WW2 Nazi Submachine Guns - MP44, FG42, MP40 & More!

[@ThePerfectRed]

27:16 That is actually an MP38, you can see the milled grooves in the machined tube. BTW, that dude is defending his marihuana plantation like a boss!

[@VeraTR909]

It could very well be wild cannabis, the narrow leaves are indicative of the region. *not to say people didn't farm it as well, but back then we were not as militant in stamping it out in the wild.

[@mo45327]

11:15 oops, that's not an MG 34, that's a 42. Also, not an MP 44 but the early MKb42(H) 😁

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

WILD!

[@fryzvova]

Yep, in this video I noticed few moments where MG42 was named as MG34 =)

[@davidschaadt3460]

Wow you are absolutely correct .!!I want to party at your house .

[@camel303]

Yep, but in this picture it seems to be missing the typical MG42 tapered Muzzle. But it is'nt👍

[@Paladin1873]

My late friend Carl, was in the Dutch underground in WWII. On his desk at home he kept a picture of himself as a young resistance fighter. The photo was taken sometime after Operation Market-Garden and Carl is holding a StG 44.

[@skorza212]

Slide 37 has the Soviet soldier holding the MP44 in a really odd way, more like you’d hold a traditional rifle. From other pics of Soviet soldiers I’ve seen I doubt this was a trigger discipline thing, maybe the camera man just thought it looked better?

[@danoneill2846]

@27:17 looks like Hemp more than weed for smoking , workers did smoke some hemp flowers , likely not like the cannabis for hash that some people smoked in the mid east & far east .

[@paullufkin4313]

your channel is unparalleled. You tell the whole story in detail with actual historical artifacts. awesome!

[@ItchyPilauBoto]

Its like the Mark Felton of Firearms

[@jcmaxie4758]

Are you taking the piss? Pointing out a few thing & some wrong! Come on 🙄

[@jeffreywacker3598]

The Germans mounted the "Vampyr" prototype night vision on the STG44, the Hanomag, and even several Panthers. A unit of nachtjager (night hunter) Panthers had the only documented night action of April of 45....knocking out a platoon of then new British Comet tanks. A whole grenadier battalion and a nachtjager Panther platoon were allocated to the defense of Berlin but no records have been found on their performance. I doubt the whole battalion of grenadiers had vampyr Sturmgewehrs but several Soviet diaries note the presence of German snipers at night with "peculiar torches that help them see."

[@VR-ym8ys]

Almost everytime you talked about an MG34, it actually was an MG42.

[@Franky46Boy]

Correct!

[@Jeffersonian1]

#4, if I recall correctly, Stephen Hunter wrote the novel _The Master Sniper_ featuring the infrared sight on a Sturmgewehr.

[@Sniperfox1]

If I remember my dad’s comments about the STG44/MP44 correctly, German soldiers would carry extra magazines in those pouches that may have been a map case. You can’t carry too much ammo.

[@weirdshibainu]

Hitler:"We're invading Russia." Also Hitler:" Smoking is hazardous to your health."

[@broadstken]

Some things I noticed... Slide 1, the soldier with the STG has an Edelwiess patch on his sleeve indicating a Gebirgsjager (mountain division) He has slip on insignia on his shoulder boards and a Heer helmet. Possibly he's 1st Mountain Division and this could be taken near Belgrade in '44..... Slide 10, they aren't all new guys, 2cd from the right has a War Merit Cross ribbon on his buttonhole so he's been around a while, Can't see the ciphers on their shoulders but possibly Grossdeutschland Division?..... Slide 11 VERY poor trigger discipline by that Brit, also the double barrel flare gun is extra cool.... Pic 30, he's wearing a "Stug Wrap tunic that shows an Iron Cross second class ribbon and what looks like a wound badge

[@grayharker6271]

Some of those mountain troops Gebirgsjagers were brought in from Norway to fight in the Vogese area late in the war.

