Germany produced some highly effective machine guns like the MG 42 during WWII, but perhaps one of the lesser known is the MG 15. This particular weapon of 7.92mm caliber was originally designed for use in aircraft as a crew-served weapon on a flexible mount. Designed in the 1930s for use on Luftwaffe aircraft, it was eventually superseded by weapons like the MG 81, MG 131 and MG 151/20 by the year 1941. By this point the MG 15 was being modified for employment by ground troops. Indeed, by the start of 1944, a total of 17,648 MG 15 weapons had been modified for ground use. Typically the MG 15 used a 75-round double drum (also called a “saddle drum”). The gun measured 1.078m long.
