Part four. How the Schmeisser brothers raided Herr Hähnel's firm
The First World War is over. In the distant Altai region, in the family of the Russian peasant Timofey Aleksandrovich Kalashnikov, the 17th child was born, who was named Misha, and a huge copper basin fell on the military industry of Germany. Having lost his military contracts, Vollmer is engaged in everything that can somehow bring income. He deals with chain release machines, milling machines, locks, spark plugs and even a motor plow. In 1923 he creates a saw-sharpening machine, which he calls the "sharpening machine". In a word, he turned around as best he could, raised his business, earning and letting others earn money. Moreover, he works not only as a designer, but also as a production organizer. And so on until 1929, the year of the Great Depression, which brought hundreds of thousands of enterprises around the world to the brink of bankruptcy.
And what was Schmeisser doing at that time? Under the terms of the Versailles Treaty, Bergman's firm was allowed to produce only police weapons. And then in the future. Under these conditions, the head of the company negotiates the licensed production of MP-18 with the Swiss company SIG. And here follows a seemingly absolutely inexplicable act of Schmeisser. He suddenly declares that since MP-18 uses two of his patents, then Bergman, without his consent, has no right to negotiate production with a third-party firm. If I were Bergman, I would have sent Schmeisser outraged. But, apparently, Schmeisser just needed an excuse to leave. Does Schmeisser need Bergman if he is forbidden to release weapons? If Schmeisser was spinning like Vollmer with his saws, machine tools, spark plugs, wherever it went. But Schmeisser doesn’t get anything but weapons! “So we parted,” as Boyarsky sang.
Schmeisser negotiates with the Belgian company Pieper on licensed production of the MP-18 and begins his independent journey. But people familiar with the case immediately have a question. It is not possible to simply sell or obtain the right to manufacture. For production, documentation is needed, which, by law, is at the Bergman company and is his property. Sizes of parts, calculations of tolerances, processing modes, steel grades. Schmeisser, without a technical education, could not completely and from memory reproduce all the design and technological documentation for the weapon in order to start its production in Belgium. Who Said Stole?
There is nothing strange in the fact that the designer wants to create a company with his own name. But the firm with the Schmeisser trademark did not appear at first. Although the firm was established "Industriewerk Auhammer Koch & Co" (Auhammer Koch). In fact, Koch in this company was a manufacturer, that is, a person responsible for the business, business. Well, Co is of course two brothers - the designer Hugo and the merchant Hans. As we have already said, nothing but a weapon from Schmeisser's head came out even on an empty stomach. In 1920 he patented a vest pistol caliber 6, 35mm (also using his father's prototype). It would seem that a manufacturer, a designer and a merchant is an ideal set for the distribution of roles. Take loans, buy equipment, hire workers, manufacture products, sell, repay loans. But it didn't work out. Volmer succeeded, but Schmeissers did not. The brothers clearly lacked the ability to organize their own production of these pistols. And then Gerberg Hanel appears on the stage.
A few words about Herr Hanel and his company, founded in 1840. The firm was also an armory and suffered from the Treaty of Versailles on an equal basis with everyone. The grandson of the founder of the company Herberg Hähnel was 7 years younger than Hugo Schmeisser. In addition to the gentleness of character, apparently, he was distinguished by the lack of a technical streak. By the time in question, Hänel's firm was left without its chief designer and technical director, so the interests of the parties coincided and on March 11, 1921, the contract was concluded. Under this agreement, Henel received the exclusive right to manufacture Schmeisser pocket pistols, but he did not have the right to produce weapons of other brands. HM.
Pocket pistols did not help Henel's firm. The production of other products - bicycles, hunting and pneumatic guns did not find demand and was worse than competitors. The firm was heading towards bankruptcy. And in 1925, the Schmeisser brothers carried out a typical raider seizure of Herr Hähnel's firm. This is how it happened.
