Who used the Stg. 44???

[RabidMangalica]

I cant really get my hands on this as they tend to show up on pictures relating to almost any type of divisional unit.

Were they just scattered among front units or is there some logic behind it.
Can any one help me just stating what kind unit inside the Division that was suppose to have them and to what kind of Divisions one could find these units?

Many thanks

Stefan

[wehrmacht98k]

I am sure when they were first introduced as prototypes they were issued to certain units. But after that first phase it was issued just like any other weapon.
-Matt

[qartveli]

first who got em where trapped ss soldiers in Russia, with help of this guns they actually were able to return to the HQ. Hitler didnt like this gun, he preferred old Kar98 that he used in WWI. but after 1943 many german unit recieved it due to a high demand.

[Ts4EVER]

first who got em where trapped ss soldiers in Russia, with help of this guns they actually were able to return to the HQ. Hitler didnt like this gun, he preferred old Kar98 that he used in WWI. but after 1943 many german unit recieved it due to a high demand.

That "dropped into a pocket" theory is wrong and an urban legend. Who would drop prototype weapons using new calibre ammuntion into a pocket?
They were first tested with regular infantry divsions near Leningrad (in the form of the MKb42) starting in April 1943. After that they start showing up in a variety of units, however their main purpose was to equip the so called "Sturm Züge" of the new Volksgrenadier infantry divisions towards the end of WW2.

[M19 MADMAL]

Were they just scattered among front units or is there some logic behind it.
Can any one help me just stating what kind unit inside the Division that was suppose to have them and to what kind of Divisions one could find these units?

Hi,

This may be of interest.
They turned up in the Channel Islands, or at least Jersey, which were manned by the 319th Infantry Division (which was all but in name a static Fortress Division). They would have needed to have arrived before D-Day as the Islands were under a state of seige from then onwards.

Regards,
Malcolm

[dect]

Hi Malcolm

Any chance for pictures?

Regards
Jacek

Were they just scattered among front units or is there some logic behind it.
Can any one help me just stating what kind unit inside the Division that was suppose to have them and to what kind of Divisions one could find these units?

Hi,

This may be of interest.
They turned up in the Channel Islands, or at least Jersey, which were manned by the 319th Infantry Division (which was all but in name a static Fortress Division). They would have needed to have arrived before D-Day as the Islands were under a state of seige from then onwards.

Regards,
Malcolm

[tracman]

I'd go along with the theory that they were issued somewhat haphazardly. About two years ago or so, Militaria Magazine published a series of pictures taken in early August 1944 of a group of infantry, primarily equipped with Panzerfaueste and Panzerschreck, marching through a French town, where a KB photographer took at least one roll of film. This unit was initially attributed to belonging to the 2nd Panzer Division but, in retrospect, is more likely from the 89th or 272nd infantry division. One soldier is clearly armed with an MP44. Interestingly, every other soldier armed with a long-gun in that series carries a Kar98k.

Pictures taken of the liberation of Tulle, in Southern France in the mid August 1944 timeframe, which pitted essentially Maquis units against replacement troops assigned to the 17th SS, also show an MP44.

I'd be curious as well as to how these were issued, since issuing such rifles piecemeal would have caused logistics issues due to the relatively non-standard round they fired.

[peeved]

1. Skijäger-Brigade repro shots from exp. eBay.de.

Markus

[peeved]

More.

[peeved]

More.

[Steve Wilcox]

Some KStN examples:

Volksgrenadier:
http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn131v1sep44.htm
http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn131v1nov44.htm

Panzergrenadier:
http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn1114agpfg1aug44.htm
http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn1114afg1nov44.htm
http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn1114b1nov44.htm

Begleitgrenadier:
http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn4481dez44.htm

You may find the following threads of interest:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=92823
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=84874

[Jakes]

Some photos of users

http://schmeisser.io.ua/album