[@danbourg76]

Awesome pictures of history and incredible machine guns that you don't get to see every day! Thanks again Tom for the great informative content as usual. Pic #33, I want a Radom so bad...

[@terrywarner8657]

At @25:38 the FG42 has been partially disassembled. The buttstock and recoil buffer have been removed. The stock is lying flat, with the comb towards the camera. The buffer is a heavy spring that cushions the felt recoil by springing the buttstock, and it is lying on the surface just in line with the man's fingertip. The next step, which he appears to be doing, is to withdraw the operating rod and remove the small hooked charging handle.

[@jonh4301]

#35 possibly carrying an M1 Carbine with stock pouch

[@Foche_T._Schitt]

Agreed. Don't think they carried pouches on anything other.

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Thank you to Derek for providing us the photos!

[@agentmueller]

Thanks for everything you do Tom! I look forward to every single video you put out, this is one of my most favorite channels of all and a wealth of history.

[@joeybeasenburg6595]

caption 19 also has an American M1 carbine being held by man in second row, second from the right

[@ItchyPilauBoto]

18:35 wow how does a sturmgewehr end up in nam? From soviets?

[@worldwarwill1278]

5:48 - It’s a type 1. Note the angle of the grip.

[@timothydownum4689]

Some of those are mp43 technically an mp44 but flater sight ramp and a little rounder barrell wider stock these features were redesigned in about 44 to accept the grenade launcher and stock narrowed down to fit vehicle racks.

[@terrywarner8657]

At @20:51 is a FG42 Model 1 being aimed by a German paratrooper. He's not going to hit his target, because the folding front and rear sights are down.

[@patrickbrowning9322]

Nice collection of photos. I do believe slides #1 and #30 are modern Living History photos.

[@hundkfan]

Slide 48 appears to be fallen SS Fallschirmjagger, it appears that there is an SS sleeve eagle on the left sleeve and the collar tabs appear to be SS as well.

[@hnangell]

Photo # 33 between revlover and Model22 is a Savage pistol!

[@Gunterlund583]

I think you have pics of reenactors in here too 14:04

[@brogeoti]

At 15:40, the image shows a Savage Model 1907 in the lower right hand corner of the table next to a revolver - probably a French military contract model of over 40,000 pistols ordered between 1914 & 1917 for WWI. I thought it might be a Portuguese model (a smaller contract of just 1,150 pistols), but it has what appears to be the larger lanyard ring of the French model.

[@rocco74superhuman45]

Sir This is awesome . You going all the details on pictures. No hate , Just awesome .

[@victorbjorkman5483]

It is actually called stg44 .stg is short for "sturmgevehr". mp stands for "mashinepistole" like mp 40.

[@ikwer111]

SturmgeWehr and MasChinepistole. And in German nouns are written with a capital.

[@benwilkins6208]

The guy in the first picture holding the mp 44 is actually a wehrmacht mountain troop. Its interesting that his helmet still has the tri-colored shield given the fact that they had quit producing helmets with shield in March of 1940 and many troops with existing shields on their helmets were ordered to remove them

[@kingerikthegreatest.ofall.7860]

The night vision scope was nicknamed Vampir. The bent barrel was called krummlauf.

[@hnangell]

Photo # 19 center man in rear has a US M1 Carbine

[@leutmc]

on photo nr 23 is mkb42h not an stg44

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Who knew !! ??? Thanks

[@hnangell]

Photo # 35 shows U S soldier with an M1 Carbine with two magazine pouch on stock!

[@DARIVSARCHITECTVS]

The Serbian is holding an MP-38, not an MP-40, as indicated by the milled and grooved receiver tube.

[@azkrouzreimertz9784]

Vampir? Night scope, apparently one floating around in the US and one in a museum in germany ( I dont remember my sources so take it with a grain of salt)

[@jeffreywacker3598]

The picture at 11:19 of fallschirmjagers actually holds a mkb42 prototype not a stg44. Leagues cooler and rarer then a stg, this is the only field use photo I've ever seen of the mkb as a matter of fact. I'm sure it was a propaganda shoot because there is also video footage of the same paratroopers in the same foxhole with the same weapons. The mg42 they crew is also ak early variant it appears due to the charging handle.

