MG42 in Stalingrad?

[Volkssturm45]

Hello everyone, quick question if I may ask?

"Did the MG42 ever make it to Stalingrad, or was the mass production/shipping to the front line of this arm a little to late in the day?"


Sorry if this question has been asked a thousand times already (quick search of past posts didn't reveal much).

This is my first post, although I have visited this site many times before since it's a wonderful resource on the MG42 & 34, both of which I own here in the UK. Plus I have a lafette for the 42.

Thanks Simon.

[Volkssturm45]

Here's a link to me operating an MG42 here in the UK, enjoy


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ssnpjpxi-d4

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GWN7GAazTyo

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2zmcRZkcc-A

[longhorn109]

Cool

[Bil]

Welcome aboard! This question has been discussed ad nauseum on another board,Axis History forum.The conclusion there is NO. This is due to production dates,distribution rates,lack of any documention,photos,or reliable mention.Many units did not get them u ntil late in the war,if at all.Johann Voss,in his excellant book,'Black Edelweiss',describes getting the 42 after their return from Finnland,around the end of Dec44.If you havent checked out the Axis forum I recomend it,much input and discussion on many subjects with members worldwide. ---bil

[Volkssturm45]

Hi Bill

Thanks for the warm welcome to your great forum guys, I think my question is a little vague and I should have explained better so my apology's. but what I was trying to ask is that I'd read/heard pre-production or field trials of examples may have occurred there or at least somewhere on the Russian front.
Can anyone shed light as to when the first field trials on the front line took place?

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Bil's right. This topic was EXHAUSTED on Axis History Forum.

[Bil]

If you don't get an answer here,I would certainly join Axis history forum-the way things work over there,you may hear from the guy that tested it! ---bil

[Volkssturm45]

Thanks for your input guys, I'll try the 'Axis history forum'

[sardo67]

Volkssturm45, i see from your videos that you have a F/A MG42, is it a blank only gun like ones used in movies or a real MG42 made to operate with blanks? what are the UK rules on firearm ownership and demilled machine guns?
-sardo

[42rocker]

Old topic but still neat stuff. Look at the u tube links they still work.

Later 42rocker

[Pug42]

To answer the previous (old!) post the MG42s we use in battle re-enactment here are live full auto weapons owned by registered 'Section 5' armourers. These are guys who hire to film, TV etc, some of whom also hire to re-enactors at public shows or at private battles.

The guns are modified by having a restricted booster at the end of the barrel (or booster cone on the MGs) (usually a hollow threaded bolt down the centre, of different hole sizes to suit different grades of blank, easily changed) to allow the weapon to cycle properly.

No individual can own full-auto live weapons here, this is the only way we get to fire them, legally. Having said that, the armourer local to me (who I know well) has MG34, MG42, MP40, MP44, K98, P38s etc, as well as 30 cal, 50 cal, Thompsons, Garands etc and Russian DPM44, PPsH 41 and 43 and the usual Nagant rifles etc among his stock. This is just the WW2 stuff, and I'm very happy that he is a stickler for keeping every historic weapon in its correct calibre, as many armourers don't care and convert MG34 and 42 to fire Nato 7.62, or Thompsons to fire 9mm Parabellum for example, just 'cos its cheap! Even the MP44 fires proper Kurtz blanks....

So we don't suffer too badly over here.... I can't get the hang of some of you having to make them semi-auto in order to own them at all - surely they don't sound 'right' when firing, especially the MG42 which never had that option in real life? One country but different gun laws in different states would confuse the hell out of me!

At 'home' we can own deactivated versions of any weapon, without any restriction or licence needed. In the case of the MG34 and 42. the deactivation has to consist of welding the barrel in place, the barrel itself is plugged and the bolt has its leading face cut off at a 45 degree angle. The weapons still cock and 'dry fire' and externally it isn't obvious at all apart from the small stamps added by one of the three 'proof houses' that are empowered to carry out the inspection of this work to ensure compliance.

[Frogman]

I found this site vary interesting as that they dig all over Europe for relics - http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/