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| © Soldiers Memorial 2012 |
Caliber:
.30 cal, 7.92 mm round
Length: 37 in.
Weight: 11 lbs, 4 oz
Rate of Fire:
500 rounds per minute
- Generally regarded as the "Father of Assault Rifles".
- The design process for the weapon, originally identified by the moniker "MP43", was originally cancelled by Hitler but Nazi weapons specialists continued to develop the gun behind his back due to their faith in the project.
- Hitler was eventually pleased with the result and he himself gave the rifle its current name of Sturmgewehr, meaning "Storm Rifle".
- Due to its power and portability, the rifle allowed German soldiers more flexibility and freedom from relying on supporting machine gun fire. The Sturmgewehr gave Nazi ground troops the ability to suppress their enemies' positions with the very weapon that was used to overtake their positions initially.
- First introduced by the Germans in the Battle of Ardennes on the Western Front, though the weapon found most of its use on the Eastern Front battling the Soviet Union.
- Nazi engineers spent an enormous amount of time and money developing a curved barrel attachment for the Sturmgewehr that could be used to fire around corners, but the project yielded little success.
- Post World War II, the rifle was used extensively in the Czechoslovakian army and in the Arab-Israeli War. Today the Sturmgewehr is occasionally found in use by third world armies, often in Africa.
Miller, David. The Illustrated Directory of Guns". Kent, UK: Pepperbox Press, Ltd., 2011.
"Sturmgewehr 44 Assault Rifle". Second World War History. 2008. http:/www.secondworldwarhistory.com/stg44.asp. (Accessed May 2012).
