Does the German army still use the MG42?
The MG3 and its latest version, the H&K MG5, come from the MG42, which is the infamous portable machine gun that started it all. This weapon was so well made that to this very day, the modern German Armed forces are still using what is essentially the same friggin machine gun they used all the way back in World War II.
Does Germany still use the MG3?
The MG 3 is still used as the standard secondary weapon of most modern German armoured fighting vehicle designs (e.g. Leopard 2, PzH 2000, Marder), as a primary weapon on light/non-armored vehicles (e.g. LKW 2to, MAN gl-trucks, ATF Dingo) and as an infantry weapon on light bipods as well as different tripods.
How long was the MG42 in use?
| MG 42 | |
|---|---|
| In service | 1942–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | World War II Algerian War Bizerte crisis Bangladesh Liberation War Portuguese Colonial War Yugoslav Wars First Congo War |
| Production history |
How many people died from the MG42?
Soldiers brought him more and more ammunition as he pounded away at the infantry littering “Bloody Omaha.” By the end of the action, he fired over 12,000 rounds of ammunition through his MG42 and inflicted over 2,000 casualties on the Americans storming the beach.
Which is better MG3 or MG42?
The MG3 is identical in operation to the MG42 and uses the same recoil-operated, roller-locked action. At 23 pounds, the MG3 is slightly lighter than the MG42 was. Rheinmetall also made attempts to slow the weapon’s extremely high rate of fire by introducing a heavier bolt and a stronger buffer.
Was the MG42 a good gun?
Many military historians argue that the Maschinengewehr 42 – better known as the MG 42 – was the best general-purpose machine gun ever made. It fired up to 1,800 rounds per minute in some versions. That’s nearly twice as fast as any automatic weapon fielded by any army in the world at the time.
Who killed the most people in D Day?
D-Day Casualties: Total Axis and Allied Numbers
- The First U.S. Army, accounting for the first twenty-four hours in Normandy, tabulated 1,465 killed, 1,928 missing, and 6,603 wounded.
- Canadian forces at Juno Beach sustained 946 casualties, of whom 335 were listed as killed.
Who was the deadliest German soldier?
| Oskar Dirlewanger | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 September 1895 Würzburg, German Empire |
| Died | c. 7 June 1945 (aged 49) Altshausen, Allied-occupied Germany |
| Allegiance | German Empire Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Imperial German Army Condor Legion Waffen-SS |
Is the MG-42 machine gun still in use?
In fact, dozens of militaries around the world still use postwar variants of the MG-42 machine gun. After serving in the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division as an infantryman, Larry Decuers was a Curator at The National WWII Museum from 2008-2020.
What’s the difference between the MG 34 and 42?
It was much simpler to build than other machine guns — it took 75 man hours to complete the new gun as opposed to 150 man hours for the MG 34 (a 50% reduction), 27.5 kg (61 lb) of raw materials as opposed to 49 kg (108 lb) for the MG 34 (a 44% reduction) — and cost 250 RM as opposed to 327 RM (a 24% reduction).
When did the Germans start using the MG-42?
By the autumn of 1944, the Germans were fielding large numbers of MG-42s, one gun per 10-man squad. And while accuracy was not a shortcoming of the MG-42, the large quantities of ammunition it used, and its tendency to quickly overheat, certainly were.
What was the muzzle velocity of the MG 42?
MG 42 Cartridge 7.92×57mm Mauser Action Recoil-operated, roller-locked Rate of fire 1,200 rounds/min (varied between 900–1,5 Muzzle velocity 740 m/s (2,428 ft/s) ( s.S. Patrone)