The MG 42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or "machine gun 42") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II.

In spite of its tendency to overheat, the MG-42 was an excellent weapon that was light-years of ahead of the US counterpart, the Browning M-1919A4 machine gun. Germany produced roughly 400,000 MG-42s during the war, some of which are still in active service.

The MG 42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or "machine gun 42") was a general-purpose machine gun. It was created in Nazi Germany. It began being used by the Wehrmacht in 1942. It was used with (and sometimes replaced) the MG 34 machine gun in the German Armed Forces. Both weapons were made and used until the end of the war. [2]

Oct 3, 2022 · With the need for a cheaper machine gun, the Germans developed the MG-42. Learn about its use during WWII and the weapons it inspired.

Feb 6, 2025 · The Maschinengewehr 42, more commonly called the MG42, was Germany’s final development in its longstanding “universal machine gun” concept. It was also the beginning of a GI nightmare and a...

MG42, German general-purpose machine gun, used as a standard weapon by many armies around the world. The MG42 was designed in Germany in 1938, and it was placed in action on all fronts by mid-1942.

Sep 19, 2017 · The MG 42 was quicker and cheaper to make, fired faster, was mechanically robust, and its interchangeable barrels could be swapped out in seconds. More than 400,000 MG 42s were made during the war, and they literally changed the nature of infantry warfare on all fronts in the West.

The MG 42 was the Third Reich’s preferred general purpose machine gun in the second half of World War II. The MG 42 could also be used with a heavyduty tripod, the Lafette 42, to create a powerful sustained firing platform.

Aug 14, 2024 · Few images evoke as powerful an image of the carnage and bloodshed of the Second World War as that of the MG-42. From the beaches of Normandy to the baking sands of North Africa, the MG-42 was ubiquitous from 1942 to the end of the Second World War.

During World War II, the MG42 machine gun was a reliable and powerful symbol of German engineering. This article takes an in-depth look at this iconic firearm, covering its design, historical significance, operational capabilities, and its lasting impact on modern warfare.