"By an amazing coincidence, at this time several hundred of the best German gunsmiths, headed by the famous Hugo Schmeisser, were working in Izhevsk."
From a statement on the weapons forum
The topic of Schmeisser vs Kalashnikov is as inexhaustible as an atom. This time the famous Germanophile Vasily Kryukov noted in his LJ. He proudly titled his work "Letter from Hugo Schmeisser to the manufacturers of the Kalashnikov assault rifle (published for the first time)." The fact that this letter has already been published by me is not important. Some people knew it very well for a long time before me - both in Russia and in Germany. The point is different. Having gone through the whole set of filthy cliches about the greatness of the gloomy Teutonic genius, Vasily this time tries to hang another one. About how the poor lamb fell for the promises of the insidious Russian gray wolf, who promised her a salary of 5,000 rubles in the distant Russian city of Izhevsk. Let's figure it out. Along with that hundred "best German gunsmiths" who worked hard under the wise leadership of the "famous" …
There were no hundreds, no gunsmiths. Sixteen technicians and their families with their own furniture and bedding arrived in Izhevsk in October 1946. In total, 32 people arrived with their wives and children, and the same returned to Germany. The son of Roland was born in the family of Ernst Volkmar. Hans and Christ Ditch were married. But the chief designer of the DKW firm Hermann Weber died in Kazan. While their sons, brothers and husbands were crushing lice in the camp barracks and carrying bricks for the construction of residential buildings in Izhevsk, these non-combatants were provided with living conditions that most of the inhabitants of not only Russia, but also Germany could only dream of. Each family member was provided with a room. So, the Gruner family was located in 4 rooms. The rooms were cleaned and the clothes were washed by special staff. Before the cancellation of the rationing system, everyone was provided with additional food in the store of the command staff, after the cancellation they made goods in the same special store. They had vegetable gardens, were provided with seed potatoes and conditions for preserving the harvest. Classes in the Russian language were conducted with adults and children. Children went to Soviet schools in general classes.
At this point, I have no right not to stop and not remember the fate of Soviet citizens driven to Germany for slave labor at German industrial enterprises and agricultural farms. How their food, medical care and education were provided for their children.
So, in the delegation of those who arrived there was one doctor of sciences, only two engineers (higher education), seven technicians (secondary) and the rest without education, including the "most famous".
The main group of ten people was assigned to department 27, which was engaged in motorcycle production. In this group were DKW's chief designer Hermann Weber and its chief technologist Johann Christianovich Schmidt. Moreover, this motorcycle group had a subgroup for cold stamping. Perhaps this is where one of the roots of the myth of Schmeisser as a specialist in cold stamping grows.
Together with the Germans, carriages with dismantled DKW equipment came to Izhevsk. This whole group was engaged in setting up equipment, developing documentation and creating equipment for the production of the Izh-350 motorcycle, created on the model of the German DKW NZ-350. This model was produced until 1951, when the Izh-49 came to replace it. And immediately after that, the Germans returned to Germany.
Izh-350
Izh-49
The armament group of six people at Department 58 was headed by Karl Avgustovich Barnitske (chief engineer "Gustlov Werke"). Unlike the motorcyclists who left their mark on hundreds of thousands of Izhevsk motorcycles, this group did not leave behind anything useful but a pile of blueprints. If there was a problem with motorcycles in Russia, then tanks and small arms were at their best at that time, unlike those ersatz with whom Germany ended the war. Here's a paradox: the main group of Germans worked on motorcycles, unlike gunsmiths, did a useful job, and all sorts of Germanophiles had to glorify this fact, but as a banner they chose the bogey Schmeisser, who, in fact, turned out to be a mediocre designer, but a successful adventurer.
Tellingly, neither Vasya Kryukov, nor Norbert Mosharsky, not to mention Ruchko, Kobzev or Kolmykov, you will not even find a mention of German "motorcyclists". Although the history of the creation of Izhevsk motorcycles has never been secret. But "Kalaschnikow" is the fourth word and the first surname that is mentioned in Mosharski's work "Die Ära der Gebrüder Schmeisser in der Waffenfabrik Fa. C. G. Haenel Suhl 1921-1948". Mosharsky immediately admits in his work that he is not a techie, so he will not consider the merits of Schmeisser's designs. Nevertheless, he makes a few blunders. But Russian "historians" do not hesitate to demonstrate their frank stupidity. Kryukov's phrase "… for several decades he was the author of weapon designs used in the strongest army in Europe" asks for the epigraph of another article.
