Mikhail Kalashnikov russian designer has admitted that immediately after the war in Izhevsk worked with Hugo Schmeisser, the best gunmaker of Third Reich. And he was involved in the creation of world's most popular submachine gun - AK-47.
Professionals have long known that in spite of some technological differences, like the AK-47's twin brother looks like a German machine (in Western terms - Assault Rifle) STG 44 (Sturmgewehr 44), designed by Hugo Schmeisser.
Schmeisser fell in Izhevsk immediately after the war. The city of Suhl, in which he lived, was in the Soviet zone of occupation, and Schmeisser, as well as other engineers and designers, "offered to move for several years in the Urals." A special train with German specialists arrived in Izhevsk, October 24, 1946.
To assess the contribution to the development of Schmeisser Kalashnikov is difficult because the official documents available to historians - they are still classified and he did not leave Hugo memoirs, revealing details of his work in the USSR. Schmeisser said about that period sparingly: "He gave for Russian a few tips."
Schmeisser worked in Izhevsk, cold stamping technology until 1952. It is known that it is because it was organized mass production of stamped shop and receiver.
Recall that the official version of Kalashnikov worked on a project to create a submachine gun in 1943. It was only after "a few tips" Schmeisser was able to create the famous AK-47 in 1947.
