Fallschirmjäger semiautomatic rifle

[TheCrow]

Fallschirmjägers squad in CM carry 98 Kar. I thought than they were equipped with semiatomatic rifle (Gewehr-m43). Someone could tell me something about this.

[M Hofbauer]

There were never enough of them. Not only for the FJ (G43 wasn't an exclusive FJ rifle), but for everyone.

[Michael Dorosh]

Perhaps he means the FG 42, Markuss.

[KNac]

however fg 42 weren´t available in hight numbers too. and they performed very bad (that´s why the production was almost stoped)

the rest is just fantasy

[ June 17, 2002, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: KNac ]

[M Hofbauer]

Yes, but then my answer works just the same, get it?

[M Hofbauer]

my post was obviously an answer to Michael Dorosh's post, and not KNac's post (and just for the record, obviously I do not agree with the latter's statement that their low production was because they "performed very bad")

[ June 17, 2002, 04:42 PM: Message edited by: M Hofbauer ]

[Scipio]

Originally posted by KNac:

however fg 42 weren´t available in hight numbers too. and they performed very bad (that´s why the production was almost stoped)

the rest is just fantasy

It is not known how many FG 42 were produced, or many reached the troops, the sources say 1500-7000.

Frontline test are described as 'very successful' (Infantriewaffen Gestern, Band 1). The FG42 was technical a very advanced weapon. The US M-60 for example is based partially on the FG42 (and NOT, as often claimed, on the MG-42).

[lcm1947]

According to my one book only (WWII Combat Weapons German ) it seems to indicate that this auto rifle (7.92 mm Fallschirmjager Gerwehr 42 (F.G. 42) was in short supply and doesn't mention that it was of poor quality and actually states that the reciever was of high quality but doesn't mention what overall quality of the whole rifle was. Just thought I'd mention it.

[Stilletto Rebel]

Actually, I've fired one of these puppies and know a fair bit about them. Designed exclusively for the Luftwaffe's Fallschirmjager arm, the Fallschirmjagergewher-42 fired a full-power 7.92-mm round (which gives it a fair kick!). Two versions were made. The first numbered approx 1500 to 2000 before combat experience showed where modifications were needed. A total of around 7000 were made by the end of the war, although production pretty much came to an end in mid '44 to produce other more needed weapons.

This weapon had a bayonet(!) and was bipod mounted. The 20-round magazine was attached on the left (which made it a bit unstable to fire from the shoulder), but was overall a very impressive weapon. It was greatly valued by the Fallschirmjager and much more preferred than the MP38 or 40.

[Teamski1]

FG 42 is actually considered one of the most successful firearms of it's day. It was complex as hell and expensive to make and the fact that the Fallschirmjagers were used as ground troops for most of the war made it difficult to justify it's manufacture...............

-Ski

[Marlow]

Originally posted by Stilletto Rebel:

Actually, I've fired one of these puppies and know a fair bit about them. Designed exclusively for the Luftwaffe's Fallschirmjager arm, the Fallschirmjagergewher-42 fired a full-power 7.92-mm round (which gives it a fair kick!). Two versions were made. The first numbered approx 1500 to 2000 before combat experience showed where modifications were needed. A total of around 7000 were made by the end of the war, although production pretty much came to an end in mid '44 to produce other more needed weapons.

This weapon had a bayonet(!) and was bipod mounted. The 20-round magazine was attached on the left (which made it a bit unstable to fire from the shoulder), but was overall a very impressive weapon. It was greatly valued by the Fallschirmjager and much more preferred than the MP38 or 40.

Sounds a lot like the BAR to me.

[E Wendebourg]

Fallschirmjägers squad in CM carry 98 Kar. I thought than they were equipped with semiatomatic rifle (Gewehr-m43). Someone could tell me something about this.

I always wondered about this myself. Hofbauer, at your site you mention production numbers of the Gewehr 43 at 400000. Almost identical to the production numbers of the Sturmgewehr 43/44. Why then is the latter represented in CM, and the former isn't? And CM includes a lot of smallarms that are far more exotic compared to Gewehr 43.

[Stilletto Rebel]

Don't quote me on this, but from memory the Gewher 43 was a semi-automatic rifle developed to counter the American Garand. However, production quality and problems in the field (easy to foul, gas emission/blowback problems - mainly derived from the continued use of the full-power 7.92-mm round) did not make it very popular with the troops.

The Sturmgewher 43/44 was an assault rifle and a different thing entirely. This weapon used the 7.92-mm kurt (short) round which was not as powerful and didn't put the weapon under so much pressure.

[M Hofbauer]

Originally posted by E Wendebourg:

I always wondered about this myself. Hofbauer, at your site you mention production numbers of the Gewehr 43 at 400000. Almost identical to the production numbers of the Sturmgewehr 43/44. Why then is the latter represented in CM, and the former isn't? And CM includes a lot of smallarms that are far more exotic compared to Gewehr 43.

you would have to direct your question on why the G43 is omitted at BTS/battlefront.com, not me. I had been quite uncomplacent from the start with how CM handles and rates various small arms. My personal solution so as not to die as a grumpy old man is to accept that it doesn't really matter with all the infantry abstraction whether the StG44 performs better or worse than an MP40, or whether the inclusion of one G43 into a german squad instead of one Mauser K 98k would mean an increase of +2 in the total firepower value rating of 120 or 150 or whatever. In other words, it doesn't really matter, it is all abstracted anyhow. The infantry squads in CM can perform their intended role and fulfill their purpose no matter whether they have the G43 or not. For a game of the nature of CMBO it is not entirely but largely irrelevant.

The numbers you cited are correct btw. Please keep in mind they represent the production numbers of the weapons as accepted by the Wehrmacht, and does not nessessarily represent the number of weapons actually fielded (which might be a bit lower, depending on weapon type, as some would go to testing, evaluation, arsenals, be destroyed during transport etc.)

The K43/G43 started out as a Garand-like semi-automatic replacement for the K98k as the main rifle with the regular 7.92x57 Mauser infantry ammo. The MKb/MP43 / MP44 / StG44 was a radical new concept, namely that of an assault rifle. Eventually the Wehrmacht concluded that the Sturmgewehr proved to be a better overall weapon for their needs than a Selbstladegewehr semiautomatic rifle. The G43 was nevertheless a fine weapon and was retained for the sniper/sharpshooter role.

The shift from G43 as the intended replacement standard rifle towards the StG44 together with the shift from the G43 as a future standard rifle towards a sniper rfile becomes apparent in the production numbers.

In 1944, almost the same number of both StG44 and G43 were made, 277,862 G43 compared to 281,600 StG44. An additional 22,000 G-43 were produced as sniper rifles with scopes.

In the few months of 1945, a total of 124,616 StG-44 were produced, but only 68,207 regular G43s. At the same time, an additional 31,499 G43 were produced as sniper rifles.