The MG34 laid down withering fire during Germany’s Blizkrieg victories early in WWII, but it was the MG42, designed to replace that MG34, that has had the greatest influence since the end of that war. As good as the MG34 was, it was too expensive and production too time consuming for Germany’s wartime needs. Already by 1937, designs for a replacement were being evaluated. As a result, the MG42, which was less expensive to produce, entered production in 1942. Even though the MG34 remained in production until the end of the War, about 75,000 more MG42s were produced. Although the MG42 was still a well-made weapon, there was not as much precision machining as with the MG34, which aided reliability in dust, snow, mud, etc. One of the most noteworthy features of the MG42, especially among those who faced it in combat, was its high cyclic rate: 1,200 RPM!
As was the MG34, the MG42 was recoil-operated and air-cooled. However, it employed a recoil-operated roller locking action. In simple terms, the bolt incorporated rollers; when the bolt entered the barrel extension, these rollers locked into grooves on the barrel extension. When the expansion chamber in the MG42’s muzzle device forced gases back against the locked barrel and bolt, the rollers were cammed out of their locking grooves allowing the bolt to move rearward to cycle the action. Also, the MG42 made use of pressings and stampings from carbon steel with spot welding and riveting wherever possible. As a result, an MG42 took about half the man-hours to complete as an MG34 and required about 60% of the raw materials.
Prototypes when tested proved to be more rugged and reliable than the MG34. The MG42’s quick-change barrel could be switched out quickly (four to seven seconds by a skilled assistant gunner), but the system was not well-suited to switching of MGs installed on armored vehicles as Panzers were produced with mounting points designed for the MG34. Also, the MG42’s barrel had to be changed through the side of the jacket, which was difficult within the confines of armored vehicles. Because of the MG42’s high cyclic rate, the barrel heated up more quickly, thus barrel changes were frequent. However, in combat, ability to utilize its quick-change barrel was necessary; so MG34’s remained standard for many vehicles. Continued use of the MG34, which showed a propensity for jamming, caused complaints later from some Panzer officers on the Eastern Front.
Early in 1942, the new machine gun was officially adopted with manufacturing taking place at Großfuß AG, Mauser-Werke AG, Gustloff-Werke, and Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and MAGET (Maschinenbau und Gerätebau GmbH, Berlin-Tegel). Once the MG42 was deployed, it showed its reliability in the sands of North Africa and the ice, slush, and snow of Russia. Even after the MG42 had proven itself in combat, German engineers continued to experiment with making the MG42 quicker and less expensive while retaining its effectiveness. However, as Germany went on the defensive in all theaters, there was little interest in tinkering with assembly lines.
It is interesting that MG42 gunners were trained to fire the weapon from the hip by pressing the stock against the body with the bicep and grabbing the folded bipod with the support hand. Presumably, the sling was used unless the gunner was very strong. This is especially the case when fatigue from combat and lack of hot food have taken their toll, though adrenalin might kick in for firing a couple of bursts. Normally, however, in most battlefield scenarios the gunner would be firing off the bipod while prone or from cover off the tripod. From what I’ve read, German gunners were trained to use five-to ten-round bursts in most combat situations. German gunners were also trained to fire up to 15 well-aimed bursts per minute. Based on my experience firing the MG42, I would agree that this is a reasonable tactical use of the weapon, especially given its high cyclic rate, which would likely degrade control on longer bursts. I found that recoil and vibration became noticeable when firing longer bursts.
Due to the fact that a large proportion of German infantrymen during WWII were armed with bolt-action 98k rifles, the Wehrmacht issued more machine guns to a typical infantry company than did the Americans. While a German infantry company (circa 1944) consisted of 150 men, the TO&E (Table of Organization and Equipment) called for 15 general purpose machine guns (GPMGs). By comparison, a US Infantry Company consisted of about 200 men and fielded five BARs (Browning Automatic Rifles) and two M1919A4 machine guns in a Light Machine Gun Section. Additionally, a US Infantry Company had a mortar section with three 60mm mortars. As can be seen, the German Infantry Company, even though only about ¾ the size of a US Infantry Company, had more than twice the number of automatic weapons, and the bulk of those in the US company were BARs.