The German army as a light weapon defense since 1930, preferred to use a 20-millimeter cannon.
Exclusively in the period from December 1941 to February 1942 (the defeat of Moscow) on the Eastern Front Wehrmacht lost 11.1 thousand machine guns. It is logical that a 42-year in Germany as well as in the Soviet Union made the decision "not to pay attention to the exterior design of the finished product" to reduce the cost and speed of production, taking into account even the smallest, compared with a peaceful time, product life. In the arms industry expanded use of mass production techniques. When lightly loaded parts used in the manufacture of a cheap plastic and alloys. But regardless of the needs of the front cover is not possible.
Release of guns in Germany and the Soviet Union can be compared to the first half of 1943:
January — 37800 and 15600 in the USSR in Germany;
February — 38000 and 14700
March — 38700 and 19600;
April — 39700 and 16500;
May — 39700 and 17800;
June — 42100 and 21600.
I had to use the older standards and captured cannon. However, outdated standards have tried to convey in the rear and spare parts, and in the last months of the war — in the Volkssturm. In the infantry at the time were converted aircraft machine guns.
In 1942, the armament was a single MG.42, which was voted the best machinegun second world by, industrial, economic, service and operational and combat features. Release of guns has increased dramatically, and in '43 was 224.8% of the characteristics of '42. A great contribution to such a sharp rise brought the introduction of resource occupied states.
If the first infantry battalion war had machine-gun company, in accordance with the principle of decentralization in 1943 infantry companies were introduced languid office tools with machine guns. Also in the German army sought to reduce the number of personnel, increasing with all this power automatic fire. In the last period 2nd World Wehrmacht against mnogokalibernyh machine guns in the position in which the Red Army was in its beginning — a tragic lack of air defense systems in the infantry (under the rule of the enemy in the air). Improvisations like translation mnogokalibernyh aircraft machine guns in the infantry did not solve the puzzle.
"The program infantry weapons" first adopted in '44 meant to bring the monthly creation of machine guns and 30 thousand units. Even in spite of the loss of production capacity, production levels of small arms and artillery weapons still remained the highest. In the period from October 44 to February 45, while the highest production was issued 144621 gun (monthly output reached 31 thousand). This contributed to the reduction of metal products and the available supplies, but in the second half of the 44-year steel production fell by 40%, and this was the last off the production. At this time, the Wehrmacht had lost 55.7% of the issue (80521 gun), Other troops handed over 4.6% (6704).
The change of personnel Infantry Division and the saturation of its automatic weapon in the different periods of the war:
personnel: April 1941 — 16859 people., December 1941 — 14742 people., December 1944 — 12801 people.;
the total number of submachine guns and machine guns: April 1941 — 767 (45.5 per 1,000.) December 1941 — 705 (47.8), December 1944 — 1595 (124.6);
the total number of machine guns in the same period: 495 (29.4) 454 (30.8) 614 (48);
the total number of machine guns in the same periods: 118 (7) 112 (7.6) 102 (8).
The Wehrmacht their guns and left nationalists for doing "guerrilla war". Exclusively by the NKVD in May 1944 during an operation to evict the Crimean Tatars seized 622 guns. In many years the Germans abandoned guns "fought" in gangs of nationalists in the Baltics and the Western Ukraine. In general, the Allies in '45 in no hurry to dispose of these guns, preparing them to "return" the German parts as needed "to stand together against the Soviets." Guns 2nd world, one way or another, continued milita
ry service after the war.
The army in Germany at different periods of the second world consisted of the subsequent number of machine guns: 01.09.1939 year — 126800, 04.01.1940 years — 147700, 06.01.1941 years — 203250, 02.01.1942 years — 208500, 01.10.1944 years — 211000, 01.01.1945 year — 231078.
U.S. Army is also rapidly increased the saturation of machine guns. Yankees to the beginning of the war failed to work out a modern weapon system of ground forces, and to save his supplies. If, during the war machine-gun armament system has improved slightly, with the volume of production that the situation has changed. South American weapon industry was ready for fitting to form a mass army. She had not experienced problems with the facilities, labor and raw materials, as could quickly catch up on lost time. If the U.S. Infantry Division in August 1942 had 280 guns on 14253 person, then a year later the figure was already 636 machine guns (about 45 per 1000 people.). For 1943 year Infantry Battalion of the U.S. Army had 871 people on hand 33 and 8 machine guns, air defense battalion Infantry Division — 36 mnogokalibernyh machine gun. However, the infantry division of England on 18347 1262 people had machine guns (69 per 1,000): Great Britain used the ability of the Dominions, the metropolis and colonies, as a significant aid from the United States. Growing military establishment of the United States has made it possible to provide weapons, including machine guns and the troops of France, China, and others.
Averaged creation of machine guns in various countries:
1940: U.S. — 50, England — 2500, Germany — 4400;
1941: United States — 1500, England — 3300, Germany — 7700;
1942: U.S. — 22000, England — 5700, Germany — 7100;
1943 year: U.S. — 24800, England — 6700, Germany — 14100;
1944: U.S. — 21200, England — 4400, Germany — 24200.