The MG 34 was used as Germany's main machine gun in the 1930s. It stayed the main tank and anti-aircraft machine gun. It was supposed to be replaced by the MG 42. However, there were not enough MG 42s. The German Armed Forces still wanted the MG 34 to be made. It kept being made until the end of WWII in 1945. However, the German Armed Forces wanted more MG 34s than could be made.