As stated, Hänel's firm did not have a technical director. In our opinion, this is the chief engineer of the enterprise. Hugo Schmeisser, who has experience as a technical director at the Bergman firm, was like Lee Iacocca for Chrysler for this role, that is, ideally. But unlike the American manager, who set himself a salary of one dollar while Chrysler was on the verge of bankruptcy, the Schmeissers did not hesitate. Hugo took the place of technical director, Hans sat in the commercial chair. They set their wages on a par with Herr Henele at 900 gold marks. In addition, the brothers received:
- royalties for patents,
-
1/6 share in the capital of Henel's firm (each) and, accordingly, share in profit after payment of royalties for patents
- the obligation to support financially the same Schmeisser firm "Industriewerk Auhammer Koch & Co",
-
and most importantly, the Schmeissers received general power of attorney to perform all actions on behalf of the company without having any rights to this company and without being responsible for it! Even with their patents, which were registered for the new company for the production of cars (!) "Schmeisser Brothers". Why not Auhammer Koch? Because it was already brought to bankruptcy by the glorious brothers.
I am far from thinking that Herr Hänel was tortured with an iron or a soldering iron. They say his sisters, with tears in their eyes, belittled them to disagree with the Schmeissers on such terms … Well, how? “… and most importantly, without any remorse ».
And at this time. Louis Stange and several other designers have transferred the rights to their patents to Rheintmetall. And they did not regret it. Stange, for example, bought himself three houses with interest. And also a land plot. Under the tomatoes.
Well, what did Herr Hanel get? O! He received more than the right to Schmeisser's patents. He got hope. The hope that sooner or later the former technical director of Bergman will invent something that will find demand and will not allow his firm to disappear completely.
Part five. How Schmeisser began to become famous
Schmeisser's vest pistol technical note
In 1905-1906, the father of all automatic pistols and weapon automation systems, John Moses Browning, developed a form factor for small-sized pocket pistols in the face of the M1906 model:
Image Since then, only the lazy has not copied this form factor and has not tried to contribute to the inside of this little device. The location of the springs, fuses, the sight device, the disassembly procedure - with and without a screwdriver changed. All these variations have received tons of patents in different countries of the world.
This cup did not pass both the father and the son of the Schmeissers. Dad changed the design, patented (as usual) and issued the M1908 model to Draise. At the same time, natural modesty did not allow him to write "Patent Schmeisser" on the fence, although he had full rights and a patent in his name:
Image The sons did not become shy. They managed to make changes to this small space for as many as four German patents, which they did not hesitate to notify users with the appropriate inscription:
Image This is a normal evolutionary process when a designer, using a model of another designer as a prototype, makes his own changes. In the end, only the consumer can evaluate the solutions that he has embodied in metal. Sometimes this brings excellent results, as was the case with the Borchard-Luger pistol. But sometimes, when the design has already been brought to perfection, it turns into attempts to amuse the “inventors” own vanity by putting their name on the product, which already has a certain fame and success without them. This is about the same thing that is happening now with the AK-12, Pecheneg, VS-121. But the brothers had another goal. Like this modestly the word Schmeisser began to enter the mass consciousness of consumers. In fact, you come to the store and say:
- Goeben zi mir bitte automatic-pistol caliber zex coma funf und draissich varenzeichnen Henel. Their moechte di katze meine mother-in-law erchissen …
Long and boring. Whether it's the case:
- Zi khaben "meisser"? Their shissen … Danke schön!
Pay attention to the consonance "schmeisser", "shissen (shoot)", "shon (great, good, beautiful)". Briefly and clearly what it is about. Learn Marketers:
Image Negly zakos under the product already received in civilian use the name "pocket Browning".
Perhaps this approach has a rational kernel, somewhere on the verge of morality. But for such a trick, Hanel had every right to call Schmeisser with a candelabrum:
Image According to the unwritten rules of etiquette, the emblem of the trademark of the company that issued the pistol was placed on the upper part of the grip lining. Even Browning did not encroach on the sacred and on his model in this place flaunted the trademark of the Belgian FN. The SCHMEISSER inscription on the handle did not say anything, There was no such trademark. But on the other side:
Image the more modern wesel HS appeared, which, in the subasion, already begins to resonate not with HAENEL SUHL, but with Hugo Schmeisser. Yes, like that, very modestly.
