RE: FMA-WW2 Weapons

The MG42 was used in both light a heavy MG roles.  In a light role, it
was stripped down for ease of carrying, utilizing a lighter barrel and a
bipod for support.  In the HMG/MMG role it used a heavier barrel and was
mounted on a tripod.

Germans used the bipod on everything, including themselves.  There are
some great pictures of german MG34's being stabilized on the loader's
shoulder and fired while advancing down the street.

Bipods were light - 3-4 pounds while tripods were usually quite heavy -
as much as 40 pounds. (American ones were lighter)  The heavier the
better since you got more stability from it.  

There are arguments regarding if the MG42 is a "heavy" MG.  It still
only fires 7.62mm although a lot of them, but .50 cal can penetrate
almost half an inch of steel, go through walls, multiple people, through
trees etc. There is a world of difference between having 7.62mm smack
the stone wall in front of you and having .50 bullets go through the
wall and pass by you. 

Really the BAR and MG34 can be classified as LMG's, the Browning and
MG42 with tripod as MMG's and .50 or 12.7's as HMG's.  

So you might need to squeeze a d9 in there for Firepower. :)

--Binhan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Damond Walker [mailto:dwalker@syncreticsoft.com]
> Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2003 7:28 AM
> To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
> Subject: Re: FMA-WW2 Weapons
> 
> 
> 
> > For ease in gaming I'd keep light and heavy MGs in their 
> own impact class.
> > (and to make life interesting the MG 42 was used as both).
> 
>     That's what my Squad Leader rulebook says.  So it must be 
> the truth.  :)
> 
>     I like the clarification between bipods and tripods.  I'd 
> go so far to
> say that the firepower die would be increased because, well, 
> if the Germans
> had a bipod setup I'd think they would have a ready reserve 
> of barrels and
> ammo laying quite close as well.
> 
>     So in the end I'll probably just break machine guns up 
> into two classes:
> light and heavy.  And leave it at that.
> 
> Damo
> 
>