The rifle appears in an early scene when the Americans interrogate a captured German soldier. More interestingly the StG44 appeared in the 1965 epic Battle of the Bulge, a film with numerous historical errors. It is believed that the StG44s that appear on screen were actual wartime produced models and not prop guns. The latter film, which was nominated for a Best Picture at the 1952 Academy Awards, was notable for being shot on location in West Germany in areas that had suffered wartime damage – as well as for its use of authentic German wartime equipment. It is generally accepted that the StG44 first appeared in the film The White Darkness, a Czechoslovakian war movie produced in 1948, before being seen in some scenes in the 1951 West German/American produced war film Decision Before Dawn. However, it was actually a weapon that few American G.I.s in World War II encountered, and its use in movies and TV was largely limited. Today the StG44 is practically as ubiquitous as the AK-47 or M-16. “Overall it is also safe to say that the StG-44 was the precursor to the modern assault rifle and no doubt countless designers looked at its innovations.” “The guns are closer in design that some people might suggest,” said Dye when discussing the StG-44 and the AK-47. “It was a heavy weapon compared to the MP-40, and for those who came from the 98K it was a little difficult to wield because of the magazine,” noted Dye. Still, the gun was liked by the soldiers – after they had time to learn how to carry and use it. This fact is noted in the display at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. The StG-44 utilized a round that was between the 98K rifle and the MP-40 machine pistol. “But it only created ammunition issues for the Germans.” “What they brought out was the right round,” added Dye. Thus the Germans went from having just the 9mm pistol cartridge and 8mm rifle cartridge to introducing a new round that created supply and production issues at a time when it was not just unnecessary, but counterproductive to their war effort as well. 45 pistol cartridge, which was used in the Colt 1911, the Thompson and the M3 ‘Grease Gun.'”Īs it wasn't possible to replace all the 98K rifles at the time, that meant a need for a third bullet in the works. 30 caliber round and it worked in everything we had from the M1 Garand to the BAR to the Browning machine gun,” said Dye. Given its rate of fire of 550-600rpm, and the fact that it was reliable in the extreme cold of the Russian winter made it an excellent weapon for that theater of operations.Īs a weapon that influenced the future of small arms design the StG-44 is certainly one that left its mark, but had it been developed earlier it still might not have turned the tide for Nazi Germany. The weapon was issued originally to German forces on the Russian Front to counter the Soviet's PPSh-41, which was the largest produced sub-machinegun during the Second World War. The German-made StG-44 – the world's first assault rifle (Photo: Peter Suciu) When he saw it in action Hitler was apparently impressed – and the popular legend is that he suggested it be dubbed a “storm (assault) rifle” and it earned the moniker Sturmgewehr or StG-44. After finally being given an actual demonstration of the weapon. Commanders in the field wanted more of those rifles. Then in July of that year, during a meeting of army heads, there was a discussion of the success of the “new rifle” being used on the Russian Front. Accordingly to widely told stories Adolf Hitler was against the development of a new rifle and saw the need for new submachine guns instead. This new rifle was seen by some as a potential game changer – but that didn't include those at the highest levels. Two different actual designs were tested and it was the MKb 42(H), developed by German arms maker Haenel that eventually won out, and some 50 prototypes were produced for field testing on the Eastern Front. The first attempt to develop what would become the Sturmgewehr was Schmisser'sMaschinenkarabiner1942 or MKb 42, which literally translated to “machine carbine.” It was a gas operated weapon that featured selective fire for semi-automatic and fully automatic firing modes. This collection includes the infamous StG-44 (second from top). In the end this resulted in the need for the curve of the magazine, a feature that has come to signify what are typically referred to today as “assault rifles.”Ī collection of German small arms at theAirborne Museum ‘Hartenstein’ in Oosterbeek – the former British command HQ during Operation Market Garden. The Kurz cartridge was also notable in that it incorporated a bit more taper than larger rifle versions because it was developed to use steel cases due to brass shortages.
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