i was reading a book and it said that the germans based there squads around the MGs instead of supporting the squad is this true? if it is what are some examples in which it is used? such as tactics and what not
anything and everything will help
Thanks!!!
I’m unsure how to answer this.
The Reichswehr (Weimar Republic Army, simply put) in the mid 1920’s early 1930’s had experimented with the concept of “fire-power, forward”. That term is somewhat oversimplistic, but has to suffice, for my current purposes. Guderian’s book makes brief mention of this, circa page 40, IIRC.
Basically, whereas in moving attack (as opposed to attack from static positions) most armies held to the WW1 idea of bringing heavy support fire-power forward behind a wave of infantry: the Reichswehr concept was to have the heavy firepower go forwards with the initial infantry attack wave.
Subsequently, the idea was noted but not adopted.
However, once the SS becomes a military force, the concept is re-examined.
This is where SS combat tactics begin to depart from Wehrmacht combat tactics to some degree. Expressed the other way: what the Reichswehr had not liked with this concept, the SS did like.
Hereafter is where the matter becomes somewhat clouded.
Despite ‘official’ Wehrmacht opposition to the “firepower-forwards” concept, the SS began to prove that it had useful advantages in certain circumstances, and thus, by osmosis as it were, the Wehrmacht begins to employ the concept absent official blessing. Later still, and Volksturm units are taught the concept from the outset.
There then results that the tactical concept is employed without sanction but not discouraged in the Wehrmacht, is standard in the SS, and basic knowledge in the Volksturm.
Hence, you can easily see why I describe the matter as “clouded”.
Hope this is of some help to you. 
Regards, Uyraell.
To answer the question, the MG in the infantry squad was THE firepower element. Squad members supported the MG where as in other infantry formations, eg the UK, the MG supported the rest of the squad.
Thats how I understood the question.
Have a look here - a pdf copy of the US intelligence product on the German Squad in Combat from 1943
http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/wwIIspec/number09.pdf
Regards
Richie
The Germans also built up everything around the MG-34/42 as a more ergonomic weapon that could fill multiple roles as opposed to the British/Soviet/French/US concept where a squad automatic weapon such as a BAR or Bren would be used in a direct fire capacity to support an infantry advance. The “medium machine-gun” would be mounted in a fixed fire position.
It was the German Army that developed the concept of a “general purpose machine-gun” as opposed to “light and medium” guns working in separate roles. Most armies would later adopt the GPMG concept, although several now also have squad automatic weapons to augment them as well…
wow thatnks richie B this is EXACTLY!!!1 what i was looking for