World War II was a dangerous time full of newly emerging, and destructive weapons. One of the most well know weapons utilized by the Germans was called the MG42 or the Maschinengewehr 42. Portrayed in many movies and video games, this German weapon stands a legend. United States Troops called the MG42 “Hitlers Buzz Saw” because of its firepower and dangerous ability. The MG42 could take out many troops at once making it a dangerous asset. The Soviet Red Army called it the “linoleum ripper” because it makes a large and scary tearing noise when shot due to its high rate of fire.
The MG42 could fire up to 1,800 rounds per minute in specific versions. This weapon had the ability to shape and demand control on the battlefield. Some historians even argue that the MG42 was the best regular purpose machine gun ever as it could fire twice as fast when compared to other machine guns or automatic weapons at the time. Many troops also said that the MG42 was a logistical problem for the Germans as it would eat or consume a ton of ammunition causing ammo shortages, but in return the MG42 would eat up a ton of Soldiers as it dangerously disposed of the ammunition.
During the beginning of the war, the Germans manufactured the MG34, but the MG34 was expensive and very difficult to build and manufacture. MG42 proved to be the better weapon. Cheaper to manufacture, and better capability, the MG42 proved that weapon technology could be quickly distributed to the front lines for effective and deadly use. The MG42 had an overall effective range of up to 2,300 feet and weighed not more than 25 pounds. Easily manipulated by a machine gun crew, keeping a constant rate of fire on the battlefield was an easy task. As mentioned above, this weapon messed with the minds of its enemies as the sound of this weapon was scary due to the high rate of fire that was produced. The United States had to reassure its troops that it was just the weapon’s sound and that there was nothing to be afraid about during combat. The MG42 will always remain a legend, and weapon that has ultimately changed the battlefield environment. Be sure to check out this cool link on the German MG42! German MG42
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