Sorry, distracted. Now about the salary. In his letter of complaint, Schmeisser does not mention the amount of 5,000 rubles. Only a Russian major is mentioned, who promised that "payment in Russia will not only provide for me and my family, but also significantly improve (!) My position." I do not want to waste time trying to figure out where this promised amount of 5000 rubles came from, since the discovery of this source does not bear any significance for the issue under study. But let's do some analysis.
So, the richest man in the city of Sulya, the "brilliant designer", in May 1945, suddenly turned out to be a beggar. Perhaps his innate Teutonic pride prevented him from changing the director's chair at Henel for his usual place at the drawing board at the same firm, especially since his brother Hans retained the position of chief accountant at the same firm. But Hugo begins to work in the Soviet commission for the selection of materials and specialists sent to the USSR on account of reparations. And his salary in this commission was 750 marks, which at the then exchange rate corresponded to 375 rubles. What this work consisted of is not clear.
The bulk of the German specialists belonged to the DKW company, which produced cars and motorcycles. As for the gunsmiths, its composition is not even surprising. Why, for example, not Stange or Vollmer? This is the top of the Sonderkommando for infantry armaments, created in 1944, which included representatives of small arms enterprises. It consisted of all future Izhevsk inmates, heads of committees: Gruner (Grossfuss) for machine guns, Schmeisser (Henel) for submachine guns, Barnitska (Gustlov Werke) for signal pistols and rifles.
In Izhevsk, the salaries of German specialists consisted of regular factory salaries and personal allowances, which were several times higher than the official salaries:
After the management of the plant realized that a bird with the name Schmeisser had arrived in Izhevsk, his personal allowance was reduced, still remaining quite high in comparison with the wages of Soviet engineers. On March 3, 1947, Schmeisser wrote a letter to the management of the plant with a request to revise his salary. Without waiting for an answer, on March 28, he writes another one with a question: "… when will I receive an answer to my letter …" An interesting argument by Schmeisser in the letter: "… I created debts and am in a difficult financial situation."What kind of debts can you create in a country with a rationing system of food distribution, where there is nothing to buy ?! Receiving several times more than ordinary citizens of this country?
However, for those who are already familiar with the administrative and organizational skills of the Schmeisser brothers, this is unlikely to be surprising. Although, perhaps, these debts were created by his wife, who remained in Germany. Let us be lenient, the rich, even the former, have their own quirks, including in the creation of debt.
An interesting "worldview" conclusion that Vasily Kryukov draws from this case: offended by the deception, Schmeisser conducts the first "Italian" strike in Izhevsk. This allegedly explains his cool attitude to work in Izhevsk. Let's see which of the sofa clickers will be the first to pick up this myth.
The work on the instructions of the Ministry of Armaments was carried out by the Germans in 1948. Further, the plant's management was asked to use them at their own discretion. From the characteristics written in September 1951 before their return to Germany, you can find out what they were doing. For example, Karl Avgustovich Barnitske, after carbines and machine guns, switched to a sports pistol, Oskar Betzold, after working on an aircraft cannon, worked with Gruner on a roll forming machine. Everyone was in business and worked mainly on the creation of equipment for the production of motorcycles. And only the "most famous" was used from time to time. Together with Otto Hoffman, he dangled like something in an ice hole.
So, the main work that the German specialists were doing in Izhevsk, including the gunsmiths, was the preparation of the production of motorcycles. This is what explains their return to Germany in 1952 - the end of work on mastering the production of the IZH-49 model, and not some mythical indispensability of Schmeisser in the development of stamped AK receivers.
P. S. The salary of Comrade Stalin at that time was 10,000 rubles. According to unverified data.
For a snack. Pay attention to point 2.
