J. van Limpt
Member
I've noticed in the Estab Editor that the German G-43 rifle is missing. Perhaps it can be added in a future patch?
I did see your post , from what I have read the 43 was not widely issued or liked .
Since you're modifying your Estabs to include this weapon, it'd be interesting to see if the introduction of this weapon into Axis infantry units materially changed their ability to fight under game conditions.402,713 Gewehr 43 (redesignated "Karabiner 43" in 1944) rifles were produced from October 1943 - 1945. In 1943, only 3,209 units were built, but in 1944 satellite facilities had picked up production as well, so that 277,862 rilfes could be produced until December 44.
The rifles were liked and disliked at the same time.
Since - for the first time - rifle units had a carbine at their disposal that could provide a higher amount of RPM, and since it allowed for fast reloads (somewhat similar to a MP-cartridge change, 10 rounds mag as bottom feed), rilfe units actually liked it for the fact that it put them on a more balanced level if they encountered Russian or American units equipped with semi-auto rifles (ie. SVT rifles and M1 Garand). Additionally, the rifle could still be loaded with clips and most of the G43/K43 had mount rails for the telescopic sight ZF4 (4x).
Late batches received a shorter barrel (500 mm) and plastic stock, which reduced the weight from 4.4 kg to 3.6 kg and which improved gun handling a lot.
It was disliked for the fact that the regular 7.92 x 57mm round would produce an often widely visible muzzle flash that would give away the rifleman's position on rifles with barrel lenghts under 600 mm (the G43's barrel was 550mm long, last batches in 1945 were shortened to 500 mm).
Due to the campaign to improve output numbers and streamline designs to more simplistic mass production designs, the rifle's muzzle threads (to hold either a grenade launcher cup or a suppressor) were canceled in 1944, some sources say that they didn't even make it into serial production, but German sources hint towards the first batch (1943, total output: 3,209 rifles) or parts of it having received muzzle threads.
Due to the streamlining of the particular factories' output and due to the fact that the level of resources for high precision rifle barrels decreased dramatically, a lower amount (as originally intended) of G43 could actually serve as sniper rifles. A German secret report created in July 1944 estimated that only 5% of the (current) G43 output could be used as sniper rifles. Basically, Hitler had personally ordered serial production of the G43 (as a sniper rifle and additional standard rifle), but in order to fulfil the order, and in order to keep the quality of the K 98 still in production, quality standards had to be lowered for the G43.
This made the G43 less precise than the K98, it could barely provide for an effective range of around 300 meters, even though the regular 7.92-mm round actually offered higher ranges with other rifles (the K98 k's effective range: 550 meters with iron sight, 1000 meters with 8x telescopic sight), so that snipers usually fell back to using the K 98 k ZF.
The G. 43 ZF sniper version was issued to sniper units, though, around 53,435 sniper versions were produced and issued. It's not clear whether these were tested (for accuracy) before they were issued to snipers or not.
So, even though the rifle was put into production as a serial production sniper rifle, snipers disliked the rifle, because of
- the mentioned muzzle flash,
- because of the missing muzzle thread (for a supressor) and especially
- because of the lower effective range, obviously caused by the high amount of substandard barrels and their actual (short) lengths.
The G43 was, just like its predecessor - the unsuccessful G41, a result of what I would call the "SVT"-shock on the Eastern Front, when German riflemen (carrying their K 98's) encountered Russian units that were equipped with SVT semi-auto rifles.
Grunts liked the G43 as it improved their unit's firepower and because usual encounters often involved exchange of fire within less than 300 meters.
Since you're modifying your Estabs to include this weapon, it'd be interesting to see if the introduction of this weapon into Axis infantry units materially changed their ability to fight under game conditions.
If the weapon's performance is very similar to or a duplicate of others available at that time and already encoded in the Estab, adding it would only increase the complexity of scenario design without offering any significant change in the combat modeling. In designing a scenario, it's difficult enough to find out which specific weapons were available to which units at a specific date let alone variations on designs that didn't materially change combat doctrine.