What single weapon was the most crucial to Germany?

[Sam H.]

Basically, what single weapon (88, MG 42, etc) was the weapon that was the most crucial to German battlefield success? What were German prospects like without that weapon?

For me, I'd pick the MG 34 and its successor the MG 42. Superb guns that were years ahead of its competition. Without these machine guns, Germany would have been unable to hold off the mass Soviet infantry assults of the early days of the war in Russia.

[Tony]

IMO, It'd be the 88 because of its power and its versatility. I mean how would the German war machine been affected if there was no 88mm gun to put in the field to defend against Allied tanks or put it their Tiger Is and Tiger IIs or no 88s to defend its industrial areas or its cities from the Allied airforces?

cheers,
Tony

[thecaramel]

IMO, the Pz III (all models) was the most significant. It fought in every campaign, was the mainstay of the army for almost, if not the entire, war. Versatile, fast, endlessly configurable, it was the ultimate tank. Outclassed as the war dragged on, the German army still could not relinquish the design due to its cost and usefulness. Kind of the T-34 of the Wehrmacht...

[Pirx]

Well trained soldier

[Smiget]

i agree with pirx,

With out a well-trained army most weapons and their performance would be seriously hampered. Furthermore the solder may become a bigger danger to himself than the enemy.

smiget

[behblc]

If strictly a weapon, I would say the 88mm flak.
If any other could be named the common soldier.

[Vicgonz]

Without dubt Pzkwgn IV. All Campaigns, great versatility & save the panzertruppen in the bitter moments of war, in the begining of 1943 when the tank production drop to zero
Regards Victor

[tirola]

I have to cite with the MG42. All the soldiers basically became ammo carrier for it.

[19KUBAN43]

Although it came to be late in the conflict, one can not discount the importance of the Mp/StG-44. The Mp-44 leveled the playing field on the eastern front when Germany was at a huge numerical disadvantage, and bought the Germans valuable, albeit futile, time during their retreat. When the first prototypes of the Mp-44 (the Mkb-42) were airlifted to the surrounded men of Kampfgruppe Scherer in the Cholm Garrison in the winter of 1942, they proved to be the deciding factor in the groups succesful breakout. It also must be noted that numerous modern assault rifles were derived from, or incorporated elements of the Mp-44 design including the AK-47, Czech Vz-52,Spanish CETME, etc. Overall, the Mp-44 was an important advance in military technology and it has had a lasting impression on the world.

[Dackelstaffel]

I have to cite with the MG42. All the soldiers basically became ammo carrier for it.

Even so good that it's still in production under the name of MG3 but firing Nato 7.62mm instead of 7.92mm. I've heard that 88mm gun were used during the war in Bosnia

[Florin]

Hi,

An aircraft designed for military purposes can be considered a weapon, so... I cannot imagine the Blitzkrieg and the successes in Russia in 1941-1942, against a tank force five times bigger, without Messerschmitt Bf 109, who protected the Stuka - Junkers Ju87, and the other planes.
Regards,
Florin

[KampfgruppeMeyer]

88 in AT role, no question

[Timo]

88 AT no question

...You keep repeating the same basic mistakes. The 88 AT gun had a minor role, it was the 88 FlaK that was very important (yet 'crucial' is an open question)

[Sebastian Pye]

I agree, the 88 flak, I think the allies would agree.

[Helmut Von Moltke]

yes, as Pirx said, well trained soldiers, but espeically a large amount of them. Many German Divisions at the end of the war could not reach full potential due to manpower shortages.