Technical information about the store to Parabellum with a Schmeisser patent. I am giving this help in order to facilitate the work of the curious, who, after reading the article, will start to google using the key "patent schmeisser". To their surprise, they stumble upon this:
Image In the late thirties, the words "SCHMEISSER PATENT" appeared on the shops of the Parabellum police officers. But what do Schmeisser and Hanel have to do with Parabellum, which by that time is being produced by Mauser? It's very simple. Cooperation was very widespread among German enterprises. Let's say the same Stg-44 was produced by Hanel, Steyr, ERMA and Sauer. So the store for the Parabellum could have been made by Henele or anyone else. The question of the patent. One easily gets the impression that the patent for the Parabellum store belongs to Schmeisser. In fact, the patent was issued only for a method of making a magazine from a single-hollow tube, instead of two stamped halves. In the Soviet Union, such an "invention" could only be issued with a rationalization proposal without economic effect. If you put a mention of all such "patents" on a weapon, then there would be no living space left on it. But the goal has been achieved. The subconscious of Parabellum users includes the name Schmeisser.
Well, what did you have a rest?
In 1925, Schmeisser does what Louis Stange had done before him in the MP-19 - the ability to conduct single fire, plus a number of minor changes. It turned out the MP-28, on the barrel sleeve of which, again, there was an inscription about Schmeisser's patent. In the same year, Heinrich Vollmer laid another brick in the future immortal glory of Schmeisser - the VMP submachine gun. But a crisis came - the world economic crisis of 1929. Vollmer and Hähnel's enterprises shared the burden of the crisis with the entire German people. The Volmer firm has 20 people left. And the Schmeisser brothers even had to mortgage the house to make ends meet. Herra Henelya, of course, is not his own.
Part six. Schmeisser becomes a Nazi joins the NSDAP
As a designer, Schmeisser was just a designer. As an organizer - hmm … But in the ability to use connections, to adapt, he was not denied.
On the day of international workers' solidarity in 1933, Herbert Hähnel and Hugo Schmeisser joined the ranks of the NSDAP. Obviously, this decision was caused not by the fact that our heroes shared the ideas of Nazism, but by the fact that in order to solve their financial issues in the future it would be possible to rely on administrative resources. Nil novi sub luna! Party membership was reinforced by a personal acquaintance with Ernst Udette. In 1941, the hero of the First World War, addicted to drugs, will commit suicide, having previously done some business in the development program of the Luftwaffe. In the meantime, Hermann Goering's best friend often visits the Schmeisser hunting grounds (from where ?!), where he satisfies his hunting and other passions.
It was then that the Schmeissers, as they say, flooded. Orders poured in, money appeared. The first step was to help out brother Otto, who was barely making ends meet at his firm in Hamburg. To do this, Hänel's firm bought his products at a loss. Then the brothers decided to show their wonderful business and organizational skills. They organized a branch of the Henel firm for the production of aircraft machine guns. Hähnel’s own consent to the creation of this branch was apparently also obtained with the help of a soldering iron, since Herr Hähnel was opposed and apparently saw the unprofitability of this enterprise. Later it turned out that way. In 1941, this plant was transferred to the management of another company, but the brothers managed to rebuild a house for receiving guests on their hunting grounds (where ?!) from his money. They say that Hermann Goering himself was among them.
Despite all the efforts of the brothers, Hänel's firm made a profit. And the sagacity with the entry of our heroes into the NSDAP was justified by the imminent withdrawal of Germany from the shackles of the Treaty of Versailles. Hundreds of German military designers have finally got the opportunity to legally do what they love.
