Bergmann musquete

German automatic weapon of World War I, the forerunner of the modern submachine gun. A simple automatic weapon with a short barrel and wooden stock, it fired the standard 9 mm pistol cartridge at 400 rounds per minute.

It was first issued in 1916 for trench defence, but the adoption of the infiltration tactic by General von Hutier led to the weapon being issued to ‘Storm Troops’ since it provided the ideal combination of firepower and portability demanded in this role.