MG 34 and MG 42 Machine Guns

by Chris McNab, Ramiro Bujeiro (Illustrator), Alan Gilliland (Illustrator)

Overview

With the MG 34, the German Wehrmacht introduced an entirely new concept in automatic firepower – the general-purpose machine gun (GPMG). In itself the MG 34 was an excellent weapon: an air-cooled, recoil-operated machine gun that could deliver killing firepower at ranges of more than 1,000m. Yet simply by changing its mount and feed mechanism, the operator could radically transform its function. On its standard bipod it was a light machine gun, ideal for infantry assaults; on a tripod it could serve as a sustained-fire medium machine gun. During World War II, the MG 34 was superseded by a new GPMG – the MG 42. More efficient to manufacture and more robust, it had a blistering 1,200rpm rate of fire. Nicknamed 'Hitler's buzzsaw' by Allied troops, it was arguably the finest all-round GPMG ever produced, and alongside the MG 34 it inflicted heavy casualties. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and drawing upon numerous technical manuals and first-hand accounts, this study explores the technological development, varied roles and lasting influence of the revolutionary MG 34 and MG 42 machine guns and their postwar successors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782003090
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/20/2012
Series:	Weapon , #21
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	80
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Chris McNab is an author and editor. To date he has published over 25 books, including A History of the World in 100 Weapons, Hitler's Armies and The Uzi Submachine Gun for Osprey. Chris has also written extensively for major encyclopedia series, including African-American Biographies (2006), USA 1950s (2006) and Reformation, Exploration and Empire (2005), and has contributed to The Times on the war in Iraq.
Chris McNab is an author and editor specializing in military history and military technology. To date he has published more than 40 books, including A History of the World in 100 Weapons (2011), Deadly Force (2009) and Tools of Violence (2008). He is the contributing editor of Hitler's Armies: A History of the German War Machine 1939–45 (2011) and Armies of the Napoleonic Wars (2009). Chris has also written extensively for major encyclopedia series, magazines and newspapers, and he lives in South Wales, UK.
Ramiro Bujeiro has become a frequent and popular contributor to Osprey since illustrating Warrior 23:US Marine in Vietnam 1965–73
(1998). He is an experienced commercial artist who lives and works in his native city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. His professional background includes commissions as a figure illustrator and strip cartoonist for clients all over Europe, the Americas and in Great Britain. His main interests are the political and military history of Europe in the first half of the 20th century.
Alan Gilliland, a contributor to more than 70 Osprey titles, notably in the Weapon series, writes, illustrates and publishes fiction (www.ravensquill.com), as well as illustrating for a variety of publishers (alangillilandillustration.blogspot.com).

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Development 8

The 'universal' machine Gun

Use 27

Flexible Firepower

Impact 62

'Hitler's buzzsaw'

Conclusion 74

Glossary 77

Bibliography & Further Reading 78

Index 80

Editorial Reviews

The MG 42 was actually a revolutionary approach to machine gun design, and was nicknamed 'Hitler's buzzsaw' by the Allied forces. It's still in use some seventy years later. This examination of the pioneering machine gun will appeal to military and weaponry collections alike, offering vintage black and white photos of wartime experiences throughout.” —James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review (January 2013)

“Dozens of excellent photos and informative drawings illustrate this handy handbook. And heavy reliance on primary sources — coupled with abundant annotations — confirms its value as a reliable reference.” —David L. Veres, www.cybermodeler.com (November 2012)

From the Publisher