Hugo Schmeisser facts for kids

Hugo Schmeisser (born September 24, 1884 – died September 12, 1953) was a German inventor. He designed many important weapons in the 20th century.

Schmeisser was born in Jena, a city in Germany. His father, Louis Schmeisser, was also a very famous weapon designer. Hugo Schmeisser spent most of his life working in Suhl, another German city known for making weapons.

Early Life and World War I

Hugo Schmeisser learned a lot about weapon design from Theodor Bergmann. Bergmann was known for making submachine guns. Schmeisser helped with research on different types of machine gun bullets.

During World War I, Schmeisser stayed in Suhl. His skills in machine gun technology were very important for the war effort.

Between the World Wars

After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles placed rules on Germany. It said Germany could not make heavy machine guns. But they could make smaller machine pistols or submachine guns for police.

Schmeisser decided to keep designing weapons. He started a company with his brother, Hans Schmeisser. It was called "Industriewerk Auhammer Koch und Co". Business was slow at first because of the war's end and the new treaty rules.

Schmeisser worked with another company called C. G. Haenel. This partnership lasted for 20 years. To protect his ideas, Schmeisser also started a second company called "Brothers Schmeisser". This was a smart move to keep his patents safe.

In the 1920s, Schmeisser designed the MP28. The German police used this weapon a lot. His company also made deals to sell weapons to other countries.

World War II Weapon Designs

When the Nazis came to power in 1933, many weapon companies in Germany joined together. This helped them work with the army more closely. Schmeisser became friends with Ernst Udet, a leader in Germany's air force. Schmeisser even helped make important decisions about military production.

After 1935, weapon production at Haenel grew very quickly. The Schmeisser brothers made sure their company earned money from their patents.

Other designers, like Heinrich Vollmer, improved on earlier submachine gun designs. They created the famous German submachine guns of World War II, the MP-38 and the MP-40. Over a million of these were made. They were built using new methods like metal stamping, which made production much faster. These weapons became known as "Schmeisser MPs" because of the magazine he designed.

Schmeisser's most important work began in 1938. He designed a new automatic weapon that used a shorter bullet. This weapon was first called the Mkb 42. Later, it became the MP-43. It was one of the first assault rifles ever made.

By 1943, 10,000 of these new weapons were sent to the front lines. At one point, Adolf Hitler stopped its production. But after soldiers tested it and found it very effective, Hitler allowed mass production again. In 1944, the weapon was renamed the "Sturmgewehr 44" (meaning "Assault Rifle 44"). The StG 44 is considered Schmeisser's most important weapon design.

After World War II

In April 1945, American troops took control of Suhl. Weapon making was stopped. Hugo Schmeisser and his brother Hans were questioned by American and British secret service teams.

Later, in July 1945, the Red Army (Soviet Union's army) took over the area. They started a project to make weapons for the Soviet Union. They collected many of Schmeisser's technical designs.

Schmeisser was one of 16 German experts who went to work in the Soviet Union. He worked at a factory called Izhmash. He was one of five main designers in the group. He stayed in Izhevsk until 1952.

Schmeisser returned to Germany on June 9, 1952. He died on September 12, 1953, and was buried in Suhl. Today, he is remembered as one of the most important designers of infantry weapons in the 20th century.

Some people believe Hugo Schmeisser helped design the Kalashnikov AK-47 rifle. This is because the AK-47 looks similar to the Sturmgewehr 44. However, there are reasons why this might not be true. The AK-47 was designed in a different city, and Kalashnikov moved to Izhevsk later. Also, German engineers were not allowed to see secret weapon designs like the AK-47.

Designs

Even though it was nicknamed "Schmeisser," Hugo Schmeisser did not design the MP-40 submachine gun.

Here are some of the weapons Schmeisser helped design or had a role in:

• Bergmann Nr. 7 mod. 1903 Mars pistol: This pistol looked a bit like the Mauser C96.
• Bergmann MG 15nA machine gun: A light machine gun used near the end of World War I.
• Bergmann MP 18: About 17,000 of these were made.
• Haenel Schmeisser mod. I pocket pistol: A small pistol based on two of Schmeisser's patents.
• Haenel mod. 1928 air pistol: An air pistol that looked like the Parabellum P08.
• MP 28
• Haenel mod. 33 Junior: An air rifle.
• MP 41: Many of these were made for export to Germany's allies.
• MkB 42(H)
• MP 43/1
• StG 44 (also known as MP 43, MP 44)
• StG 45(H): A new design, one prototype was tested.

See also

In Spanish: Hugo Schmeisser para niños