By Michael Heidler
After the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the entire local arms industry came under German influence. The Czechs were very advanced in weapons engineering, rich in experience and know-how and possessed modern factories. In the course of the reorganization of the industry, the conglomerate Československá Zbrojovka a.s. Brno (“Czechoslovak arms factory AG Brno”) was placed under German administration.
From 1938 until 1945, the conglomerate operated under the names Waffenwerke Brünn I (Brno) and II (Bystrica) and was affiliated to the Reichswerke Hermann Göring. The main products were military equipment for the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. Not only were German weapons like the Karabiner 98k made, but also Czech pre-war developments under a new designation. For example, the vz. 24 rifle as Gewehr 24(t), the ZB vz. 26 as MG 26(t) and the ZB vz. 37 as MG 37(t). The (t) in the German name means “tschechisch” (Czech).
The Waffen-SS quickly succeeded in gaining full control of the arms factory in Brno. The Waffenwerke’s development department worked from then on as a part of the “SS-Waffenakademie Brünn” (SS-Weap
ons Academy Brno) on the implementation of many innovative ideas, which would not have been possible through the official channels involved with the Heereswaffenamt (Army Ordnance Office) because of the intense rivalries between the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. While the Wehrmacht was able to provide weapons through the official channels, the SS was often left out. Some developments proved to be successful and were then also produced at the Army Ordnance Office, such as the anti-tank rifle M.SS.41.
The Need to Rise Above
One particular development was the submachine gun Model SS 42. It was born out of the desire for more reliable function and a higher magazine capacity. The German MP 40 with its 32-round magazine was clearly inferior to the Russian PPSh-41 with its 71-round drum in the decisive moments of close combat and tended to have feeding problems under adverse conditions. Captured Russian SMGs, in the Wehrmacht designated as MP 717(r), were accordingly popular and were seldom delivered to the looted collection points. The Army Ordnance Office experimented with a converted MP 40 with a double magazine well holding two stick magazines. The result was called “MP 40/1” and was produced in a very limited number; however, the weapon was not very stable. On standard receivers taken from the series production, the cut-out for the magazine well was enlarged but without adding additional reinforcement to the weakened part of the receiver. On some of the still existing MP 40/1s, the receivers have been bent due to long-term storage.
out of the weapon and is obstructive in the prone firing position.
Further Development
The SS therefore relied on a further development of the Czech pre-war submachine gun vz. 38. The work began at the end of March 1942, and as early as June, the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was notified of the completion and testing of the first experimental weapons with a drum magazine for 64 rounds. The Army Ordnance Office of course did not remain uninformed about these events and was very angry about the arbitrary action of the Waffen-SS. Therefore, the submachine gun was rejected in a meeting of the Weapons Commission at the Reich Minister of Armaments and War Production in August. The decision was justified by spurious arguments like the imminent adoption of the Maschinenkarabiner MKb42, the improvement of the MP 40 magazines and the impractical wooden stock.
However, despite that, the development continued. The MP SS 42 is blowback-operated and fires from the open bolt. It does not show any special technical features. Initially, the production was very complex because no components are interchangeable with the MP 38 or MP 40; however, the engineers were already working on simplifications, such as a receiver entirely made of sheet metal. Instead of the drum magazine, a stick magazine could be used alternatively. The MP SS 42 was not compatible with any other German submachine gun. The Waffen-SS applied for the production of a total of 10,000 pieces in December 1942, but nothing came of it. Albert Speer as Minister of Armaments and War Production had the last word.
The MP SS 42’s Death Sentence
In a letter dated April 12, 1943, Speer ordered that all further work on the submachine gun was prohibited:
“1.) The M.P. SS 42 offers no advantages in design and manufacturing technology compared to the introduced M.P. 40, in particular, it can be achieved no increase in performance since it fires the pistol cartridge 08.
2.) A production at the Waffenwerke Brno would severely affect the output of other equipment, including the Karabiner 98k and the 3.7cm anti-aircraft gun, whose maximum increase has recently been described as urgent by the Führer.
Under these circumstances, I am of the opinion that the production of the M.P. SS 42 in a number of 10,000 pieces is not justifiable and ask to refrain from pursuing this matter.”
The reasons for the refusal were completely different this time. Advantages like the increase in performance due to the higher capacity drum magazine did not count and were obviously not of interest. Thus, the MP SS 42 remains only a peripheral appearance in the variety of infantry weapons of World War II. Only a few unique prototypes have been preserved, all in slightly different variations, in the outstanding collection of the Prague Army Museum.
• • •
The author thanks Jan Skramoušský (VHU / Army Museum Prague).