Part seven. Pre-war suffering
Much to the delight of German industrialists and military specialists, a civil war broke out in Spain in July 1936. Both belligerents are interested in mastering weapons supplied from all over the world. The German submachine guns of Bergman, Schmeisser, Stange and Volmer are working diligently on both sides of the front, and German military analysts are collecting material on their use. During the First World War, due to the limited models and the rapid end of the war, the practical use of submachine guns was not enough for serious research. Now it was possible to "test the devices" in various conditions of real combat, and not only as part of "assault groups". It turned out that a wooden stock is terribly uncomfortable in a tank or (armor) car, ergonomics sucks, the bolt handle does not swing, the weapon is not balanced, and in general, there is nothing to attach a tactical kit for, since there is no Picatinny rail.
Heinrich Vollmer did not stay away from the military mainstream and also joined the arms race. The result of his creative alliance with Berthold Geipel was the MP-40, a remarkable product for its time. Whatever they say about the MP-18, that this is the "first serial submachine gun", from an engineering point of view, it was the same wooden butt, automatic on a free shutter, except that there was a bow shop on the side. You can't get into a tank with such a thing, it is not convenient to jump with a parachute.
But the MP-40 had excellent engineering solutions. Underbarrel hook, magazine from below, folding stock, use of aluminum and plastic, cold (!) Stamping. And most importantly, the telescopic recoil spring casing.
Image You just need to stop at this casing. This is exactly the model for solving a technical problem that makes the weapon famous and brings glory to the designer. The problem with the submachine guns that existed at that time was an excessively high rate of fire, typical for weapons with a free shutter automatics. To reduce the pace, an obvious solution was used - an increase in the mass of the shutter (700 grams for the MP-18) and an increase in the stroke length of the moving parts. Volmer's telescopic casing reliably protected the return spring from dirt and, in addition, worked as a buffer to reduce the rate of fire to 350-400 rds / min. The famous MP-40 chomping sound is exactly the work of Volmer's "telescope".
Why was it necessary to reduce the rate of fire? First, the reduction in the mass of the shutter. Secondly, the barrel began to heat up less when firing. A mass of metal from the barrel shroud was transferred to the barrel. The weapon became more stable when firing, since after the shot it managed to return to the aiming line. In addition, it became possible to conduct single fire without any switch. Here's a great example of a real solution, where a change in one part affects a design change as a whole! This is really a patent. It is almost impossible to get around this solution. Any other solution will be either more complicated or more expensive. Finnish Suomi is an example. Rather, the very solution of slowing down the shutter due to the effect of vacuum braking.
The customer for the MP-40 was the armored department. But the remarkable characteristics of this weapon delighted the entire army leadership and the MP-40 began to enter other branches of the military.
Hugo Schmeisser could not resist the temptation to squeeze the maximum out of the pistol cartridge and his MP-28. It lengthens the barrel, moves the magazine neck down, and most importantly, modestly and elegantly "borrows" from Volmer its return spring in a telescopic casing. The product was named MK-36.
Image Further, an experimental batch of several pieces of these carbines did not go. But! Schmeisser would not have been Schmeisser if the inscription "SYSTEM SCHMEISSER PATENT" had not been written on the receiver. The patent itself, apparently, concerned the translator of fire. And not a word about Volmer!
Part eight. MP-40 becomes "Schmeisser"
In 1940, ERMA (patent holder for the MP-40) could not cope with the production volume and part of the order for the MP-40 was made at the firm of Herr Hähnel (the Schmeisser brothers). In gratitude for this, Schmeisser creates the MP-41. In this device, the same MP-40 was easily recognizable, but without an underbarrel hook and instead of a folding butt, a massive wooden one was attached. But, most importantly, the same inscription flaunted on the receiver in large letters:
Image and on the store too:
Image This innocent joke was the subject of a lawsuit between ERMA and HAENEL. In fact, the fact that from Schmeisser's patent in the MP-41 there is only a fire mode switch, God be with him. Just for the sake of politeness, at least it was worth mentioning Volmer. Schmeisser lost the case in court, but received permission for the springs. Still - in his bathhouse Hermann Goering himself took a steam bath. The weapon was produced in a small edition and was sold by SS guards, Balkan partisans and subtle connoisseurs of weapon exoticism - Romanians. But the cause for which all this was started was done. Neither Vollmer nor Geipel were somehow particularly puzzled by the problem of the immortality of their names, besides it was forbidden to use any markings on military products, including patent ones, except for the brand of the weapon, the serial number and the conditional code of the manufacturer's plant.
