MG42
The Mg42's most noteworthy features was its comparatively high rate of fire of about 1,200 rounds per minute, twice the rate of the British Vickers machine gun and American Browning at 600 round/min. So distinct and terrifying was the weapon that the United States Army created training films to aid its soldiers in dealing with the psychological trauma of encountering the weapon in battle. At such a high rate the human ear cannot easily discern the sound of individual bullets being fired, and in use the gun makes a sound described as like "ripping cloth" and giving rise to the nickname "Hitler's buzzsaw", or, more coarsely, "Hitler's zipper" (Soviet soldiers called it the "linoleum ripper"). German Panzergrenadier soldiers called it Hitlersäge ("Hitler's saw") or "Bonesaw". The gun was sometimes called "Spandau" by British troops from the manufacturer's plates noting the district of Berlin where some were produced, much like the Germans' own World War I MG 08 had been nicknamed.
Notwithstanding the MG42's high rate of fire, the Handbook of the German Army (1940) forbade the firing of more than 250 rounds in a single burst and indicated a sustained rate of no more than 300–350 rounds per minute to minimize barrel wear and over-heating.The high rate of fire resulted from experiments with preceding weapons that concluded that since a soldier only has a short period of time to shoot at an enemy, it was imperative to fire the highest number of bullets possible to increase the likelihood of a hit. This principle was also behind the Vickers GO aircraft gun. The disadvantage of applying this principle was that the weapon consumed exorbitant amounts of ammunition and quickly overheated its barrel, making
sustained fire problematic.The method of barrel change made the MG-42 unsuitable for secondary or co-axial armament on WW2 era German tanks with the exception of the Jagdpanzer IV. Early versions of the Jagdpanzer IV carried two standard (no modification made) MG42's on both sides of the gun mantlet/glacis, firing through a ball slot which was protected by an armored cover (with the MG42 retracted) when not in use. Later version Jagdpanzer IV's carried only one MG-42 on the left side.The MG42 weighed 11.6 kg in the light role with the bipod, lighter than the MG 34 and easily portable. The bipod, the same one used on the MG 34, could be mounted to the front or the center of the gun depending on where it was being used. For sustained fire use, it was matched to the newly-developed Lafette 42 tripod, which weighed 20.5 kg on its own. The barrel had polygonal rifling and was lighter than the MG 34's
and heated more quickly, but could be replaced in seconds by an experienced gunner. The optimum operating crew of an MG-42 for sustained fire operation was six men: the gun commander, the No.1 who fired the gun, the No.2 who carried the tripod, and Nos.3, 4, and 5 who carried ammunition, spare barrels, entrenching tools, and other items. For additional protection the commander, No.1 and No.2 were armed with pistols, while the remaining three carried rifles. This large team was often reduced to just three: the gunner, the loader (also barrel carrier), and the spotter. The gunner of the MG42 was preferably a junior non-commissioned officer (or Unteroffizier).U.S. and British doctrine of the era centered around the rifleman, with the machine gun serving a support role. German doctrine was the reverse, with the machine gun placed in a central role and rifleman employed in support. This meant that German forces deployed far more machine guns per
equivalent-sized unit than the allies, and that allied troops assaulting a German position almost invariably faced the firepower of the MG42. It was possible for operating crews to lay down a non-stop barrage of fire, ceasing only when the barrel had to be replaced. This allowed the MG42 to tie up significantly larger numbers of enemy troops. Both the Americans and the British trained their ground troops to take cover from the fire of an MG42, and assault the position during the small window of barrel replacement. The heavy rate of fire of the MG42 sometimes proved a encumbrance, mainly in that, while the weapon could be used to devastating effect, it could quickly finish off its ammunition supply. For this reason, it was not uncommon for all soldiers operating near an MG 42 to carry extra ammunition, thus providing the MG 42 with a backup source when its main supply was exhausted.
U.S. Army Intelligence Report MG42 Machine Gun
Recently a new dual-purpose machine gun has appeared which may eventually replace the MG34 in the German Army. Like the MG34, it can be put to use on a bipod (see fig. 49) as a light machine gun, on a tripod as a heavy machine gun, as an antiaircraft machine gun (on a special tripod), and for numerous other special purposes on special mounts. Because of the wide use of stamping, welding, and riveting, this gun is far easier to construction and less smooth in finished appearance than the M.G. 34. It is, however, equally as serviceable as the older model, which is still the main armament of all types of German units. A new and faster method of barrel change is another superior characteristic of this new model. The rate of fire has been increased over that of the M.G. 34, but a certain decrease in accuracy has resulted.
How to Identify the MG42
The MG42 may be identified by—
(1) Rectangular shape of receiver and barrel jacket.
(2) Barrel jacket opening on the right side to allow change of barrel. (This change is effected by a handle, also on the right side.)
(3) Operating handle much larger than that of the M.G. 34 and grooved for the fingers.
(4) Leaf rear sight sliding on ramp (unlike the M.G. 34 rear sight, which is of the upright leaf type).
(5) Separate antiaircraft rear sight hinged on the right sight base.
(6) Bolt of a unique pattern from that of the M.G. 34, the body being round and having a separate bolt head of a non-rotating type.
(7) Single trigger. (The trigger mechanism is not equipped with two triggers as in the M.G. 34, and the gun cannot fire semi-automatically.)