In the final stage of World War Two, it became evident that Nazi Germany was losing the war. The army simply did not have the power and the resources anymore to resist the onslaught of the Allied forces coming from all directions.
As a last resort, Adolf Hitler ordered the mobilisation of the “Deutscher Volkssturm”, a German national defense force comprised of men between the age of 16 to 60 years that were previously deemed unfit, over-age, or under-age, and those recovering from wounds.
Arming the Volkssturm
Germany had greatly depleted its manpower and had very limited production capabilities. So to arm the Volkssturm, a “Primitive Weapons Program” or in German “Primitiv-Waffen-Programm” was initiated, which aim was to produce weapons quickly with a minimum effort and resources.
Volkssturmgewehr VG 1-5
The Gustloff Volkssturmgewehr VG 1-5 was designed by Karl Barnitzke of the Gustloff-Werke in 1944 and produced from January 1945 till the end of the war. The weapon employed the same cartridge as the earlier StG (Sturmgewehr) 44 assault rifle and also used the same detachable 30-round box magazine. Extensive use of sheet metal stamping techniques combined with only coarse machining of the wooden stock kept production times and costs low.
Although the rifle does not appear to have been officially approved or introduced by the German Army Weapons Office, an estimated total of 10,000 Gustloff Volkssturmgewehr rifles were made.
Specifications
The Gustloff Volkssturmgewehr VG 1-5 rifle displayed in the pictures is part of the collection of the WTS Koblenz and has the following specifications:
- Manufacturer
Gustloff-Werke, Suhl, German Empire - Year of manufacture
January to May 1945 - Mechanism
Gas-operated with direct gas pressure, fixed barrel, semi-rigid locking system using delayed mass closure. - Caliber
7.92 mm, 4 grooves, right-hand twist - Barrel length
373 mm - Initial Velocity (Vo)
770 m/s - Weapon length
885 mm - Magazine capacity
30 rounds - Ammunition
7.92×33mm Kurz - Weight
4740 g
