The submachine-gun
is a compact automatic weapon firing pistol ammunition, designed for
short-range assault and close-quarter fighting.
In the
early stages of the Second World War the British
Army purchased the Tommy Gun from
the United States. These were expensive and
in 1941 they switched to the Sten Gun made in Enfield. It was named
after the combined first letters of the names of the designers, R.
V. Shepherd and H. J. Turpin, and the Enfield
Royal Small Arms Factory.
There were
several models of the Sten Gun but the Mark 2 was the most popular.
The gun had a massive bolt inside a tubular casing with the barrel
fixed to the front and the magazine feeding from the left side where
it could be supported on the firer's forearm.
During
the Second World War the Royal Small Arms Factory
supplied
4 million of these guns to the British Army.
It was not popular with the soldiers because its habit of jamming
when being used in battle. However, they were cheap to buy and the
British government distributed them to resistance groups throughout
occupied Europe. The gun could be easily and rapidly dismantled into
its component parts for concealment, which was a distinct advantage
for underground fighters.
Sten
Gun Mark 2
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