Quote:
Originally Posted by Gotthard Heinrici  . How reliable was it I wonder? |
The basic design was reliable, though some commentators still feel that it was 'over-engineered' for its purpose. In-the-field unreliability occurred due the manufacturing situation in Germany ; the gun was pre-fabricated by many manufacturers with the parts being assembled later which led to numerous problems with non-interchangeability of supposedly interchangeable parts. Reliable manufacture and assembly was apparently disrupted by Allied air-raids. In addition, molten lacquer from the steel-cased ammo tended to jam the weapon unless it was cleaned frequently. Finally, as the weapon was stamped, riveted and welded together, if it ran into trouble on the battlefield it was almost impossible to fully strip ; you had to throw it away and get another one.
But the gun is deservedly a famous design.....