THE MODELS

Gerätliste

On the official Regulation D 97 + equipment list (Vorschrift D 97+ "Gerätliste") we find 3 different models relating to the family of MP40 sub-machineguns:

Gerätnummer 1-3001 Machinenpistole 38

Gerätnummer 1-3003 Machinenpistole 40

Gerätnummer 1-3004 Machinenpistole 40/I

The MP41 was not described in the Gerätliste since it never had a military (Wehrmacht) status.

From this we can conclude that there is officially no such thing as a mp38/40. Often this designation is given to the early mp38's and mp40's where the new safety device was installed post-production. Another conclusion is that also the name MP40/II (the dual magazine MP40) has never officially existed. The official name should be MP40/I.

Nothing wrong with calling an MP38 and MP40 a "Schmeisser"........

Every book written after the early fifties claims that Hugo Schmeisser had nothing to do with the MP40. Most authors base their information on earlier works, without verifying the patents or interviewing individuals involved in the design and production at the time. While I don’t claim to have done this, further investigation and correspondence with experts in small arms, who possess first-hand information, lead me to believe that the statement, "Hugo and Hans Schmeisser had nothing to do with the design," is a misunderstanding.

The main reason for this misconception likely stems from Erma's desire to do business in the United States after WWII. American sport shooters represented a lucrative market. During this period, Erma came into contact with "Interarmco Ltd." based in the U.S. Given the notorious reputation of the MP40 during the war, Erma wanted to impress their prospective business partner. They simply "forgot" to mention that much of the design was based on Hugo Schmeisser’s patents. This was easy to omit since Hugo Schmeisser passed away around this time, shortly after returning from a long period of Soviet captivity.

Another factor contributing to this oversight was that the influential "Small Arms" series of books claimed that Hugo Schmeisser's only role was through Haenel, which also produced the MP38 and MP40. Schmeisser was the technical director at Haenel. A tricky detail is that the author of the "Small Arms" series was a friend of the owner of Interarmco Ltd., the same company with a deal with Erma.

Immediately after the war, even before the Soviets occupied their part of Germany, the British Intelligence Service interviewed Hugo Schmeisser. In these intelligence reports, Schmeisser stated that he was responsible for all the submachine guns used by the military. These statements were examined and confirmed by high-ranking officers involved in the armament industry. 

On the MP38 page, I’ll explore the substantial influence that Hugo Schmeisser had on the design and function of the MP38 by looking in more detail to the patents.