A Look Back At The Stg 44 From Allied And German Eyes

 Earlier this year, the American Rifleman website published an article entitled "What American GIs Thought Of The Sturmgewehr StG44." I believe that the title is a bit misleading. There is only a single short comment from an 83rd Infantry Division report on the weapon, a similarly short quote from a document entitled "Battle Experiences" that apparently was a collection of information from field units in Northwest Europe. The bulk of the article is actually excerpts from documents produced by Army Ordinance or Army Intelligence, with a couple longer excerpts of German guidances concerning the weapon.

    The two excerpts that may accurately mirror what U.S. combat troops thought of the weapon was that it was only good at short range but was outclassed by the M1 Garand at medium and long ranges. Interestingly, however, the German documents cited in the article indicated that the Stg 44 should be as accurate as a rifle out to 450 yards. 

    So why the discrepancy between what the Germans said of the Stg 44's capabilities versus what was observed by U.S. combat troops? A great deal of it probably comes down to the sights. The Stg 44 used a notch and post sight similar to what you would see on an the AK line of rifles, with a similarly short sight radius, whereas the M1 Garand used an adjustable peep sight with a long sight radius. 

    But what the American Rifleman article really focused on was how Army Ordinance and Army Intelligence did not comprehend the nature or use of the Stg. 44. They viewed the Stg. 44 as an attempt to copy the M1 Carbine, probably because the Germans had originally classified it as a machine pistol: the MP 43. And, viewed from that standpoint, it was a failure--as a 1944 Intelligence Bulletin summed up:

The M.P. 43 therefore compares very unfavorably with the U.S. carbine, M1. The German weapon is practically twice as heavy and has no apparent advantage except for the slightly higher muzzle velocity of 250 feet per second.

It also was not, in American eyes, a very good automatic weapon: it got too hot very quickly and, because it fired from a closed bolt, did not cool very well between shots with the potential for cook-offs; it was uncontrollable in automatic fire even using 5 round bursts; and it couldn't be repaired in the field. Other criticisms was that its use of stamped parts made it too easily disabled in the field due to dents, but it was also difficult to repair.

    The official German doctrine for using the weapon did not envision it as a long range weapon or even as a primarily automatic weapon. Gen. Heinz Guderian, as quoted in the article, apparently stated:

    If the assault platoon is equipped with the submachine gun 44 (Machinenpistole 44), the fire power of the company is greatly increased. This platoon should be employed for counterthrusts, in case of hostile penetrations, and at local defense points where the terrain does not permit effective use of such long-range weapons as the heavy machine gun and the 81-mm mortar.

    Up to a range of 450 yards, the M.P. 44 is as accurate as the rifle. The principal value of the M.P. 44 lies in its accuracy and high rate of fire (22 to -28 rounds per minute) as a semiautomatic weapon, and in its alternate use as an automatic weapon, when it is fired in short bursts of 2 to 3 rounds (40 to 50 rounds per minute). Generally, the weapon is set for single fire. Bursts will be fired only when fighting off an enemy assault, making a counterthrust (against a penetration, in close combat), or at very short ranges during combat in trenches, towns, or woods. ...