Figure 1.--These young Heer soldiers have been equipped with assault weapons (sub-machine guns). The Germans wre the first to issue assault weapons. The soldier in front has a assault weapon, probably the MP-40. It's not clear what the rest of the unit has been issued. It was not a general issue weapon, except for the Waffen-SS. The soldiers look to be wearing the khaki summer uniform used in North Africa. we do not know what the scorpian shoulder patch represents. They all look very young which would not have been the case for the Afrika Korps.

World War II saw the perfection of many older weapons system as well as the introduction of many entirely new weapons system. Perhaps no changes were more profound than the fire power which could be provided the individual infantry soldier and small unit teams. This included both automatic weapons, artillery, and tank killing weapons. And the industrial capacity of the major combatants meant that these weapons could be supplied in quantity. World War I infantrymen had bolt-action rifles, no easily portable artillery that could be carried, and no way of stopping tanks. The World War II infantryman, despecially after the first 2 years of the War had tremendously increased firepower capable of stopping majpr attacks with armored support even if air cover and artillery were unavailble. Infantry units received light-machine gun and asault rifles as well as heavy rifles like the American BAR. The Americans hesitated to use the BAR in World War I because it used so much amunition and might fall into enemy hands. There was no such hesitation in Workd War II. And the American M-1 Grand was argably the best infantry weapon of the War. Infantry units also got mortars which were light and could be operated by a two-man team. This provided infantry units their own artillery that could provide immediate fire. The tank was a weapon that infantry men had no way of resisting in the first years of the War. This was the case in Poland, the Low Countries, France, and the Balkans. This changed with the invention of the American Bazooka and German Panzerfaust. This gave a single infantryman the ability to stop a tank in its tranks. And as a result, tanks could not be sent into battle without infantry support. Other improvements were weapons like flamethrowers and grenade launchers. The Germans built some of the finest weapons, but they were often complicted and difficult to mass produce. Here Hitler intervened. He often resisted the mass production of weapons that did not have the look and feel of a finely crafted weapon rather wapons that had been stamped out in high speed presses.

Pistols

World War II pistols are a complicated topic. There were many different types of pistols used, including many carryovers from World War I, by different countries. America and Britain primarily issued one type each from World War I that were also used in World War II. The Browing-designed Colt model M1911 series has been described as one of the most successful small arms of the 20th Century. It was a refinement of his original 1900 design. This pistol was introduced just before the outbreak of World War I. American Doughboys used many British and French wepons in World War I, but their pitols were mostly the Colt M1911. They were produced in great quantity and used by the U.S. military not only in World War I, but with only minor modifications in World War II as well. The Germans had three different types of Lugers, finely engineered weapons. The Japanese had different types of pistols in World War II of generally low quality. Pistols were not general issue weapons. They were most commonly issued to officers and military police. They were not weapons that had a meaninful impact on the battlefield. They were something of a prestige weapon rarher than of great important on the battlefield. After the War, however, they were popular items to bring home as war-time souvniers. They were also a Holocaust weapon. German officers used them to dispatch Jews only wouunded after a mass shooting.

Rifles

The principal weapon of an infatryman as in World War II was a rifle. It was a high-powered, accurate wepon that an indiviual soldier could carry into battle. Infantrymen were ussued rifles rather than pistols because of their greater range and accuracy. This rifle had been a World War I innovation. It was a major shift from the 19th century. Until after the mid-19th century, infantrymen had primarily fought with muskets. World War II infantrymen used the same bolt-action rifles which had been used in World War II infantrymen. In some cases tey were the exact same rifles. In other cases they were new weapons, but utilized the same basic technology. The British had the World War I highly reliable .303 Mk IV Lee-Enfield, but it was bolt action and not automatic. The Germans had used the Mauser Gewehr 98 in World war I. Just before the World War II they intoduced another Mauser weapon, the Karabiner 98. It was used by all service branches bginning in 1935. Over 14 million were produced. It used the same bolt-action technology used in World war I. The Soviets used the Mosin–Nagant (Винтовка Мосина) a five-shot, bolt-action, internal magazine-fed, rifle. It had a long history, developed by the Imperial Russian Army (1882–91). It was used by both the Tsarist Army in World war I and the Soviet Red army in World War II. It is one of the most mass-produced military bolt-action rifles in history, over 37 million units mabufactured. It was inexpensive to produce, rugged and effective. Only the Americans introduced a radically new infantry rifle. The American semi-automatic M-1 Garand was arguably the best infantry weapon of the War. Not having to chamber a round with a bolt action, significantly increased the levelm of fire that could be placed on an enemy position. It was one area where the German soldiers fought with an inferior weapon. World War II infantrymen began the War with no easily portable artillery that could be carried, and no way of stopping tanks. The World War II infantryman, especially after the first 2 years of the War had tremendously increased firepower capable of stopping or at least slowing doiwn major attacks without armored support even if air cover and artillery were unavailble. Infantry units received light-machine gun and sub-machine guns The American BAR was an effective sub-machine gun, but very heavy. The Americans hesitated to use the BAR in World War I because it used so much amunition and might fall into enemy hands. There was no such hesitation in World War II, but by this time the Germans had superior machine guns and sub-machine guns with much higher firing rates.

