World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
13 Jan 2015 09:45:00 AM

I SWEAR TO YOU ADOLF HITLER:

Did you know before Germany went to war the term Waffen-SS wasn't used, early formations were small units, that later grew to almost a million troops. They were tough and were the military arm of the Nazi Party.
By June 1941 invasion of Russia the Waffen-SS fielded its own divisions and its strength was up to 160,000 men. Heavy fighting on the Eastern Front the Waffen-SS suffered heavy losses by November 1941 over 30,000 men had been lost.

SS strength by 1943 was 350,000 during the last two years of the war, these formations were used as so-called fire brigades rushing to wherever needed in the German front lines. At wars end the
Waffen-SS had about 38 divisions that is on paper
with almost one million troops but was split more or less between German and foreign volunteers.

During the war the SS suffered over 650,000 men lost. The Waffen-SS was one of the most infamous
military formations of WWII, many of the troop[s were former SS-Totenkopfverbande guards at extermination and POW camps and committed crimes against civilians and Allied soldiers...

UNIFORM OF THE DAY:

Let's see what those SS-Troopers have been issued
the man on our left is wearing a camouflaged poncho, trousers and jackboots with M43 field cap
his weapon looks like a 98K 7.92mm bolt-action rifle.
The man on our right has been issued the M42 camouflaged smock w/pockets, SS eagle on his left sleeve, helmet camouflage cover and jackboots, he's armed with an MP44 Sturmgewehr 7.92mm (kurz) short it was a gas operated, air-cooled, magazine fed selective fire shoulder weapon.

My comments are listed under general information only. For detailed text, check with other publications.

2.  Bill says:
26 Nov 2016 03:33:28 PM

STURMGEWEHR!

The StG44 is a gas operated, air-cooled, magazine feed, select-fire, shoulder weapon using the 7.92 x 33 kurz (short) round.

Too little too late this advanced infantry weapon reached the troops in fewer numbers than the Wehrmacht requested. However, it held back the Soviet advance on the Eastern front for a while but the out come of the war was already seen.

WARS END:

During WWII the Soviets captured large numbers of German military equipment, among them were the StG44
weapons were refurbished and stored away, or issued to second-line or border guard units.
Later many of these (StG44s) along with other Soviet small arms, were given to Soviet client states. Did you know that many of these satellite countries continued to used the StG44 into the 1960s, 1970s and into the 1980s

ENOUGH TO GO AROUND:

After World War II in Europe
Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia,
France, Hungary, East Germany and other countries used the StG44, until replaced by newer Soviet or Western weapons.

I'LL BE AROUND:

Today the StG44 is still seen in conflicts around the world.
They have popped up in the Middle East and Africa and other locations.
Somalia, African Political Groups & Militia's, Bosnia, Serbia, even Lebanese Army & Militant forces, Syria, Iraq, Palestine Liberation Organization, Hezbollah and Israel.
Even the US Army's (Special Forces) Green Berets
have trained w/the StG44 and other Soviet Bloc Weapons.

TEST OF TIME:

The StG44 was designed 70 plus years ago, and is still in use around the world it was an advance in firearms innovation.
Imagine what improvements could have been made to this design. Did you know a civilian version of the StG44 is being manufactured, even the ammo is made by various manufactures. I'll bet that somewhere somebody is producing the weapon the in a military select-fire model. The Germans produced about 500,000 before wars end, so the StG44 should have been phased out long ago...like the AK47 its an icon and as long as ammo is made and the weapons are manufactured it will be around. Say I'm not a weapons expert if some one has more information post it here.

I thank the editor/ww2db for his continued support in allowing me to leave my comments...