name, however, was misleading as the MP 43 was not a sub-machinegun but this was done on purpose to hide the weapon from Adolf Hitler who forbade rifle development in favor of sub-machineguns. This stance was more of his concern that efforts put into production of a new weapon could not be accomplished in the mass numbers needed to make them fully effective overall. In this, he would be correct. The MP 43 was unable to fire rifle grenades as the Karabiner 98k rifle could due to the weaker 7.92mm Kurz round (in comparison to the full 7.92mm round), could not be used with a bayonet (as the MP 43 was too short), and the round was inadequate for long range sniping. Thus, it could not fully replace the 98k and so it was to be a supplement. In time, Hitler would learn of the deception but by then, the urgent need for the weapon would see him bless it officially. By this time, the MP 44 had appeared and Hitler himself would bestow the new designation Sturmgewehr 44 (StG 44; Assault Rifle 44) upon the weapon. In all, it is believed a total of 424,000 weapons were constructed between the MP 43 and MP 44/StG 44 makes. This was simply too little to have any lasting effect on the outcome of the war…as Hitler had foreseen. The legacy, however, of the StG 44 is that it was the weapon which solidified the class of weapons known as assault rifles which continue to be designed today.
Technician 5th. Grade (3rd. U.S. Army)
A Technician 5th. Grade (T/5) of General George S. Patton’s 3rd. U.S. Army takes some time to try out a captured German Maschinenpistole 44 (MP 44). The Germans were seeking a way to bridge the gap between rifle rounds and pistol ammunition. The power of rifle rounds could not be taken advantage of at long range where accuracy suffered and pistol ammunition often used in sub-machineguns were useful only in close combat and lacked stopping power at more extended ranges. The Germans had been investigating such an intermediate round since 1918 but the concept never took hold. Developments in small arms, notably in semi-automatic weapons, by the Soviet Union rekindled the idea and in 1942, the forerunner of the MP 44 appeared as the Maschinenkarabiner 1942 (MKb 42). Two versions were tested, one made by Walther (MKb 42(W)) and the other made by Haenel (MKb 42(H)). Both were troop trialed on the Eastern Front in 1942 and the MKb 42(H) proved superior. After some design changes, the Maschinenpistole 43 (MP 43) appeared. The name, however, was misleading as the MP 43 was not a sub-machinegun but this was done on purpose to hide the weapon from Adolf Hitler who forbade rifle development in favor of sub-machineguns. This stance was more of his concern that efforts put into production of a new weapon could not be accomplished in the mass numbers needed to make them fully effective overall. In this, he would be correct. The MP 43 was unable to fire rifle grenades as the Karabiner 98k rifle could due to the weaker 7.92mm Kurz round (in comparison to the full 7.92mm round), could not be used with a bayonet (as the MP 43 was too short), and the round was inadequate for long range sniping. Thus, it could not fully replace the 98k and so it was to be a supplement. In time, Hitler would learn of the deception but by then, the urgent need for the weapon would see him bless it officially. By this time, the MP 44 had appeared and Hitler himself would bestow the new designation Sturmgewehr 44 (StG 44; Assault Rifle 44) upon the weapon. In all, it is believed a total of 424,000 weapons were constructed between the MP 43 and MP 44/StG 44 makes. This was simply too little to have any lasting effect on the outcome of the war…as Hitler had foreseen. The legacy, however, of the StG 44 is that it was the weapon which solidified the class of weapons known as assault rifles which continue to be designed today.