Author: Myrvang, Folke.
Title: German universal machineguns : MG34-MG42.
Description: Produced and edited by R. Blake Stevens. Cobourg, Ont., Canada : Collector Grade Publications, 2002. First edition. Hardcover. Dustjacket. xxv,496 pp. With 646 illustrations (some color). 29 cm. Mailorder only - Alleen verzending mogelijk. Book condition : as new. - Folke Myrvang, a First Lieutenant in the Norwegian Home Guard and an avid machinegunner himself, has produced the first-ever complete study of the MG34 and MG42 - the German Universal Machineguns of World War II - by combining his military expertise with his experiences as an active recreational shooter and collector. He presents in-depth coverage of the historical development, fielding, tactical use of and modifications made to these remarkable guns and their myriad accessories and ancillaries, plus authoritative tips on Troubleshooting these guns today. Taking their cue from the WWI-era MG16, proposed as the first-ever Einheitsmaschinengewehr (universal machinegun), an audacious programme was begun in secret in Germany in 1930, to develop one new weapon which would combine the advantages of the light machinegun and the heavy machinegun, and be capable of performing all the functions previously allotted to both. A judicious combination of features developed by the pioneering firm Rheinmetall, plus contributions from Mauser, Vollmer and others, led to the development of the belt-fed, air-cooled MG34. The spring-loaded Danish Mad sen softmount completed the equation, leading first to the fielding of the ultra-rare Lafette for the MG08/15 Maxim, nicknamed the Heuschreche (Grasshopper), not one single example of which is known to exist today. With its quick-change barrel, and the automatic traversing and ranging features and optic sights built into the superb MG Lafette 34, Germany had fielded by far the most advanced machinegun in the world, well before the out break of World War Il. Remarkably versatile, the same gun could serve as a bipod-mounted infantry LMG, a Tanker LMG, a Lafette-mounted infantry and Fortress HMG, and an AA machinegun. It was even mounted on gliders! The MG34 was manufactured by five firms during the war: Rheinmetall Maget; BSW/Gustloff-Werke, Suhl: Mauser Borsigwalde; Waffenfabrik Steyr; and Waffenwerk Brünn. By 1941, Grossfuss - a firm with no previous experience in arms design - had developed what became the MG42, the world's first rifle-calibre machinegun with a one-piece stamped receiver/barrel jacket, which fired at the incredible rate of 1,500 rpm (25 rounds per second). The Lafette concept was retained, meaning that the MG42 could fulfill nearly all the same roles as the MG34, although the MG34 was kept in production for Tanker and Fortress use. Most remarkably, the MG42 is still in service as the 7.62mm NATO calibre MG3 with the Bundeswehr and the armies of many other NATO nations, and remains one of the most widely used machineguns in the world today. ISBN 9780889352780.

Keywords: MILITARY HISTORY,