[@davidschaadt3460]

There are other real photos .I have one of the Shoie repro and it's real nice .If you come to my funeral I'm sure you could make a deal with my relatives.

[@clavididk1236]

I saw the mp44 with the curved barrel at Aberdeen proving grounds. I loved going there as a kid the tanks. The guns everything was so amazing but i grew up playing with army men and gi joes 😆 and watched saving private ryan wayyyy to early.

[@kenibnanak5554]

There was a US copy of the concept made for the M3 Greasegun and it is pictured in some of the 1960s vintage pictoral weapons books by Colby.

[@clavididk1236]

@@kenibnanak5554 thats 😎 as hell. I gotta go back there and see all those sick tanks and my fave the ww1 ww2 guns they used.

[@g24thinf]

MP44's were found in Syria during the latest conflict there.

[@Bacardibatman]

#22 @11:00 C.P.L. = Comité Parisien de Libération

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Thanks !

[@para1324]

I think the map case is a magazine pouch for the MP 44.

[@josephstabile9154]

Thanks for the most interesting pics! A few, random comments: the 1st pic with guy holding MP-44 has Wehrmacht decal led helmet & may not be SS; the pic with the GI's examining the MP-44 with the "krummerlauf", curved barrel attachment shows the noted firearm authority/writer Phil Sharpe holding the gun; what you refer to as MG-34s in the pics are actually MG-42s (except for the guy aiming the scoped MG-34): the woods shot with the single file trio with the leader carrying MP-44 may be a re-enactment--picture clarity, fine film grain suggests this, esp. for this stage of war, as Germans were using much less silver (strategic mat'l) in their film emulsions at this stage; young "Serbian" is holding a MP-38, rather than MP-40. Thanks again.

[@justinedwards8931]

at 28:25 thats a BMW R12 you can see the badge just below the tank

[@Paladin1873]

I believe the GPMG at 3:59 is a MG42. b The GPMG at 13:03 is a MG42. The solder at 15:27 could be Free French. The American at 17:27 is carrying a M1 carbine. The US Special Forces soldiers at18:36 and 25:58 are demonstrating foreign weapons. I recall seeing these image in a book the Army put out during the Vietnam War while I was in high school ROTC. I think the photos was taken stateside either at Ft Benning or Ft Rucker. The Serbian soldier at 27:24 is using a MP-38.

[@noelsalisbury7448]

Fantastic quality photographs. Thankyou.

[@WAFFENAMT1]

I think the German night vision MP44 was called The Vampir...The bent barreled MP44 was called The Krumelloft Attachment

[@camel303]

A little bit confusing: It was originaly called a MP44, Machine Pistole 1944, and next it was called a STG, Sturm Gewehr 1944, as in the same title as a MG42, Maschine Gewehr 1942, and thats absolutly no Pistole😉.

[@TheGorillafoot]

This is a great history lesson. Great photos too!

[@kenibnanak5554]

In the early days of WWII England had like 14 M1928 Thompsons which were shared out for photos of different groups to make it look likie they had thousands of those' gangster' weapons. The famous photo of Churchill with a cigar and a Thompson involved one of those 14 guns. So too did your home guard photo, and some photos of the new 'Commando' units. Noting slso the lack of trigger finger discipline in the photo of the British officer with the pipe as he points a magazine equipped weapon at the belly of a fellow British soldier while his finger caresses the trigger. Ouch!

[@nataliedeyton6829]

I bought some German things this weekend ... a belt buckle , a few pins but the guy had lots of stuff but I don’t know enough about expensive things to spend much money . He had a really cool death ring but I didn’t know if 200 was too much or not. I like watching you trying to learn 👍

[@manfredrichthofen2494]

Frame #35 G.l. looking down on a Dead German soldier is, in All probability, carrying an M-1 carbine... By the looks of it's " thin " barrel and overall shortness of the firearm itself..

