The soldiers called it “Hitler’s saw”. The forgotten weapon returns to the front in a refreshed version

A lot of weapons from all over the world come to Ukraine. points out that after eight decades, the MG42 machine gun, known as “Hitler’s saw”, has returned to the Eastern Front. As we read, “it’s about the Rheinmetall MG3 machine guns, which are a slight modernization of the fearsome legend from World War II.” “The reference to ‘Hitler’s saw’ is not accidental here, because the MG3 is a slightly improved conversion for the 7.62×51 mm NATO cartridge of the legendary and feared 7.92×57 mm MG42 guns for the Allies” – he describes. They were a simplified variant of the world’s first ukm MG34, i.e. a construction light enough for a single soldier, and powered from a cartridge belt. The MG42 gained the nickname “Hitler’s saw” thanks to its enormous rate of fire and, as pointed out by WP, was the nightmare of Allied soldiers.

Ukrainians can surprise Russians in several ways. A weapon that is in the shadows for now

As he wrote, during the upcoming Ukrainian counter-offensive, the army will try to surprise the Russians with completely new weapons. The first example is JDAM-ER. It’s an American precision-guided glide bomb. “The central part is an ordinary non-guided aerial bomb weighing from 250 kilograms to a ton. Standardized modules with a GPS flight path correction system are attached to it, as well as foldable wings enabling gliding. Dropped from a high altitude, it can fly about 70 kilometers and hit it quite precisely for a small purpose” – describes Kucharczyk.

According to the official words of the American military, the Ukrainians were to receive these weapons at the turn of February and March. It is not known in what specific variant, in what quantities and what Ukrainian aircraft was adapted to carry it. At the same time, it is certain that the Ukrainians cannot use their full capabilities, because the JDAM-ER must be dropped from above to achieve the maximum range. However, Ukrainian planes cannot do this near the front due to the risk of being shot down. The norm is to operate at minimum heights. This must drastically limit the practical range of bombs, but they can probably still be useful, especially due to the high explosive power. Even the lightest aerial bomb, weighing 225 kilograms, is more than five times heavier than a standard 155 mm artillery shell, and contains about 90 kilograms of explosives, compared to less than seven kilograms in the shell. The effect of the explosion is therefore much greater and can have a devastating effect on Russian fortifications. To date, there is no evidence of the use of JDAM-ER by Ukrainians. Such a valuable resource can therefore be deliberately held in reserve pending a crucial counter-offensive.

HIMARS on steroids, but with unclear terms

As Kucharczyk points out, a similar weapon system is the GLSDB. It is also a gliding aerial bomb with precision guidance at the base, designated GBU-39 SDB. Relatively small, because it weighs 113 kilograms, after being dropped from a great height, it is able to fly even about a hundred kilometers. A tool designed for mass air attacks on targets in the front area, carried out from a safe distance for aircraft. The GLSDB version is adapted to be fired from HIMARS and M270 land launchers. In simple terms, a rocket was added to the air bomb, which is supposed to take it even higher than the plane. Something like that was promised to the Ukrainians. Unfortunately, the GLSDB is a very new weapon that has not yet entered mass production. In 2022, preparations for its commencement were only underway, which were to be accelerated due to the war. However, it is not certain when GLSDB will go to Ukraine. According to Reuters, citing non-public documents, it may be “spring 2023”. So now. However, there is no certainty about this. Other media suggested that only the turn of 2023 and 2024 is real. On the other hand, the Russian Ministry of Defense already claims that GLSDBs are shot down by missile defenses. In an optimistic scenario for Ukraine, it may turn out that the first and few GLSDBs will be specially prepared for the key moments of offensive operations. The ability to precisely attack targets up to 140 kilometers away would significantly improve the effectiveness of Ukrainian attacks on the Russian hinterland.