DS-39
Encyclopedia
DS-39 was a Soviet
medium machine gun
, designed by Vasily Degtyaryov, that was used during the Second World War. The work on the gun's design began in 1930, and it was accepted by the Red Army
in September, 1939. About 10,000 were made from 1939 to 1941, but the weapon was not successful in service and its production was discontinued after the German invasion
of June, 1941, with factories converted to produce the older, more reliable Russian M1910 Maxim
machine guns.
About 200 were captured by Finland in 1941 and issued to Finnish troops.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
medium machine gun
Medium machine gun
A medium machine gun or MMG, in modern terms, usually refers to a belt-fed automatic firearm firing a full-power rifle cartridge.-History:...
, designed by Vasily Degtyaryov, that was used during the Second World War. The work on the gun's design began in 1930, and it was accepted by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in September, 1939. About 10,000 were made from 1939 to 1941, but the weapon was not successful in service and its production was discontinued after the German invasion
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
of June, 1941, with factories converted to produce the older, more reliable Russian M1910 Maxim
Russian M1910 Maxim
The PM M1910 was a heavy machine gun used by the Russian Army during World War I and the Red Army during World War II. It was adopted in 1910 and was derived from Hiram Maxim's Maxim gun, chambered for the standard Russian 7.62x54mmR rifle cartridge...
machine guns.
About 200 were captured by Finland in 1941 and issued to Finnish troops.