[@leonardjanda6181]

The Peroni disease that one really got me going lol 😝 great 👍 videos 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Glad you liked it. Not many commented but I assume those outside US dont know what Im talking about. I only know because I see the constant commercials on TV.

[@Spitsz01]

Yup, in the beginning the SS had captured weapons, and some where crap, like the Chauchat. WW1 era btw. Can you imagine trying to keep this thing clean and running in the Flanders mud! Ian, the ultimate French expert and Gun jezus can tell you a tale or two. Also highly recommended: Mark Novac from Anvil. He has, among many, a great vid about restoring a Chauchat.

[@ronalddunne3413]

Big Dittoes on the crappy Chauchat! It was issued to American Doughboys in ww1 and it was roundly hated because of it's tendency to jam up or breakdown- always at the wrong time. I guess the French must have kept a store of them- enuff for the SS to snap them up. I'd bet tho that they only used them for garrison or occupation duties...

[@andrewgates8158]

Chauchat was mostly crap in 3006

[@alancranford3398]

I suspect that the US Green Beret soldiers in your pictures were actually stateside photos of weapons used by the Green Berets for foreign weapon familiarization. Some missions required Special Forces personnel to use weapons that were NOT current US issue.

[@Foche_T._Schitt]

#18 I got a Werndl that looks like it was run over. Maybe first world war?

[@JNathanielBerke]

great video, Tom!

[@clavididk1236]

Thanks for the upload 🙏👌🙌

[@thunderK5]

The soldier in slide 30 has a cuff band on his left arm, like for a more-elite unit of which he is part.

[@Chiller01]

Regarding the broken weapons, I’ve seen several old video clips of allied soldiers consciously destroying German weapons by grabbing them by the barrels and hitting them against walls, destroyed armour etc. I’m always like noooo, keep it it’ll be worth tons of money in 70-80 years.

[@greatest_bumble_bee_dude]

They did the correct thing. Everything is covered by the Geneva convention along with international signed treaties

[@greatest_bumble_bee_dude]

I'm not even sure if this youtube videos contents are even legal

[@NemoBlank]

@@greatest_bumble_bee_dude Another Marxist bully. Go to hell, bully.

[@ArnoSchmidt70]

Spraypaint was invented after the war. They had to use a brush to paint their guns.

[@edwincathey5260]

The fg42 in the pic on the table with the British is a first model

[@MGB-learning]

Another outstanding video and presentation. I need more Cow Bell!

[@DARIVSARCHITECTVS]

What you pointed at as an MG-34 in all the pictures was in fact an MG-42. The curved barrel attachment for the StG-44 was the Krumlauf, a device only used in tanks to allow the crew to spray bullet shard over their vehicle to prevent event troops from climbing aboard and laying mines or explosives on the vehicle, all without requiring the crew to open a hatch. The MP/StG-44's with the white on them were indeed whitewashed by the soldiers to help camouflage them. Keep in mind that many of the pictures we may interpret as front line action pictures were staged as propaganda and news pictures, and it is often very difficult to tell the difference. The broken weapons on the street were destroyed intentionally and discarded. This was commonly done by swinging it hard to the ground or against a tree. The k98's broke at the write and their barrels were bent, and the weak spot of the MP-44 was the attachment of the wood buttstock to the trunnion that attached to the receiver. It is relative easy to snap off the thin-walled stock and disable the rifle because the stock houses the rear end of the recoil spring. No stock, no boom. Note how many of the map cases are thick with contents, most probably food or other items besides maps. Strange how many of these photos I have seen before in my readings.

[@pappamike6231]

In image 33 it appears that there are some old revolvers. could anyone identify those?

[@timothydownum4689]

First picture he is wearing a wermacht type helmet notice the tri shield guy behind is in WSs cammo.

[@gerrypowell2748]

Great pics👌

[@tiredlawdog]

Tom, where in the world do you get these pictures? Fantastic, seldom seen pictures.

