Questions Thread

[MaJ.P.Bouras]

That box might be the weapon containers. German paratroopers were dropped without their main firearms, so they had to scramble to the weapon container and grab it. Very shitty when you drift off.

Especially if the enemy expects you and goes there first to pick up your weapon as it happened at Crete.

[Turkish007]

Ugh... That sounds really bad, and if the crate is captured...

[THeTA0123]

This is the reason why FSJ casualties were so high. Also Luftwaffe casualties were unusually high. The luftwaffe pretty much lost 1/4th of its transport capability due to heavy damage and aircraft down, wich was fatal in later battles at the eastfront.


Still Allied losses were also high. But the biggest blown was the damage dealt to the royal navy. They shot down many luftwaffe aircraft but they took losses aswel.

[VonMudra]

Actually, what was more common was to set up a bren or vickers overlooking the container and shoot anyone who tried to get near it.  Walk down, drag away bodies, and repeat.

In general, the container way of dropping was to allow usage of a low opening parachute, thus dropping the time the FJ spent floating in the air.  Problem was, the low opening chute necessitated a special forward roll on landing, which meant a rifle on the back would crack your spine.

[THeTA0123]

Did any nation used the awesome super epic mauser rifles chambered in 7x57mm in WW2?

[VonMudra]

Not sure on WW2 persay, but they were used by the South American armies during the Gran Chaco War in 1932-35 and the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War in 1941.

[PanzerKnacker]

Just measured the outer shell lining of the M35 helmet I have at home, it measures 70cm in circumference. Taking away the 2cm of steel thickness, I guess  I have a size 68 helmet. Did I do this right and is there an alternative way to find out the size?

[siben]

Check metal, find the stamp that tells you the size.

[VonMudra]

Yeah, there should be a stamp on the inside of the helm.

[PanzerKnacker]

Checked, there's no stamp. The steel is worn out though, but I really can't discern anything, it's like trying to find a certain crater on the Moon.

Also, what modern weapons use the 7.92x57mm mauser ammo?
A friend brought me a souvenir, an empty cartrige with a little brochure which depicts an event in the war of 1991. It's identical to the inert ammo Mauser 7,92x57mm cartrige I have, but the stamp on the bottom is different, a star, number 14 and number 54.
So I'm confused, in 1991 what weapons could've been used by the Yugoslav People's Army which used the Mauser cartrige?

[siben]

M48 Mauser rifle.

Zavasta M53 (a yugo mg42)

Zastava M76 sniper rifle (yugo drugonov)

That is all i can say of the top of my head.

[THeTA0123]

FN Model 1949, AKA SAFN, AKA Hakim. These were chambered in 8x57 for the egyptian army.


The M76 is still in use by ex-yugoslavian countries as the 7.92x57mm round and the M76 have more accuracy and range then most 7.62x51/7.62x54mmR rifles. With modern powders and bullets, this is a round wich is easily capable of performing 30% better.

[PanzerKnacker]

Hah, all I could think of was the M48 copy, that seemed odd for 1990s.

Ok, I think I got it, thanks  a lot siben and Theta

[siben]

FN Model 1949, AKA SAFN, AKA Hakim. These were chambered in 8x57 for the egyptian army.


The M76 is still in use by ex-yugoslavian countries as the 7.92x57mm round and the M76 have more accuracy and range then most 7.62x51/7.62x54mmR rifles. With modern powders and bullets, this is a round wich is easily capable of performing 30% better.

Hakim is based on the swedish Ljungman ag42 Thata. It is completely different then the FN Model 1949, SAFN or AFN like it was called in the Belgian army by its Grunts.

[THeTA0123]

The egyptians had an SAFN version and this one was also sometimes called an Hakim rifle. but merely from confusion