Submachine Guns of the Second World War

The Thompson, M3 Grease Gun, Sten and MP40 are among the best-known weapons of the Second World War. They were among the most commonly used small arms in every army involved and played a vital role in regular combat and most famously in clandestine warfare, in raids and sabotage by commandos and partisans. Histories of the most notable submachine guns of the period have been written, but rarely has the wider history of their design and development – and their wartime record – been covered in a single volume. That is why Frederick Clifford’s study is of such value.

Chapters cover the submachine guns mass produced by all the major countries in the conflict, describing the design and production of each weapon and giving its detailed specification. Close-up photographs of the weapons as well as contemporary shots of them during the war are a feature of the book, and experimental designs are also part of the story. The survey is especially useful as a source of information on submachine guns that are less well remembered today – the American Reising M50, German Erma EMP, the Italian Beretta Mod.38 and the French MAS-38.

Assault rifles may have largely superseded submachine guns in modern armies, but this wide-ranging history shows how innovative and important they were in their day.