Often we watch movies detailing the battles of the Wehrmacht during ww2. Many of these movies and documentaries involved action involving machine gun groups in the heat of battle. German machine gun tactics during WW2 are still used today in modern warfare, as they were absolutely devastating as Allied & Soviet discovered.
However one thing is often incorrectly shown in movies and documentaries and that is the actual machine gun that the Germans used prior to 1942. It was not the MG42, it was the MG34. A much more revolutionary firearm in warfare.
The MG34 was the first belt fed machine gun that could easily be transported and used by one man. This was used to amazing effect during the initial phases of Barbarossa as individual machine gun operators were able to kill dozens if not hundreds of Soviet troops. Additionally, the MG34 was the primary machine gun used on virtually all German armored vehicles through the entire war. Additionally the MG42 did not replace the MG34, but served as a cheaper-to-produce supplement to the Wehrmacht’s automatic weapon requirements during the war.
MG34 on bipod.
The receivers are not marked with “MG34″ and there are no dates. The only manufacturer info and dates are on the barrel jackets. This one is marked “BSW” 1939. BSW is the only manufacturer that had a three letter mark that was the actual abbreviation of the company name.
Top cover open. This is set up for left hand feed. One reason the MG34 stayed in production after the introduction of the MG42 was the 34 could be set up for right hand feed. Many vehicle and fortress mounts required right hand feed. The barrel change method on the 34 also made it easier to adapt to vehicle mounts.
Strikingly enough, the changing two parts made it right hand feed.
Left and right feed parts. The right hand arm is easy to find but the universal feed tray is not. Universal tray does not have the loop to connect to the top cover release button nor does it have the “ears” for attaching the assault drum. It can be used for left or right feed.
Early milled top cover. You can also see the trigger marked “E” and “D”. E is semi auto and D is full auto.
Standard stamped top cover – Stamping was important for wartime production. Guns like the Sten, PPD-43, Grease gun and the MG42 involved significant numbers of stamped parts to speed production. This was highly vital to every nation’s war efforts as it could potentially decrease the effective cost and boost production anywhere from 50% to 500%.
Assault drum attached. It holds one 50 round belt. While being known as somewhat unreliable it gave one man the ability to produce unbelievable amounts of firepower. At a time when the best light machine gun had 30 rounds, this carried 60% more ammunition.
