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What was the colloquial German name for a Schmeisser?


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Erm a Schmeisser was the Yank colloquial for the MP-40, right? (which was odd, considering Schmeisser only really worked on the MP-28 IIRC)

As per almost everything, the Germans didn't really have one. See also the whole 'Brummbär' thing, a name invented by the Allies - the Germans called them the Stupa if they were using a nickname at all.

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Maschinepistole.

In text correctly abbreviated MPi, as Mr Sudowudo points out.

The term "Schmeisser" stems from the first world war. As with so many nicknames.

Actually the MPi 40 had quite a few ties to the Schmeisser brothers. Making the international (rather than specifically American) pseudonym "Schmeisser" rather reasonable. First of all, the MPi 18 of the Great War was widely internationally known and recognised (in spite of it appearing in very few numbers). Although called "Bergmann" (it being produced at the Bergman weapons factory, the employers of the Schmeisser brothers at the time) it was - for reasons eluding me - nonetheless known to a wide public as a Hugo Schmeisser design, and sometimes also referred as a "Schmeisser". The MPi 38 and following designs - being a ERMA (Erfurt Maschinefabrik) design - all used the characteristic stick magazine of the Mpi 18, which indeed was a Schmeisser design. Be it most unwilling, as he had initially insisted on the (then) more conventional box magazine. And Luis Schmeisser did design the MPi 41. Both "Bergmann" and "Schmeisser" could pass as international colloquial terms for german SMGs between and during the wars. Because of the weapon used in WWI.

Same goes for MG34/42. Both were internationally referred to as "Spandau" machineguns. It was however a Rheinmetall design. Spandau was the international (the Brits started it I think) nickname for the German "08" in the Great War. It simply passed on to the next generation machineguns. And as with MG34/42, the 08 had absolutely nothing to do with Spandau.

Same goes for the german aircraftmounted MGs, and so on and so on.

I suspect the British to be behind most of these catchy nicknames. And faulty or not per se, they are all quite evocative. Which must have been the point.

Cheers

Dandelion

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Originally posted by sudowudo:

what made you assume i was a Mr ?

1. You write posts on this forum.

2. You are reading a book using correct foreign abbreviations for handheld automatic weapon systems more than 50 years old.

3. You're an engineer.

Plus of course you have a very masculine approach to written expression. You use no capital letter att he beginning of sentences, nor dots at the end, and you get straight to your point, delivering it with absolute minimum keyboard strokes.

Seriously, there are no females in here, nor has there ever been any, ever, throughout all these years. A Grognard who has Outed is 100% female repellant. You can relax, put your feet up, and be yourself in here.

Cheers

D

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