Why dident the germans use a shotgun in ww2

[Reece]

i was sat down one day and thought hmm why dident the germans use a shotgun in ww2 any ideas ?

[Graeme]

Too slow to reload, not enough shots and poor accuracy and range.

[Greg]

Infantry tactics... is was not in the design of German assault troops.

 

Prior to the Wehrmacht invading in 1939 the typical design of an infantry assault unit was riflemen supported by a machine gun. This was typical of most armies, especially the US Army who through World War Two equipped the Rifle Company with 3 platoons of riflemen and a single heavy weapons platoon that handled 30 cal machine guns, explosives, mines, bazookas, etc. This density was somewhere around 3-5 .30 cal machine guns per 100 men (I lack my reference books but that is roughly accurate)

 

The Germans however turned the table on the concept. From WWI they realized and sought to maximize the abilities of the machine gun. Hence an assault unit was 1 machine gun supported by 4 riflemen. Often a MG 34 (early in the war) the sole purpose of the riflemen was to protect and expand the cleared area created by the machine gun. Highly effective and adaptable with the introduction on new weapons (MG 42, MG 39, etc) the German Wehrmacht was incredibly formidable because of the density of machine guns to riflemen.

 

The shotgun, used by the US and British was a carry over from WWI warfare where it was ideal for close combat in trenches. The German Army of WWII never anticipated combat at such a close range to need a shotgun. Apart from some instances on the Eastern Front I also cannot think of any times the Wehrmacht was in close combat for extended periods in trenches to want a service shotgun. And even in such cases, the German tactics stated above would employ the use of a MP39 rather than a shotgun.

 

I have never seen a German Wehrmacht shotgun nor heard of one ever used or officiailly issued.

[Reece]

Wow thanks but dident our foces and the americans use a shotgun

[Greg]

US forces used the 1917 Trench Shotgun from 1917 through WWII. It was not a frontline issued weapon and was usually found with Military Police, guards, and transportation troops as an auxiallry defence weapon. Same for the M-3 Grease Gun. The M-1 Carbine was issued to front line officers, paratroops and rear area soliders as a weapon similar to the MP-39 for semi-automatic light defense use.

[Fritz]

There was a lot of close combat and trench fighting on the Eastern Front in WW2, read the histories there. Handgrenades, trench daggers and spades were very much in use.