Kathinka said:
only slightly related to the topic, just a question as a mostly recreational firearm user and enthusiast:
intermediate rounds in ww1 already? i thought the stg44 (and it's goofy beta versions, MKB41 and whatever they were all called) were the first ones to utilize those. (asside from these rare weird russian fedorov things, but if i remember right that thing wasn't shooting a real intermediate round either, just a low power rifle round)
An intermediate round is, by definition, a round with rifle-like ballistics (as opposed to a lengthened pistol round such as a .30 Carbine) but shorter and smaller in size. For example, the 7.62 NATO (AKA .308) is considered a full sized rifle round (capable of putting down targets in excess of 1000 yards). The 5.56 (.223) is based (with minor changes) on that cartridge but has been shortened and thinned. Analogous to the Russian 7.62x54 (full sized rifle round, famously used in the Mosin-Nagant Rifle, or Nuggets, as they are known) and the Russian 7.62x39 (AK-Pattern rifles) and later the 5.45x39 (AK-74 and on). Granted it's the same caliber (7.62x54 and 7.62x39), but that drastic shortening makes DRASTIC terminal ballistic differences (as well as range). This is in contrast to say the aforementioned .30 Carbine round, which is a beefed up pistol round and handles similarly to pistol rounds.
Intermediate cartridges have existed since the late 1800's but most of the advances and concepts done in this realm were in fact done by Imperial Japan. The famous 6.5x50mm Arisaka changed the world of bullets over night. As it retained MUCH of the power, range, and accuracy of the more common 7.62mm's and 8mm's in existence, but with the reduced weight in size, allowed individual soldiers to carry more rounds. It's a win-win. It is a true intermediate as the full sized Japanese rifle round, which remained in service until the end of WWII, was the 7.7×58mm Arisaka, and prior the 6.5x50 was the German 7.92×57mm, most definitely a full sized round. This was, more or less, the first true intermediate round, as a box of thirty of these rounds was significantly easier to hold than a box of 30 .303's. Japan just did not, by no fault of their own mind you, make the next logical step and make an auto-loader rifle. That claim, at least in the sense of a TRUE modern Assault Rifle, remains in the hands of Vladimir Grigoryevich Fyodorov, and his Fedorov Avtomat (literally "Automatic"). The Fedorov is the first true Assault rifle as it is imbued with all the qualities STILL used today to define an assault rifle;
Intermediate Cartridge- 6.5x50mm Arisaka (one of the earliest intermediates)
Reloaded through removable box magazine- 25 Rounds
Select fire- Safe-Semi-Auto
Reasonably Light Weight and Short- 4.4kg and about a meter long (M16A2 is 999mm)
And of course, it is shoulder fired.
Interestingly it also featured a forward grip, something not seen on assault rifles until well into the later part of the 20th century.
The gun was designed in 1915, more than 30 years before designs of the STG44 began. It was made and used in WWI as well as the famous Winter War.
I actually got a chance to hold one these at Shot Show once (not fire, obviously, as it was almost 100 years old) and it surprisingly light for a wooden weapon and very comfortable to hold. It would, I believe, be functional on a modern battlefield. All the more startling when one considers it was made before there was even a Soviet Union, much less a Nazi Germany.
http://world.guns.ru/assault/rus/automatic-fedorov-e.html
Amongst other firearms experts and aficionados, there is some dispute whether or not the Fedorov is a true assault rifle (hence debating if it or the Ribeyrolle 1918 which would be the next most likely true first Assaultrifle, again, predating the STG44 as it used an early intermediate round, the 8x35 (I think))
Personally, I askribe to saying the Fedorov is the fist, I've held many assault rifles, including it and the MP44, and I can honestly say it *feels* like an assault rifle (as opposed to an automatic rifle/battle rifle in the vain of Garand, Gewehr 43, or SVT-40 Tokareva, all of which feel similar to each other, but nothing like an Assualt rifle like an M16/M4 AKPattern or G36 ect) And my understanding of how it was deployed and used sounds the way an modern Assault squad operates, as opposed to a battle-rifle laden rifle squad.
WWI is a VERY interesting war to study, as much of the technology we associated with today, even just WWII, were in fact invented for and first used in, WWI. A short list includes (but not limited to):
Red Dot sights (not electronic, but operated exactly the same with similar results)
Chemically Illuminated Telescopic Sights (In the vain of how modern ACOG's work)
Assault Rifles, as shown
Aircraft Carriers (in fact Admiral Beatty was the fist Admiral to use aircraft in a fleet action when trying to engage the German High Seas Fleet (despite being hardcore Army, I find the naval history (rather subtle lackthereof) of WWI to be VERY fascinating)
Automatic Rifles, M1918 BAR and the French Chauchat being examples
Monoplanes, were in use in WWI
Missiles (as a semi-controlable, either by direct control or programming) were first used in WWI (not Ballistic like V2's or Cruise Missiles like V-1, those operate on Ballistic (Going high and coming down) and Cruise (sailing) principles respectfully)
In a *manner* of speaking Kevlar. While by no stretch of the word were they plastic dupont layers of synthetic, they did layer early synthetic fibers into vests to create ballistic protection for soldiers in use in WWI.
Flame Throwers (if fact was the fist conflict to use modern flamethrowers)
Tanks, but we all know that one
There have been rumors for now nearly a century, never proved dinitively, but that Germany played with Infared based nightvision technology on the Western Front. We know Germany was the first country to issue NVD's, but that was much later in WWII. But accounts exist describing such devices used by Storm Troopers in the West.
Last one of particular interest, individual radio sets, as in non-wired field telephones. Very, and I cannot stress very, limited use by British forces in WWI but they were present and akin to the modern head set.