Machine Guns

The machine gun is an automatic weaon, capable of rapid fire. The machine gun automstically fired and continued firing as long as thec trigger is depressed. There were automatic rifels sometimes called assault guns. The difference between an auomatic rifle and machine gun is that the machine gun was hevier and could not be carried any distance by an individual soldier. It thus was a mounted weapon first appeared on the battlefield in a major way during World War I and had a major impact on how wars were fought. It was the machine gun in large measure that forced the armies on the Western Front into trenches. The machine gun was also a major weapon during World War II. The advent of the tank returned mobility to the battlefield as tanks and armored cars provided protection from withering machine gun fire. Tanks were equipped with machine guns as well as a heavy artillery gun. World War II machine guns for the most part used the same basic technology as World War I guns, but with many refinements. They were vmuch more reliable. World War II machine guns included lighter more portable versions as well as versions with much higer fighting rates. Light machine guns were designed to be mobile so they could be used by infantry on the move. Heavy machine guns could be moved, but not by small units. Thus they were usually employed in fixed, defensive positions. The heavy machine guns had a much greater rate of fire than the more mobile light machine guns. The light machine guns tended to be magazine fed weapons. Heavy machine guns tended to be belt fed weapons. The heavy machine guns had more accurate aiming sites and could sustain very accurate and sustained fire. Machine guns were not just infantry weapons, but used in tanks and armored cars as well as aircraft. Each of the major combatant countries developed machine guns. The Germans had some of the better guns in terms of rate of fire. They tended, however, to be be very complicated weapons, difficult to manufacture and maintain in the field. Also the German logistical situation meant that gunners had to be limited in how they used their weapons. Infantry tactics both defensive and offensive had to be developed to adjust to advances in machine guns. The Japanese failure to make neded adjustments resulted in the loss of Guadalcanal after the disaterous battle at the Tenaru River/AligatorCreek (August 1942).

Sub-machine Guns/Assault Weapons

A related weapon to the machine gun was what the Americans called a sub-machine gun. The machine gun hd revolutionized World War I. The sub-machine gun or asault weapon was a natural progression, essentially puting machine guns in the hands of individual infantry weapon, Even a light-machine gun could not be easily carried and operated by a single infantryman. Machineguns whether a light or heavy weapon, depending on size of bullet, were made to be fired from a fixed position by a crew. They are not considered to be a hand held weapon even if a beefy soldier could carry it on a shoulder sling and operate it by himself for a short period. The soldier would have to be very strong not just to carry it by himself but only to absorb the recoil of the firing. They were meant to hand held and fired and could not be used in a fixed position gun mount. There were no bipods or tripods for these types of weapons. All the major combtant countries during World War II had at least one type of sub-machine gun. The American called them sub-machine gun and they are the precursor to the modern assault rifle like the Soviet AK-47 and American M-16. The Americans had the Browning Automtic Rifle which they chose not to use during World War I. It was too heavy for general issue. It fired a .30 caliber bullet and used until the 1960s when it was replaced by the M-16. The Germans produced related sun-machine guns, much admired MP-38 and MP-40 machine pistols christened Schmeissers. The MP-38 and even MP-40 was not for general issued, but given to guards, storm troopers, and the Waffen-SS. A good example is a Waffen-SS soldier holding one, probably about 1942-43. They were produced ar Berthold-Giepel works. At the end of the War, the German began deliverinf the MP-43. The collapse of German industry limited deliveries, but it was the first of a whole new generation of post-War infantry weapons. The Sturmgewehr 44 (STG 44), literally "storm (or assault) rifle model of 1944, was an assault rifle developed and issued by the Germans in the last months of the War. It was the first of its kind to see major deployment and is considered by many historians to be the first modern assault rifle. This weapon used a .30 caliber bullet - about 7.9mm.

