Replacements

Hello and welcome back to another update of Forgotten Hope. Today we have renders of two new pieces of German weaponry; the PaK40 and the infamous MG42.

The PanzerabwehrKanone 40 (PaK40) was designed to replace the older PaK38. The design of the PaK40 started in 1939, but it didn't receive a high priority until the invasion of the Soviet Union. Only then did it become apparent that guns with a higher caliber were urgently required to fight off the heavier Soviet tanks like the T34 and KV1. In November of 1941 the first of the new 75mm PaK 40s were sent off to the Eastern front and by 1943 they formed the majority of Germany's Anti-tank guns until the end of the war. The PaK40 was also used in Africa, but it did not see action there until late 1942, during the battles of El Alamein. About 23,500 PaK40s were produced during the war, but the design of the gun was also used in many tanks, such as the late Panzer IV and tank destroyers, like the later versions of the StuG. This PaK40 was modeled and skinned by K96.

The Maschinengewehr 42 (MG42) was designed to replace the older MG34. The main reason the MG34 needed improvement was not because of its performance on the battlefield, but rather the resources it required in production. The MG42 succeeded greatly in this goal, as it was not only cheaper to produce than its predecessor, it only took half the man hours. On the battlefield it was also a great success; it was lighter than the MG34, it had an easier way to change barrels, it was less prone to jamming and to top it all off it had a 33% increase in rate of fire. Although the MG42 never really replaced the MG34 over 400,000 MG42s were made during the war and they saw action on all fronts from the summer of 1942. This MG42 was modeled and skinned by Seth Soldier.

That's all for this week, but be sure to come back next time for another update. Until then, feel free to visit our IRC channel and our public forums to discuss this update and other news.