Rich and poor armament
Beginning of World War II, the armed forces of the Commonwealth not standard equipment sub-machine guns, in the face of automation has a large number of light weapons German troops fire on the man obviously accounted for under the wind. In 1940, the United States under the "lease of the bill" a large number of British aid to the "Thompson" submachine gun. This despite the U.S. sub-machine guns and high precision, high-performance, but the high cost, limited the number of hard to meet the needs of the United Kingdom, and the use of 11.43 mm caliber ammunition to be imported from the United States, which supplies logistics to bring great pressure.
To meet their urgent needs, early in 1941, Britain seized in the German MP-40 assault rifle on the basis of the development of a new Submachine gun. Gaiqiang from Sheffield (Shepherd) and Turpin (Turpin) of the two co-designer of the design, well-known in Britain Enfield (Enfield) production arsenal. To commemorate this sub-machine guns taken at the beginning of two-letter name designers, together with Arsenal at the beginning of the two letters, was named "Secretary Gordon" (STEN)-style assault rifles.
"Secretary Gordon"-type sub-machine guns have multiple branches. The first Mk-I-bolt lock structure used in freestyle and extremely rare level of the left side of the magazine for the way bomb, made of steel frame from rolling. Shooting methods can switch between semi-automatic and fully automatic. Table similar to the shape of the muzzle with the flame extinction, could also install a bayonet.
Royal light weapons arsenal production of Mk-II type, with the Mk-I type, smaller, lighter weight, "Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifles in a maximum output of a model. It is worth mentioning is that early in 1943, according to the British Special Operations Department's request, the Royal light weapons arsenal of specialized equipment and modification of the British special forces Mk-II (S)-type silent sub-machine guns. Gaiqiang equipped with silencers, to remove guns and flame gun. This is the world's first sub-machine guns silent.
By the end of 1943, Plains Brothers, to design a simplified version of the "Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifles - Mk-III type, and a large number of production equipment for the Normandy landings in the Commonwealth forces.
Finally, a model Mk-V-even at the beginning of the design is to improve, "Secretary Gordon" has always been ugly sub-machine guns, the appearance of rough, but it gradually became a British paratroopers of the special weapons.
"Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifles designed to be simple, low cost, very suitable for mass production in time of war. It is the international 9mm "Labeilumu were" ammunition magazines with German MP-40 assault rifle common. As a result, British troops can "Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifles fitted with the German army ammunition were seized.
"Secretary Gordon" in the first assault in August 1942 of Dieppe surprise for the war in actual combat. To the June 1944 Normandy landings, "Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifles into the armed forces of the Commonwealth's standard format sub-machine guns. Although the traditional rifles, "Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifles in a range of precision or have very different, but as high as 550 per minute, made of ultra-high speed making it hard to come by when close combat weapon.
Commonwealth armed forces "Secretary Gordon" equipped with assault rifles issued to soldiers, tanks, cavalry, artillery and other long-range shooting does not require the arms. The use of infantry, "Secretary Gordon" assault-style command is the main class, ranked non-commissioned officers warfare and Wei Guan, but there are also many senior commanders like to carry a lightweight, "Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifles. During the fighting in Normandy, a small group of German army penetrated into a command post near the British Legion, intended to be destroyed completely, but do not want to be inside the command post of the Commander British Forces "Secretary Gordon" trounced assault and desperate and Escape. In addition, "Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifle was also a large number of British troops air-dropped into France, Norway and Germany, and other areas accounted for the local guerrillas and underground resistance organizations.
From 1941 to 1945, in the end, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia produced a total of more than 4,000,000 "Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifles, the Commonwealth has been the widespread use of the armed forces during World War II in the latter part of the previous operations. After the end of World War II, the United Kingdom will be a large number of redundant, "Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifles provided to the Government of Chiang Kai-shek used to launch a civil war. A considerable number of them have been seized the use of the People's Liberation Army, which was later brought to the Chinese People's Volunteers on the Korean battlefield. As the United Nations in the British army is also equipped with "Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifle, which caused the two warring sides are using the same kind of light weapons interesting phenomenon. After the Korean War, Mk-V "Secretary Gordon"-type assault rifles are still being fitted out to the British in the 1960s before finally retiring at the end. Kang Xi.