how common was a MP 44 in the german army ?

with kind regards

DMD

I know it was used in fairly large numbers in the Battle of the Bulge and was to replace all rifle companies mausers. This weapon was developed in secret and issued to the troops with out Hitlers knowlege so when he asked his field commanders what they need most they said "more of these new rifles".

mkctanker

Hi,
The actual name of the weapon was Sturmgewehr 44, although this is renamed version of the MK 43 (Maschinen Karabiner 43). The MK 43 was taken in mass production in 1943 (typical) and reached a total production of over 300.000 by 1944. By this time it was renamed Sturmgewehr 44 (the design barely changed). The weapon was first encounterd by the allies in the Ardennes, where it was issued to th 1st and 12th SS panzerdivisions and the Führer Begleitungs Brigade (Führer Escort Brigade).
Or so one source says.
So one might say it was fairly common, at least with the more "elite"units (SS, Gross Deutschland, etc).

Oh and also, I saw on the history channel that the MP-44 was suppossedly the predessor of the AK-47. BUT the creator of the AK denied that their was any design copying BUT, Looking at the two, You can see some obvious similarities.


DAGGER-1

The MP44 ,despite its ease of production, only went to elite frontline units like the Waffen SS and panzergrenadiers. Even within these units distribution was limited, in a typical type 1945 panzer div only a single special sturm (storm) platoon in each company was equipped.
The official designation of the weapon was Sturmgewehr 44 (before this it was known as the machinenpistole 44 to disguise it from Hitler who disapproved of the assault rifle programme. German after combat studies showed that combat usually took place under 600m but the issue rifle was good out to a 1000m. So a shorter cartridge was designed with a reduced range but gave the benefit of a controllable automatic ,compact weapon.
The Stg 44 was a quantum leap in an individual infantrymans firepower and revolutionised infantry tactics making him less dependant on support from his heavy machine guns.

After the war most weapon manufacturing nations examined and dissected the weapon and was the bases on which todays assault rifles originated from. The most famous? check out the similarities with the AK47.

TECH DATA:
cartrdge 7.92 x 33mm barrel 419mm
length 940mm mag capacity 30rds
weight 5.22kg cyclic rate 500rds per min

Robbo

And the Russians didn't copy the B-29, either!

1. Hitler actually instructed to gave the name SturmGewehr to this assult rifle.
2. As Robbo had pinted out, it was issued to platoon size of SturmGewehr troops in each company of frontline unit. It was rather rare in compare to all the 98K and MP38/40
3. It's a hell of a good weapon.

here are some pic of the weapon and sub assemblies.

MP-44

thanks for the information guys !!