Kampfpistole in translation from German combat pistol - a series of developments during the Second World War. Their essence was to create combat ammunition for flare pistols and alteration of flare pistols into a grenade launcher with special sights and butts. A characteristic feature was the creation of a large number of caliber and over-caliber grenades developed for such weapons, and in most samples the possibility of using standard signal cartridges was preserved. As a result, the fairly common modernized signal pistols became a serious multi-purpose assault weapon.
Attempts to increase the firepower of an infantryman on the battlefield have been made for a long time. Compact weapons were created, both successful and not very good. Their creation was carried out not only by professional designers, but also simply by self-taught, in whose circle of direct responsibilities the development of weapons was not included in any way. Such a development was the KMB - Barinov's pocket mortar, created by a technician-lieutenant of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet Air Force G. P. Barinov in 1943. But Barinov proposed a thing that was not unique at that time, perhaps he had an idea and was guided by German samples, which by that time were widely used at the front.
The Germans began to develop such weapons back in the 1930s. The command of the Wehrmacht paid great attention to the multifunctional use of various types of weapons, therefore, set the German designers the task of creating a powerful infantry melee weapon. German gunsmiths, realizing the requirements of the military, have developed several interesting and promising models, including the "ammunition-weapon" complexes both from scratch and on the basis of existing and used systems. Separately among the German short-barreled weapons of the Second World War are combat and assault pistols, which were created on the basis of the widespread 26-mm signal pistol.
Soldier with Leuchtpistole and above-caliber fragmentation grenade, 1944
A story in three acts: Leuchtpistole / Kampfpistole / Sturmpistole
One of the first special combat pistols was the grenade launcher, which consisted of a 26-mm Leuchtpistole signal pistol designed by Walter, model 1928 or model 1934, and a number of grenades: anti-personnel fragmentation two samples 361 LP, anti-personnel fragmentation 326 LP and anti-tank cumulative grenades - 326 HL / LP and H 26 LP. This grenade launcher system was used mainly in close combat, when firing from other types of weapons was impossible, since it was associated with the possibility of defeating its soldiers, and the great efficiency did not yet allow the use of hand grenades.
Taking into account the existing need for aimed shooting from this grenade launcher, an attached metal shoulder rest with folding butt pad pads was created especially for the Leuchtpistole pistol, such a device significantly increased the accuracy of fire from the pistol. In addition to the stop, which was attached to the frame of the signal pistol with a special clamping device, a folding sight was installed on the barrel, it was designed for two firing distances - 100 and 200 meters. The stock was needed not only to ensure shooting accuracy. The recoil from such a shot simply could not stand the hand, which led to injuries. But the sight was actually not obligatory, the shooting could well have been conducted without it, by sight, the distance of the battle allowed it. The total length of the Leuchtpistole pistol with buttstock was 590 mm, the mass of the 1928 model model (with a steel barrel and frame) was 2.5 kg, the mass of the 1934 model, which was already made of aluminum, was 1.9 kg.
Leuchtpistole made it possible to use fragmentation grenades quite effectively. The shooter used such a pistol for mounted shooting at a distance of 70-80 meters. Fragmentation grenades were effective against enemy personnel both in the offensive and in defense, they could also be used to suppress firing points and organize passages in wire obstacles.
Anti-personnel fragmentation grenade 326 LP
Anti-personnel fragmentation 26-mm grenade 326 LP (Wurfkorper 326 LP) consisted of a shock fuse and directly from a grenade with four stabilizers, which were collected in a single cartridge. Loading the Leuchtpistole signal pistol with a 326 LP grenade did not require any additional accessories from the shooter and was carried out from the breech, similar to the process of loading a weapon with lighting and signal cartridges. The 326 LP fragmentation grenade was intended for firing at a distance of 150 - 250 meters, however, at long distances, due to its high dispersion, the use of this ammunition was impractical. At a distance of up to 100 meters, the pistol was fired with flat fire, and starting from 150 meters, the 326 LP grenade could cover targets that were behind shelters or folds of terrain. Firing at a distance of less than 50 meters was strictly prohibited, since the large fragmentation effect of the weapon became dangerous for the shooter himself (the dispersion of the fragments was estimated at 30 meters).
Grenade launchers were advised to use such grenades for firing at loopholes and windows during battles in populated areas. On the basis of this ammunition, the 326 H / LP anti-tank cumulative grenades with four tail fins and the H 26 LP grenade were also created, in which the annular stabilizer played the role of stabilizing planes. These cumulative grenades were able to penetrate armor up to 50 mm thick.
Also, together with the pistol, a 60-mm over-caliber grenade with a small rod 361 LP (Wurfkorper 361 LP) could be used, which consisted of a fuse and a remote-action fragmentation grenade itself, model 1939. In the army, such a grenade received the unofficial nickname "egg", which was explained by its oval shape. Instead of the standard fuse, a special plastic guide rod, equipped with an ignition mechanism with a burning time of 4.5 seconds, was screwed into this grenade. A detonator cap was attached to the upper end of the tube, and an expelling charge made of black powder was located in the lower part. Such a grenade was intended for firing at a range of no more than 70-80 meters. The radius of destruction by shrapnel was equal to 20 meters.
