Foreword and historic recall. Hugo Schmeisser. The first true Machine Pistol or Sub-machine gun. Heinrich Vollmer. Hugo Schmeisser and the design of the Sturmgewehr. A note on designations. World War One Historical Background. The trench warfare. "Stossen" Shock Troops. Von Ludendorf's offensives. The Stossen Truppen had shown the way. Hugo Schmeisser and the Bergmann MP18.