[@davidschaadt3460]

I love these photos . I need an MP -44 Muzzle Nut .I know someplace was reproing them several years back .If you could help me .🏆🏁🏆🏁

[@mo45327]

27:27 That Serbian guy is not a Partisan but a Chetnik, he has an MP 38 not an MP 40, and it's hemp not marijuana 😂

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Great info..... thanks. !! Told you I had a lot to learn

[@jamesgaynor3035]

At 4:00 Thats not an MG 34 but is in fact an MG 42

[@worldwarwill1278]

14:04 photo 30. These are re-enactors.

[@waffenSS2245]

I’m going to guess that the first photo is a reenactor, very rare to see Heer and SS fighting in such proximity as this, the double decal helmet would also be extremely rare at this point in the war. The field cap tucked in the belt is also a typical “reenactorism” that was not typically seen or done.

[@andrewgates8158]

Why? The ss trying to hide crimes from heer?

[@horseteeth6139]

59 I believe to be hemp. Great collection, by the way.

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Aren't Hemp and "Pot" close relatives?

[@horseteeth6139]

@@thomaswhiteman4261 Yes, but hemp wont get you high. It was grown as a textile back then. It was the best material for rope and line making.

[@ogstopper]

That's a great final picture! It could have been my great-Grandad!

[@rodgerjohnson3375]

One Mp38 was misidentified as a 40.

[@RickJZ1973]

Interesting video! Next video please cover the North American Arms 1911 on your website.

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Already done !! Will be up next.

[@RickJZ1973]

@@thomaswhiteman4261 Will definitely look forward to it. You were probably tempted to keep it in your own collection. Two more examples are going up for auction in the near future.

[@haroldgodwinson832]

The broken weapons could have been destroyed by either side. Typically, as a soldier, you're not supposed to allow your weapon to fall into enemy hands.

[@hnangell]

photo # 32 shows M1 carbine mag pouches across chest

[@Foche_T._Schitt]

When you say Waffen-SS it sounds like you're saying Waffle. Say Vaffen. V V A F F E N It's a Vee sound

[@thunderK5]

I'm pretty sure that the MG in slide 23 is an MG42.

[@orionbennett7343]

Maybe I am way off here ... absolutely not a historian, but the firearms with the bent looking adapter on the end of the barrel ... I heard that the Germans were attempting to fire bullets around corners, and so, had the attachment to do just that. Bringing that to the present .... Demolition Ranch here on YT has looked into and experimented with projectiles, following a curved path, and it is not only possible to shoot around corners ... but kind of cool ... (if you can get the optics correct anyhow ....)

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

You are correct. It was for shooting around corners. I was merely making a joke

[@harrylime8077]

Eventually they perfected the technique to shoot bullets 180* and the war ended!

[@davidschaadt3460]

It was the Krummellauf and it actually worked ,for a few hundred rounds .The spelling may not be correct .

[@grayharker6271]

What is amazing is German record's. I have some waffen wings and death heads I bought in Germany in the early 70s. They are cheap stamped aluminum, even so they are dated with serial numbers! None of my US army insignias, badges or jumpwings have any manufacturer markings on them. Everything the wermacht issued is marked in some way!

[@johnflowers1980]

MP 18 in photo #33

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Thanks

[@johndeere1951a]

The photo at 26:35 appears that the soldier is missing his left leg ?!👀 That's a story ???

[@hughmarloweverest1684]

Thanks, I watched it all.

[@Spitsz01]

Picture 59 is an MP38.

[@alexhidell8022]

@14:01 is probably reenactors

[@steven-k.]

pic 42 is the West Point Military museum. I think you've misidentified a few MG42s as 34s in some of those pics. The German guns in Vietnam were taken there by the French. The Viet Minh beat the French, that's how they got into the hands of the Viet Cong. And the Germans captured a large amount of British equipment after the evacuation from Dunkirk, which is probably where the Bren came from. The French also took a large amount of lend lease stuff to Vietnam and then the US added to it. I know a lot of German and US stuff like MP40s and Thompsons was just stacked outside after the war and left to rust.

