Shoots round corners, the Krummlauf device

Woftam · Post by **Woftam** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:43 pm

Had heard of these previously but don't know a great deal about them. Interest once again roused by one in the Imperial War Museum. Anyone got a link to some information on them. A quick search on yahoo just turned up discussion threads on the device.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/w ... don034.jpg[/pic]

stripperclip · Post by **stripperclip** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 3:56 pm

I've read about them in books but haven't seen to much on the web about them.

dromia · Post by **dromia** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:50 pm

The device was originally developed for tanks to deal with infantrymen with antitank mines who got close enough to the machine that the guns couldn't depress further.

Barrel wear and the attrittion of German manufacturing meant that it was not widely adopted.

In your picture it appears to be fitted to an StG (Strum Gewehr)44. These were experimental infantry rifles were called StG 44(P) with a 90 degree barrel and StG44(V) with a 40 degree barrel and were not adopted by the Waffenamt.

joseyclosey · Post by **joseyclosey** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:18 am

Woftam, theres a bit of info here....

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=4685

Joe

Woftam · Post by **Woftam** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:11 pm

Joe,

Thanks for that. Remember seeing something years ago that said they were developed for streetfighting in Stalingrad - guess that was wrong then ?

I can't believe barrel life would be the same as a straight barrel. Surely the mechanics of the bullet travelling in an arc dictate more wear on the outer radius than the inner radius.

Here's a couple of other pics of it. Doesn't look quite 90 degrees does it ?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/w ... don033.jpg[/pic]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/w ... don036.jpg[/pic]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/w ... don035.jpg[/pic]

dromia · Post by **dromia** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 4:41 am

Graeme,

its got to be the StG44(V) with the 40 degree barrel.