WWII Assault Tanks

[Scott Kenny]

Then why did the US Army install 7.62mm Gatling guns on some of the Humvees driven by Green Berets in Afghanistan and Iraq?

Different mission. The idea there was to give them the ability to throw down a lot of fire all at once so that they could break contact and LEAVE.

But Green Berets being Green Berets probably used them on the attack, and now they're out of ammo for when they need to break contact and leave.

 

[HoHun]

Hi,

The MG42 was notorious for its hunger for bullets and was noted to be an out right PAIN to keep fed.

I didn't check the WW2 manuals, but a 1960 Bundeswehr pocket manual describes the tactically realistic maximum effective rate of fire of the MG42 as 120 to 160 rounds per minute. The British expected 120 rounds per minute from the Bren gun:

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/5-56%C3%9745mm-nato-conversion-kit-for-mg-42-59.42012/#post-695976

You might have seen this ... German soldier operating machine gun as he's been trained to:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-VJERTwTJc&t=25s


Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

[Nik]

Comes down to logistics ?
Do you hump yet-another box of belt, or the spare barrel you'll need to fire it through ??

 

[Colonial-Marine]

I believe the concept behind the German focus on very high rates of fire for their infantry MGs was that in normal circumstances enemy infantry would only be exposed for brief periods of time. So, when you catch them in the open you want to send as much fire as possible downrange before they can move into cover. There is some logic to this, but penalties that come with that high rate of fire. In intense combat green troops must be likely to fire excessive amounts of ammunition and ruin barrels.