Anti-tank Weapons

The tank appeared at the end of World War and had a major impact on World War II. It was amajor component of the German Blitzkrieg. The tank was a weapon that infantrymen had no way of resisting in the first years of the War. This was the case in Poland, the Low Countries, France, and the Balkans. This changed with the invention of the American Bazooka and German Panzerfaust. Tanks could be stopped with properly armed airplanes or anti-tank artillery, but not at first by small infantry unit. The last major battle fought without infantry armed with portable anti-tank weapons was Kursk. The Red Army made do with improvised weapons like Molotov cocktails or training dogs with mines strapped on the head for tanks. The new weapons gave a single infantryman the ability to stop a tank in its tracks. And as a result, tanks could not be sent into battle without strong infantry support. This dramaticall changed the World War II battlefield. The American bazooka was, however, not up to the German Panzerfaust. It had inferior penetration capability. The Panzerfaust was the precursor of the modern Rocket Priopelled Grenade (RPG). The British PIAT was also inferior to the Panzerfaust. The Germans produced the Panzerfaust in large numbers--200,000 a month. In the final year of the war when the Germans expeiences shortages of the 88 and other artillery, the Panzerfaust played an important role in slowing the advance of Allied and Soviet armor. The American Army had the added advantage of strong communications capabilities and strong artillery capability. This allowed any second lieutenant to call in a devestating artillery barage when faced with tanks as well as strong air support. This was somnething German infantry units did not have in the second phase of the War. They had to rely almost entirely on the Panzerfaust unless anti-tank guns were available, but this was support small infantry units commonly did not have.

Light Artillery

Infantry units also got light artillery weapons. The most important were light-weight mortars. They were light enough that they could be carried and operated by a two-man team. This provided infantry units their own artillery that could immediately fire against both fixed positions and advancing infantry forces. These mortars were one of biggest killer of infantry throughout the war. Even so, the infantry mortar was both light weight and a simple weapon which meant it was easy to opertate and move. A morttar consists of three very simple parts: a barrel, a leg assembly, and a heavy baseplate. In combat, problems can appear unexpectedly and without notice. Having an artilery piece at hand offers substantial fire piower to small units abd one for which communications is not needed and can be used immediately. Small mortats first appeared on the battlefield during World War I. They were used in far greater numbers during World War II by all the major beligerant countries. Not all infantry artillery were mortars. The Germans developed the heaviest artillery piece classified as an infantry gun --the 15 cm schweres Infanterie Geschütz 33 (sIG 33). It was the standard German heavy infantry gun, although not made in huge numbers.

Hand Grenades

The grenade is essebtially a small bomb. The term comes from the French word for 'pomegranate' because of the shape. Americans called it a 'pineapple' because of its serrated shell. There were several different kinds of grenades. The principal World War II hand grenade given to infantrymen was the fragmentation weapon which because of its compact size and light weight could be carried by the individual infantry soldier. Fragmentation are designed to produce casualties by high velocity projection of fragments produced by the shell of the grenade. The hand grenade is a fairly simple weapon. It has three components. The body contains filler and the shell provides the fragmentation material. The filler is composed of a chemical or explosive substance, which determines the type of hand grenade for employment factors. Thermite was the standard filler charge used during World War II. The fuze with aime delay is what causes the grenade to ignite by detonating the eplosive filler. The grenade has medieval origins, but was not perfected for equipping individual infantrymen in quantity until World War I. Development continued as the grenade was a major armament of World War II infantrymen. It was mostly used in close combat as its range was ordinanly limited to how far a man could throw it. This is a far shorter distance than the range of a rifle. Thus it could be dangerous to use. There were considerable differences as to the grnades used by different countries. The Germans continued to use a stick grenade as in Workd War I. The Americans probably becuse soldier were accustomed to throwing baseballs used a more rounded oval shped grenade without a stick. The United States manufactured some 50 million fragmentation grenades which it provided to its soldiers an allies. The range of the grenade could be extended by launchers.

Others

Other improvements were weapons like flamethrowers and grenade launchers. The flame thrower was introduced by the Germans in World War I. Both the British and Americans had tanks equipped with a large flamethrower next to their main cannon. The Americans primarily used the flame thriower tanks in thePacific. We are not yet sure if the Soviets and Germans had such tanks. The grenade launcher such as it might be called was not really a separate weapon until the 1960s. During World War II there were rifle grenades that were either attached to the muzzle of the rifle or added on below the rifle barrel.

Created: 2:24 AM 8/2/2013
Last updated: 1:18 AM 3/10/2017