Thursday, May 21, 2020

Sturmgewehr 44 Assault Rifle - World War II Weaponry

The Sturmgewehr 44 was the first assault rifle to see deployment on a large scale. Developed by Nazi Germany, it was introduced in 1943 and first saw service on the Eastern Front. Though far from perfect, the StG44 proved a versatile weapon for German forces. Specifications Cartridge: 7.92 x 33mm KurzCapacity: 30 roundsMuzzle Velocity: 2,247 ft./sec.Effective Range: 325 yds.Weight: Approx. 11.5 lbs.Length: 37 in.Barrel Length: 16.5 in.Sights: Adjustable sights - Rear: V-notch, Front: hooded postAction: Gas-operated, tilting boltNumber Built: 425,977 Design Development At the beginning of World War II, German forces were equipped bolt-action rifles such as the Karabiner 98k, and a variety of light and medium machine guns. Problems soon arose as the standard rifles proved too large and unwieldy for use by mechanized troops. As a result, the Wehrmacht issued several smaller submachine guns, such as the MP40, to augment those weapons in the field. While these were easier to handle and increased the individual firepower of each soldier, they had a limited range and were inaccurate beyond 110 yards. While these issues existed, they were not pressing until the 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union. Encountering increasing numbers of Soviet troops equipped with semi-automatic rifles like the Tokarev SVT-38 and SVT-40, as well as the PPSh-41 submachine gun, German infantry officers began to reassess their weapons needs. While development progressed on the Gewehr 41 series of semi-automatic rifles, they proved problematic in the field and German industry was not capable of producing them in the numbers needed. Efforts were made to fill the void with light machine guns, however, the recoil of the 7.92 mm Mauser round limited accuracy during automatic fire. The solution to this issue was the creation of an intermediate round that was more powerful than pistol ammunition, but less than a rifle round. While work on such a round had been ongoing since the mid-1930s, the Wehrmacht has previously rejected it adoption. Re-examining the project, the army selected the Polte 7.92 x 33mm Kurzpatrone and began soliciting weapon designs for the ammunition. Issued under the designation Maschinenkarabiner 1942 (MKb 42), development contracts were issued to Haenel and Walther. Both companies responded with gas-operated prototypes that were capable of either semi-automatic or fully-automatic fire. In testing, the Hugo Schmeisser-designed Haenel MKb 42(H) out-performed the Walther and was selected by the Wehrmacht with some minor changes. A short production run of the MKb 42(H) was field tested in November 1942 and received strong recommendations from German troops. Moving forward, 11,833 MKb 42(H)s were produced for field trials in late 1942 and early 1943. Assessing the data from these trials, it was determined that the weapon would perform better with a hammer firing system operating from a closed bolt, rather than the open bolt, striker system initially designed by Haenel. As work moved forward to incorporate this new firing system, development temporarily came to halt when Hitler suspended all new rifle programs due to administrative infighting within the Third Reich. To keep the MKb 42(H) alive, it was re-designated Maschinenpistole 43 (MP43) and billed as an upgrade to existing submachine guns. This deception was eventually discovered by Hitler, who again had the program halted. In March 1943, he permitted it to recommence for evaluation purposes only. Running for six months, the evaluation produced positive results and Hitler allowed the MP43 program to continue. In April 1944, he ordered it redesignated MP44. Three months later, when Hitler consulted his commanders regarding the Eastern Front he was told that the men needed more of the new rifle. Shortly thereafter, Hitler was given the opportunity to test fire the MP44. Highly impressed, he dubbed it the Sturmgewehr, meaning storm rifle. Seeking to enhance the propaganda value of the new weapon, Hitler ordered it re-designated StG44 (Assault Rifle, Model 1944), giving the rifle its own class. Production soon began with the first batches of the new rifle being shipped to troops on the Eastern Front. A total of 425,977 StG44s were produced by the end of the war and work had commenced on a follow-on rifle, the StG45. Among the attachments available for the StG44 was the Krummlauf, a bent barrel that permitted firing around corners. These were most commonly made with 30Â ° and 45Â ° bends. Operational History Arriving on the Eastern Front, the StG44 was used to counter Soviet troops equipped with the PPS and PPSh-41 submachine guns. While the StG44 had a shorter range than the Karabiner 98k rifle, it was more effective at close quarters and could out-range both Soviet weapons. Though the default setting on the StG44 was semi-automatic, it was surprisingly accurate in full-automatic as it possessed a relatively slow rate of fire. In use on both fronts by wars end, the StG44 also proved effective at providing covering fire in place of light machine guns. The worlds first true assault rifle, the StG44 arrived too late to significantly affect the outcome of the war, but it gave birth to an entire class of infantry weapons that include famous names such as the AK-47 and the M16. After World War II, the StG44 was retained for use by the East German Nationale Volksarmee (Peoples Army) until it was replaced by the AK-47. The East German Volkspolizei utilized the weapon through 1962. In addition, the Soviet Union exported captured StG44s to its client states including Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, as well as supplied the rifle to friendly guerrilla and insurgent groups. In the latter case, the StG44 has equipped elements of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Hezbollah. American forces have also confiscated StG44s from militia units in Iraq. Selected Sources World Guns: Sturmgewehr

