Hi John,
Yes, ammo figures quoted are for squads.
I wouldn't call the MG34 any more flexible than other MGs. The Bren was often fitted to mounts and used on vehicles or as an AA weapon. In fact you could pick the Bren up and use it on the move:
Now that's flexible! Try doing that with a MG34
As for sustainable rate of fire. You're saying the MG42 had the same sustainable RoF as allied guns which fire half the RPM. Which means you're saying the MG42 should fire half as often as the allied weapons because of cooling and barrel change issues?
If that's true then in SP the MG42 should get only 3 shots a turn instead of 6. But it should still have half the SP ammo load-out as the allied guns. Then they would start and finish firing on the same turn and use up the same amount of bullets (not SP ammo); the allied gun would have fired twice as often as the German gun, but the allied gun would have caused half the damage for each fire/hit.
Sounds reasonable to me
If the MG42 tri-pod crew served gun carried more ammo than other HMGs, I've not heard that. Other nations HMGs had support vehicles instead of support horses. And even if the MG42 did carry more ammo, then we should be paying more to purchase the MG42. Currently the MG42 gets what amounts to twice the ammo or twice the damage, and according to you twice the RoF, and all for the same price!
My point is that there doesn't appear to be a justification for current ammo advantage given to the German MGs.
Simon