When it comes to personal weapons, the 20th century was awash with them. Probably the most armed century that mankind has yet seen. It saw the development of some of the most 'efficient' ways of killing people we have yet seen, and by this, I mean the introduction of automatic weapons.

Prior to the time between WWI and WWII, this was the forte of the machine gun. Developed in the late 19th century, these were pretty efficient when it came to delivering bullets into bodies, but these were heavy and not easily moved so were operated mostly from semi-fixed positions. Then came the submachine gun.

Several nations developed these weapons and they provided the ability to be mobile like the large machine gun was not. Though generally not very accurate, they didn't have to be as the purpose was to pump out the bullets and if you spray enough around, they are bound to hit something or someone. While many of these early guns were effective, they were also rather complex and costly to build. What was needed was a cheaper and more simple way to kill and this is where several nations developed guns made from sheet steel stamped into the parts needed.

In Germany, this meant the MP 38, which still had a considerable number of machined parts, to the MP 40, which had even more parts made from stamped steel. The MP 40 was able to be built in such numbers, that it was possible to equip even more of the Army's soldiers with this weapon. While not the most widely used gun in the German military (the Kar 98 rifle was), it was pretty much, along with the MP 38, ubiquitous on every front in which Germany fought.

As popular as these guns were, they were not the best around as they could still be plagued with issues. For instance, they had to be kept clean and dry. when operating in Soviet winters, it was found that condensation would freeze and cause the gun to jam. It also could not handle a lot of mud and dirt. In this regard, the Soviet PPsh-41 was superior and often used by German soliders when they and their ammunition could be found. Yet it was the MP 38/40 that influenced many post war weapons and was used by some military forces even into the 1990s.

The author is quite knowledgeable on the subject and is able to take us through the history of the weapons as well as the various manufacturers and use. It then goes into its use in WWII as well as many post-war conflicts. This section covers half of the book and to me was one of the more interesting parts of the edition. Another interesting part is its use in popular culture, such as movies. It is shown being used in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' even though that movie was supposed to be set in 1936, years before the gun was even made.

In all, it is another fine addition to the Weapons series and is one that should be in the library of any enthusiast.

August 2014

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