Infantry Weapons

Here are a selection of infantry weapons that would have been used by the men of the 116th.

Luger Pistole, Model 1908 (P08)

Luger P08 and soft shell holster

The 1 lb./14 oz. handgun was first issued in WWI and retained during the Wehrmacht's expansion due to weapons shortages. The P08 chambered a 9mm round from a detachable 8 round magazine. The system of operation revolved around a recoil and toggle joint. Although preferred by officers, the P08 did not prove to be reliable under combat conditions and was replaced by the Walther P38. The overall length of the barrel is 4 1/2 inches, and weighs 2 pounds. It's effective combat range is around 32 yards.    

   Walther Pistole, Model 1938 (P38)

Walther P38

In 1938, the Wehrmacht had begun to adopt the P38 as a replacement to the P08. It weighs 2 lbs./1.5 oz. and has a 8 round detachable magazine. Double action capability is due to its recoil operating system. The P38 was well accepted by the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS due to its ability to operate in all types of adverse conditions. The P38 chambered a 9mm round. The overall length of the barrel is 4 3/4 inches. It's overall effective range was comparable to the P08.   

  Walther PP/PPK 

Walther PP with magazine

The compact pistol that was used by officers and armoured crews was the Walther PP. It was produced in 7.65mm and 9mm calibres. It was very compact in size and shape and featured a 3.9 inch barrel and a eight round magazine in the grip. Its effective combat range was around 32 yards. Its small size and the ease at which it could be concealed made it also popular with security personnel and police. The PPK was slightly smaller with an overall barrel length of 3.4 inches, and a magazine capacity of 7 rounds, apart from being slightly smaller, it was very similar to the PP.  

 Karabiner 98K

Karabiner 98K Mauser with Gewehr Sprenggranaten (rifle grenade)
Karabiner 98K Mauser, and Seiteengewehr (bayonet)

CALIBRE = 7.92 mm X 57 mm PATRONE RIFLE CARTRIDGE
LENGTH = 43.6 INCHES
WEIGHT = 8 LBS., 9 OZ.
MAGAZINE CAPACITY = 5

Introduced in 1898, this rifle (Gewehr) was the standard infantry weapon of all German forces. The 'K' in the description stands for 'Kurz' which means 'short'. This was because the length of the rifle was shorter than the Kar98 used in WWI, it had a different front sight and had a curved, rather than a straight bolt action handle. The Kar 98k was first introduced in 1935 and this weapon, despite plans to replace it with weapons of greater firepower and lower production costs, remained the primary infantry weapon for the entire conflict.

The group currently owns many examples of this type of weapon. It is the primary weapon of the group, exactly as it would have been for the basic 'Gruppe' back in WW2.

Gewehr 43 (G43) Karabiner 43 (K43)

Gewehr/Karabiner 43 (G-43/K-43) with ZF-4 scope

CALIBRE = 7.92 mm X 57mm PATRONE RIFLE CARTRIDGE
LENGTH = 44 INCHES
WEIGHT = 9 LBS., 9 OZ.
MAGAZINE CAPACITY = 10 IN A DETACHABLE BOX MAG

The need for a weapon with greater firepower was recognized early in the war. The Mauser and Walther companies were issued design contracts for this goal. The unsuccessful G-41, with its complicated muzzle gas cap system was scrapped after delivery of approximately seventy thousand rifles. After examining captured Russian auto loaders, the gas system of the Tokarev (SVT40) was incorporated into the new rifle, while retaining the Mauser extraction system. The new rifle was introduced into service on 30 April 1943. Approximately three hundred fifty thousand were delivered by 1945. 

 Maschinen Pistole 38/40 (MP38/40)

Maschinen Pistole 40 (MP40)

CALIBER = 9 mm PARABELLUM
LENGTH, STOCK FOLDED = 24.75 INCHES
LENGTH, STOCK UNFOLDED = 32.75 INCHES
WEIGHT = 9 LBS.
MAGAZINE CAPACITY = 32 ROUNDS IN A BOX MAGAZINE
OPERATION = BLOWBACK, AUTOMATIC FIRE ONLY

The MP40 is an improved version of the MP38 submachine gun. The MP38 was intended for use by the paratroops and by armoured vehicle crews, the MP38 was intended for simple mass construction. Total production is unknown, though more than a million guns were produced in 1940-1944. 

Maschinen Pistole 43/44 (MP43/44) Sturmgewehr 44 (STG44)

Sturmgewehr 44 (STG44)

The StG44 was developed from the MP43/44, an earlier model that was constructed of pressed steel, gas operated and was magazine fed with 30 rounds of Kurz Patrone 7.92x33mm ammunition. For propaganda reasons, it was renamed Sturmgewehr 44(Assault Rifle 44). The overall length is 37 inches and weighed 11 pounds. It has a cyclic rate of fire between 500-600 rounds per minute, and a practical rate of 180-200 rounds per minute.

Mauserwerke Maschinengewehr Model 1934 (MG34)

Maschinengewehr Model 34 (MG34)

Designed by Mauser from the Swiss MG30 as the first general purpose machine gun. It could be carried by one man for general infantry assault roles or mounted on a tripod for long range precision firing, or mounted on a AA mount for anti-aircraft roles. The 26 lb./11 oz. recoil operated 7.92mm belt-fed machine gun fired 850 rounds per minute. The close tolerance of parts made the MG34 vulnerable to stoppage under combat conditions. The overall length is 48 inches. The weight with bipod is 26 1/2 lbs., and weight with tripod is 42 lbs. The practical rate of fire as a LMG is 100-200 rounds per minute, and as a HMG 300 rounds per minute. The effective range as a LMG is 600-800 yards, and as a HMG is 2000-2500 yards. 

  Maschinengewehr Model 1942 (MG42)

Maschinengewehr Model 1942 (MG42)

The MG42 was adopted in 1942 by the Wehrmacht and first used in North Africa. The 25 lb./8 oz. weapon was constructed of steel stampings and featured a quick change barrel system which enabled the operator to install a cool barrel in 5 seconds. The weapon had a recoil firing mechanism and fired 7.92mm ammunition at a cyclic rate of 1200-1400 rounds per minute. The overall length is 49 inches, and weighed 23 3/4 lbs. The practical rate of fire as a LMG is 250 rounds per minute, and as a HMG 500 rounds per minute. The effective range as a LMG is 600-800 yards and as a HMG is 2000-2500 yards.

Lafette 42

The above photographs show the MG42 on its sustained fire tripod, the Lafette 42; its spring-loaded cradle absorbed much of the recoil of the weapon.

 Below the shoulder stock a precision traversing and elevation mechanism allowed highly accurate pre-registered fire to be made. There was also a remote trigger fitted at this level.  The Lafette 34 version was used with the MG34, the differnce between the two being the locking brackets on the MG42.