An interesting German SMG

Never heard nor seen this one from the Germans before. Looks like a crossbreed of a sten with a PPSH, altough it probably precedes them by a few decades. Probably the mother of those two latters.
 
This is generally considered to be the first real submachinegun; saw service in the last months of the Great War. In the good old days, a shop in London ON had two for sale, @$125 and $135, complete with their snail drums. These are the ony ones I have personally handled and studied. The one illustrated in the Cruffler article is the modified version produced post WWI, with box magazine. Some were new production, others were originals with new magazine housings. Apparently the only reason the Luger snail drum was used on the WWI guns was because it was available. The original concept for use, with ammunition cart, etc. was ridiculous, in hindsight, but the guns did prove their utility during the last few months of the War. Surviving MP18/1s were still used for second line issue during WW2. The MP18, MP18/1 design eventually evolved into the MP28, which was the direct ancestor of the Lanchester, which in turn evolved into the Sten. The MP18 is quite portly, and the snail drum is awkward. But all the basic design features of the submachinegun were incorporated in the gun, and most first and second generation guns share these same features.
 
MP18. AKA: A Bergman. Never seen a real one, but if you've ever seen 'The Rat Patrol' on TV, Christopher George carried one in a lot of episodes. It's a pre-MP 40 SMG.
 
Mp-18

It looks like my Czech ZK 383. The ZK was introduced in 1933 a few years behind but on the cutting edge of SMG's. The ZK has a quick change barrel, bipod, and two cyclic rates 500 & 700 Rpm.
I have only handled a MP-18 once at a gun show in the US and you can see where the rest of the SMG's got their ideas.
 
I was told they were mostly a boarding gun used by the navy when they went on another ship to inspect cargo, take prisoners, etc. I read the English Lanchaster was copied from the German made subgun. There's an old sci-fi movie called "The Land that Time Forgot". There's a part where a German WW1 submarine is floating on the surface, when it gets attacked by a dinasour, and a German navyman shoots at it with one of the MP28's. It has the snail drumm in it, too. Neat old movie:) You might find it on eBay?
 
Here is a pic I found on the net some time ago, i kept it as I thought it was very interesting. Im not aware of the date it was taken but I would think around 1939-1940ish. The soldier on the right has what appears to be an MP18 and an M18 helmet whilst the soldier on the left appears to have an M35 or M40 helmet (it could be an M35 and he is wearing an M36 greatcoat). That means that either the soldier on the right has been equipped with old equipment or that he was in the Reichswehr and has retained his kit from that period.

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oddly the japanese never whole heartedly produced the type 100's. Personally I think the Lancaster is the best looking mp18 variant, simply because its magazine housing is brass. looks very classic, but probably waay too expensive.
 
tiriaq said:
This is generally considered to be the first real submachinegun; saw service in the last months of the Great War. In the good old days, a shop in London ON had two for sale, @$125 and $135, complete with their snail drums. These are the ony ones I have personally handled and studied. The one illustrated in the Cruffler article is the modified version produced post WWI, with box magazine. Some were new production, others were originals with new magazine housings. Apparently the only reason the Luger snail drum was used on the WWI guns was because it was available. The original concept for use, with ammunition cart, etc. was ridiculous, in hindsight, but the guns did prove their utility during the last few months of the War. Surviving MP18/1s were still used for second line issue during WW2. The MP18, MP18/1 design eventually evolved into the MP28, which was the direct ancestor of the Lanchester, which in turn evolved into the Sten. The MP18 is quite portly, and the snail drum is awkward. But all the basic design features of the submachinegun were incorporated in the gun, and most first and second generation guns share these same features.
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Mpi 18's were developed for and issued to the German Sturmtruppen for use in raiding and clearing trenches.

This was a new kind of warfare, totally different than the trench warfare that dominated The Great War.

They were armed with pistols, Mpi's, carbines and grenades - no rifles.

There is even a suggestion that they were to be used with another new weapon, tanks, but this never really came to fruition.

Very advanced weapons and tactics for the time.
 
Along with the GPMG and StG concepts, one of the milestones of German arms development. Can't believe some of you have never heard of it :0)
 
My comment referred to the use of a two wheeled cart to drag along ammunition and magazines, not to the utility of the MP18 itself. By 1918, the combatants had developed tactics to avoid trench warfare. Cdn. troops in particular had a fine reputation.
 
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