The German submachine gunner during the Second World War is one of the calling cards of the Wehrmacht and Nazi Germany in general. Over the past decades, this image has acquired many myths. Nevertheless, today we will talk about one very interesting detail: why the German submachine gunners constantly wore gloves and did not take them off during military operations, even during the summer heat.
In 1938, Berthold Geipel and Heinrich Volmer developed the first version of the main submachine gun of Nazi Germany, which was destined to become the unspoken symbols of the Wehrmacht and one of the most recognizable types of small arms of the Second World War war. Of course, we are talking about the famous "Maschinenpistole", which received the MP 38 index, and after a number of upgrades it was also designated MP 38/40 and MP 40. The submachine gun was made on the basis of an earlier model, namely the MP 36, which in turn became an intermediate image between the 38th and the EMP-35.
The ERMA plant was commissioned to produce new weapons, and then the enterprises of the Haenel and Steyr companies were also connected to the production. Automata were made throughout almost the entire Second World War from 1938 to the end of 1944. In total, over 1.2 million samples of these weapons were produced in Germany. In fact, not so much, especially when you consider what image of the German infantryman was later created by the cinematography of the victorious countries - very often in films all German infantry is armed automatic machines.
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Overall, the MP 38/40 was a pretty good, reliable weapon. However, the machine had an unexpected drawback, which at one time the designers did not foresee, and then did not have the time and opportunity to eliminate it. As you might guess, any firearm heats up as a result of shooting, and 40-forging is no exception. At the same time, the German machine gun lacked a protective cover on the barrel. As a result, during prolonged firing, the submachine gun heated up so much that it was impossible to hold it in hand.
The Germans found a way out of the situation according to the "minimum program". All submachine gunners in divisions were ordered to issue leather or woolen gloves, which had to neutralize the negative effect of heating the structure of the weapon during the implementation of a long shooting.
Continuing the topic, read about "Kalashnikov of the wrong system": how to distinguish a domestic AK from a foreign one.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/020420/53991/