World War 2 | WW2

The main infantry weapon of World War II

The infantry of World War II used a wide variety of weapons. The primary weapon was the repeating rifle—for example, the Soviet Mosin, the German Kar98k, the British Lee-Enfield, and the American M1903 Springfield. These were the riflemen's primary weapons, especially early in the war.

Self-loading rifles played a key role: the American M1 Garand and the Soviet SVT-38/40 offered faster fire rates than conventional rifles. By the end of the war, the first mass-produced assault rifles appeared, the most famous being the German StG 44.

For close combat, submachine guns were used: the Soviet PPSh-41 and PPS-43, the German MP 40, the British Sten, and the American Thompson. They were particularly well suited for fighting in cities and trenches.

The primary fire support weapons were light and heavy machine guns. Well-known examples included the Soviet DP-27, the German MG 34 and MG 42, the British Bren, and the American Browning M1919.

The infantry also used pistols as auxiliary weapons: the Soviet TT, the German Luger P08 and Walther P38, and the American Colt M1911.

Hand grenades, both offensive and defensive, were of great importance. Soviet F-1 and RGD-33 grenades, German Stielhandgranates, American Mk IIs, and British Mills grenades were used.

Anti-tank rifles and grenade launchers were used to combat armored vehicles. The USSR used the PTRD and PTRS, Germany the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck, and the USA the Bazooka.

In addition, the infantry used mortars, flamethrowers, anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, and various engineering assets. Thus, infantry weapons constituted a complete system: rifles and submachine guns for riflemen, machine guns for support, grenades and mortars for engaging targets behind cover, and anti-tank weapons for combating armored vehicles.

The main history of World War II after June 22, 1941

On June 22, 1941, Germany and its allies launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the USSR. German troops rapidly advanced deep into the country, capturing vast territories and approaching Leningrad, Moscow, and Rostov. However, the Red Army halted the offensive near Moscow in the winter of 1941–1942.

In 1942, Germany attempted to capture the Caucasus and Stalingrad. In November, Soviet troops encircled the German forces in Stalingrad. In February 1943, the German army capitulated, marking one of the major turning points of the war.

The Battle of Kursk took place in the summer of 1943. Following its conclusion, the Red Army finally launched a strategic offensive. In 1944, Soviet troops liberated a significant portion of the USSR and began the liberation of Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile, the Western Allies—the United States and Great Britain—were fighting Germany in North Africa and Italy. On June 6, 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy, opening the Western Front in France.

In early 1945, Germany found itself caught between Soviet forces in the east and the Allies in the west. In April, the Red Army launched an offensive on Berlin. On April 30, Adolf Hitler committed suicide. On May 8, 1945, Germany signed the act of unconditional surrender.

However, the war continued in Asia. The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the USSR entered the war against Japan in August 1945. On September 2, 1945, Japan signed its surrender, and World War II ended.

The main reasons for the victory of the anti-Hitler coalition were the enormous resources of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain, the superiority of the allies in industry and the gradual opening of several fronts against the Axis countries.

Date: June 23, 1941.
Time: 12:34 Moscow time, 21-hour format.
The fog of war shrouded the world. Adolf Hitler went mad and declared war on the USSR. The sounds of explosions, gunfire, and the roar of engines were already becoming commonplace. All countries were alarmed by this news, even though the Third Reich was already at war with the Allies. No one could have imagined that the non-aggression pact would be so vilely broken by a stealthy invasion.

Map: The date of the main world map is June 1941.
State of war: France and Poland have been defeated, as have Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Czechoslovakia has been divided into the territory of the Third Reich, leaving only Slovakia. The Third Reich is at war with all Allied countries and has decided to attack the USSR, terminating the non-aggression pact.