[@VeraTR909]

Yup that's cannabis (slide 59)

[@charlesbowers5668]

Photo #35 The American soldier is carrying an m-1 carbine, slung with a stock magazine pouch.

[@Spitsz01]

You keep getting the Mg 34 and 42 mixed up. Al Mg 42's as far as I can see. Picture 50 is in Italy, the Germans taking over just after Italy surrendered to the Allies, possibly Rome.

[@leannclark5149]

I thought you were going to say the guy threw the rubber muzzle cap away and it was worth 10 thousand dollars!!

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

More like $20 .

[@juredamic5474]

Picture no. 59, your comment is terribly WRONG. This is a Serbian chetnik not a partisan. They were on the German side (General Draza Mihailovic ) and fight against partisans lead by Tito. There is distinctive sign on the cap, in our language known as kokarda. Chetniks cap were more open and wide, as on the picture, called sajkaca, the partisans cap were more pointed on the top with red star on the front side, simmilar with Russians.

[@gmm5938]

10:17 it was probably a walther pp in that holster

[@toldyouso5588]

That around the corner STG becomes a suicide weapon if the bullet goes into a window comes out the doorway and shoots the shooter's back.

[@philipfitton5660]

quote: "when it comes to uniforms, I don't know the difference between Oberführer and Unterführer or Führer" .... so Führer is easy to spot,.. that's the guy with the funny mustache 🤣

[@vandoo66]

Not convinced those USSF photos are from Vietnam. Could be Stateside ( Ft. Bragg or Aberdeen or…)

[@joachimeriksson8557]

you got to learn the diff between a MG42 and a MG34.

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

You are correct. I need to know the difference. I just never handle them. Definitely never shot one

[@davidschaadt3460]

The 34 has a round barrel shroud ,whereas the 42 is square.

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

@@davidschaadt3460 Helpful tip. Thanks

[@davidschaadt3460]

@@thomaswhiteman4261 I hope you are enjoying your Cruise.Keep an eye out for U-Boats ,just like the old days .

[@joachimeriksson8557]

@@thomaswhiteman4261 you have a great channel !

[@shannonpinion5729]

the germans invented the ifrared scope they called it vampire it had a battery about the size and weight of a car battery and could only see out to 150 meters but when your enemy cant see his hand in front of his face and you can see him its an edge.

[@klausvonschmit4722]

Yea, that’s Krissy on his way to take out Phil… He was just following orders Boss! 😂

[@jerryakbar6147]

In other words , please do research for me ( legacy) for free. And maybe , just maybe we might send you a refrigerator magnet. But hey at least you feel like your on the legacy team. I suppose that’s worth something. After what happened to Tom machine gun friend recently, the timing of this video is interesting. Now off to the video, I’ve only made it 1:24… I love machine guns. Who doesn’t? Keep em coming Tommy boy.

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Not sure what you are trying to say. I'm just showing the public some interesting photos. Free content. You can look at them or you can look elsewhere. I thought they were cool photos. Nothing here for sale, just pure love of the hobby.

[@jerryakbar6147]

@@thomaswhiteman4261 yes pretty cool photos I have to break your balls a little Tom. Sure it’s a hobby to most, it’s a business to some. And that’s where you come in. The videos are basically advertisements wrapped in hobby/ documentary gaberdine. I like watching them, just like I like watching Tom Whitmann’s unboxing videos, also basically advertisements. Good advertisements I must say, not like the kind on TV that try to reinforce European culture is bad to my kids non stop. So for that I’m grateful. I’ve been a little ticked off at you since the himmler presentation video. That’s pure jealousy…I’m working on that. Oh and by the way ,in that photo of the officers standing next to the radio equipment with the guns on the table, around 34 the guy on the right looks like he’s wearing a kantine bought skull ring. You owe me a refrigerator magnet.