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The And Incarceration Of The American Prison System

The American prison finds its origin in Europe. Like most things American we have adopted and adapted many of our beliefs and customs from our mother land. The punishment of confinement was rare and unheard of in America before Eighteenth century. The English concept of prison and incarceration did not even take root until the late Eighteenth Century (Hirsch, 1992). Now, American’s cannot claim that they invented prisons or the concept of confining criminal offenders within facilities that keep them separate from society. However, they can accredit themselves with championing the concept of prison reformation. Much like its English counterpart the early American prison system, which would one day grow to be an integral part of the expansive American Criminal Justice System, had an ugly and brutal start. Confinement conditions for Prisoners were harsh and unrelenting. Most Facilities designed to house criminal offenders were over populated, under staffed, and lacked necessar y resources to support their growing population of inmates (Clear Cole, 2003). However, over the years, America has made many strives to correct the errors of their predecessors. This paper will detail the early American Prison System and its journey through reformation to become the modern Prison system that we know today. Early American Jails and Work Houses The first people to colonize America were not only settlers, but convicts (Hirsch, 1992). During the beginning of the seventeenth centuryShow MoreRelatedMass Incarceration During The United States1322 Words   |  6 PagesHonors 30 March 2017 Mass Incarceration in the United States There are too many people in prison in our country and any people in prison today are non-violent drug offenders. The American war on drugs has targeted people in poverty and minorities, who are more likely to be involved in drug use. 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Negotiating with Learners Free Essays

Negotiating with learners, e. g. initial assessment, agreeing goals and actions Initial assessment is the beginning of a teacher/learner relationship, allowing the teacher to identify and discover learners with difficulties and disabilities if the learner is confident to talk about them. We will write a custom essay sample on Negotiating with Learners or any similar topic only for you Order Now By recording this information, plans towards teaching can be made so every learner feels included and progress in their learning experience. The information will determine the learners starting point; the learners may already have skills and knowledge that relate to the subject taken, the teacher can also identify Literacy, Language, Numeracy and ICT that may be applicable. Assessment should not be something that is done to somebody. The learner must be involved and feel part of the process. Lesley Thom (2001 p13) All learners will want to achieve and have something to aim for. Learning goals can be negotiated and agreed. If working towards a qualification the awarding body or examining board will have a program in which to follow so the teacher will know what to teach and learner knowing what they will learn, from these targets and goals can be negotiated and agreed. Within the teacher/learner relationship, working together realistic goals and targets can be agreed and their progress assessed and recorded: Overall goals are long term which is the whole program. With aims and objectives/outcomes are usually established. Specific goals are short term which determines changes in the learner’s skills, knowledge understanding and attitudes. The learning process is effective and the goals clear and match the requirements of the learner. Immediate goals break down the specific goals into manageable tasks in the order that they are achieved. Ann Gravells Susan Simpson (2008) Agreeing targets should be SMART (Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time bound) www. ifl. co. k Learners should be encouraged to take charge of their goals and learning journey, this enables learners to become independent. When goals are set and assessed they should be recorded, all information that is recorded should be part of a plan-ILP (individual learning plan) Learning targets should be both verbal and written to ensure the learner has understood fully, learners should know their own strengths and where they can develop improvements to their skills. When setting targets, regular tutorials and review session s and keeping the ILP up to date with learners. How to cite Negotiating with Learners, Papers