But the name of Schmeisser was already well-known due to the mention of police officers MP-18 and MP-28 on the receiver boxes, pocket pistols, Parabellum stores and pneumatic weapons produced by HAENEL. This weapon did not differ in any special quality and did not stand out among others, except for the mention of a patent, the essence of which the absolute majority did not know and did not want to know. The start of the production of the MP-41 coincided with the start of the mass production of the MP-40, and at Henele's firm, apparently due to a reduction in the production of the MP-40. There is only a little left. One enterprise produces two outwardly similar products, and one is completely impersonal, in the other, in the most conspicuous place, there is a mention of Schmeisser's patent. What should have happened has happened. The long name "mashinenpistole" or "kugelspitz" was replaced by the short and savory "schmeisser".
Part eight. How one "genius" designer got into a stupid situation, and what did it cost the German soldiers on the eastern front
Perhaps everyone who is more or less interested in the history of German weapons knows about the "weakness" of the supply spring in the MP-40 stores. In fact, the story is much more interesting. In this store, the method of restructuring a two-row feed of cartridges to the feed window in one row is applied. According to the completely correct idea of the designer, such a restructuring reduces the length of the cartridge extension on the way from the magazine to the chamber. With double feed, an additional distance from the magazine to the chamber is required to move the cartridge to the feed axis. In the conditions of the German Ordnung and exemplary military companies in Europe, there were no complaints about the operation of the store and weapons. The rear provided the troops with winter and summer weapons grease. After the battles, the soldiers wrote letters home to their wife and children, and sitting in comfortable tents and dugouts, they carefully cleaned and lubricated their "mashinenpistols" and "mashinengevers" and cartridges for them.
In the conditions of barbarian Russia, you involuntarily become a barbarian. The defeat of the Germans near Moscow was aggravated by the refusal of weapons due to the fact that during the winter grease was not delivered, the weapons had to be warmed up with heated bricks at night. In the summer, the shops of "mashinenpistols" began to give out magic tricks. It looked like this. The first shot was fired, and on the second, the bolt flew over the cartridge and rested against the breech cut. The next cartridge did not rise from the store and did not stand on the ramming line.
German soldiers began to abandon their Schmeissers en masse and hunt for Soviet PPShs (this is humor, a paraphrase about how American soldiers massively threw their M16s). The situation reached such a level that Dr.-Engineer Karl Mayer from the MAUSER team was assigned to study the issue. His scientific findings were disappointing. The wedge of cartridges in the magazine is due to the design of the magazine. On the segment of the rebuilding of two rows of cartridges into one, a wedge appears due to the increasing frictional force in the event of dust entering the store. Careful lubrication of the cartridges, oddly enough, only helped to create a defect.
The solution to this problem - the complete destruction of dirt and dust in a single country was not possible. And the engineer-doctor Mayer only had to state: "Unfortunately, the designer, having introduced changes to the store arrangement (just rebuilding the cartridges to the central ramming line), got into a stupid situation, which, in addition, appeared late." The doctor-engineer would have known what such a designer was in a stupid situation:
Image Remark 3. Unfortunately, Georgy Semyonovich Shpagin also fell under the modest charm of the German genius. In the PPSh-41 box magazine, the rebuilding of cartridges to the center line was also used. But the designer from God, Aleksey Ivanovich Sudaev, corrected this mistake and supplied the best submachine gun of the Second World War with an ordinary two-row magazine.
Remark 4. During the war years, about 12 million stores were produced under the Schmeisser patent. If from a store in pfennig, how much is it at the current exchange rate?
You can smoke and recover.