Pistol anti-personnel fragmentation grenade 361 LP
Before using this grenade, the shooter had to carry out several actions to bring it to combat readiness. The thing was that the increased charge of the 60 mm 361 LP pistol grenade required reinforcement of the aluminum barrels of the 1934 pistols. Before loading, a special brass sleeve with a large hole at the bottom was inserted into the breech of the pistol. After that, the assembled grenade was inserted into the Leuchtpistole signal pistol from the muzzle, while the safety pin had to be removed from the rod. Only after that was the trigger of the signal pistol cocked.
Such manipulations with loading the pistol with a 361 LP grenade were, in comparison with the 326 LP unitary ammunition, rather laborious and dangerous for the grenade launcher, since the time to bring the pistol into combat readiness significantly increased, and the time for close combat is of great importance. Among other things, it was recommended to clean the brass sleeve, which was contaminated with powder carbon, after every 100 shots. The downside was that the 60 mm 361 LP grenade was clearly visible in flight, in contrast to the 326 LP fragmentation grenade.
In 1942, German gunsmiths, based on a signal pistol designed by Walter, decided to develop a special Kampfpistole combat pistol. Unlike its smooth-bore predecessor, this model had five grooves in the barrel bore, which made it possible to demonstrate significantly better combat characteristics - accuracy, range and firing efficiency. On the left side of the body of a combat pistol for aimed shooting, a spirit level and a new graduated sight were attached. In addition, light metals began to be widely used in the design of this pistol, which made it possible to reduce the weight of the weapon by 780 grams. A trained eye could easily appreciate the new pistol from a standard signal weapon: on the left side of the Kampfpistole breech, the letter Z (Zug, German - rifling) was inscribed in glowing paint.
Combat pistol Kampfpistole with a rifled barrel, a grenade to it. A protractor for aiming on a remote element
For firing from the new weapon, a Sprenggranatpatrone-Z caliber grenade with ready-made rifling was used. This grenade was intended to combat enemy manpower at a distance of up to 200 meters. She hit targets within a radius of 20 meters. The grenade, which was combined into one piece with a short aluminum sleeve (length 27 mm), was a shot that did not require any techniques from the shooter to bring the weapon into combat readiness. Thanks to the screw-shaped protrusions located on the body of the grenade, it received a rotational movement at the time of the shot, this contributed to an increase in the accuracy of shooting from the Kampfpistole. The propellant charge was placed in the aluminum sleeve of this fragmentation grenade. At the same time, the presence of rifling in the barrel bore did not allow the use of the previously developed 326 LP and 361 LP fragmentation pistol grenades, as well as lighting and signal cartridges.
That is why the set of ammunition used in the Kampfpistole combat pistol was expanded by the development and adoption of a new 61-mm anti-tank over-caliber cumulative grenade of the 1942 model, which received the designation Panzer-Wurfkorper 42 LP. According to Soviet data, this grenade penetrated 50-mm armor, according to German data, more - 80-mm armor at a distance of 75 meters. With skillful use and a fair amount of luck, it could be used to fight even Soviet T-34 medium tanks in close combat. The 42 LP cumulative grenade consisted of a rod and a body, which were connected to each other by a pin. The rod had grooves, which made it possible to use this ammunition not only for firing from Leuchtpistole signal pistols, but also special Kampfpistole combat pistols. Loading a 26-mm Walther flare pistol with a 42 LP cumulative grenade did not require any additional accessories from the shooter. Like the 361 LP grenade, this ammunition was also inserted from the muzzle of the barrel. And just like with the 361 LP fragmentation grenade, in accordance with German instructions, due to the high power of the grenade, firing could only be fired with a shoulder rest attached to the pistol.
Cumulative grenade 42 LP
The rather high cost of the Kampfpistole combat pistol, in the design of which it was necessary to use expensive light metals, as well as the inability to fire from it with other pyrotechnic and special ammunition, became the reason that ERMA and Carl Walther, having released about 25 thousand such pistols, stopped their serial production.
At the same time, the idea itself was not completely forgotten. The gunsmiths managed to find a way out of this situation, turning, at first glance, to an elementary, but rather original design solution - the same Leuchtpistole signal pistol was equipped with an Einstecklauf insert rifled barrel-liner. This made it possible to fire from the pistol both 326 LP fragmentation grenades and ready-rifled Sprenggranatpatrone-Z and 42 LP grenades, as well as lighting and signal cartridges. The new model received the designation Sturmpistole - assault pistol.
To increase the accuracy of shooting and greater stability during firing, a special folding shoulder rest was attached to the pistol grip of this model, as well as in signal Leuchtpistole and combat Kampfpistole pistols, and a nozzle with a sight designed for up to 200 meters was attached to the barrel. The Sturmpistole was later modified with a 180 mm barrel. With a stock and a new barrel, the total length of the weapon reached 585 mm, and the mass was 2.45 kg. From 1943 until the end of World War II, the German arms industry managed to produce more than 400 thousand liner-barrels intended for easy conversion of 26-mm signal pistols into assault weapons.
Sturmpistole assault pistol with insert rifled barrel
The Germans themselves assessed such pistols as versatile, effective, and most importantly, a simple weapon. They were widely used not only on the Soviet-German front, but also in Africa, as well as in other theaters of military operations.
