Picture of the Day

[Seth_Soldier]

[Slayer]

MG42 with drum mag?

[Seth_Soldier]

Mag were used in an assault configuration so the gunner can fire in the heat of the battle without worrying about the bullet band afaik (when mag is finished he switch to bullet band)

About the picture, it is certainly a temporary AA setup

[Slayer]

Is it Normandy? I see anti para stakes and an FJ helmet.

[Seth_Soldier]

i guess. Unfortunately i don't have more information.
If you have the time, you can search it based on the location of the photographer in 1944

[Slayer]

I was right: https://www.bundesarchiv.de/oeffentlichkeitsarbeit/bilder_dokumente/00679/index-8.html.de

 

[Ts4EVER]

SS Fallschirmjäger with MkB42 (H) assault rifle, Oderfront, 1945

[Seth_Soldier]

you want one ?


(from a wochenschau n°752 you've certainly seen)

[Ts4EVER]

Yeah, same unit. I wonder how they got those. The first MKB42s were delivered in April 1943 to Army Group North (2000 weapons) to be tested by these units: 1., 11., 21., 212. Infanterie-Divisions, 93. and 18. motorized Divisions.
The next tests were supposed to take place with the MP43/1. However, there are other photos of SS troops using them, so apparently more were brought to the front:



Kinda weird the whole thing.

[Seth_Soldier]

Well, SS were present Army Group North, so maybe some ended on SS hands.
After the test, the weapons were certainly sent back to Berlin.
About end of war units, i'm sure they would use eveything they can found.

That would need some deeper research   

Sowjetunion-Nord.- Soldat mit Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen und Sturmgewehr 44 (wrong) im Schützengraben; KBZ HGr Nord
1943 Sommer

[Ts4EVER]

Apparently the MKB42 was still produced until September 1943 even though the MP43/1 was already developed. This would indicate to me that the large scale October 1943 frontline tests also included some MKBs. The SS FJG battalion was raised in September 1943 so possibly they got some of the last produced ones, even though they are not part of the testing divisions.

[Seth_Soldier]

[Torenico]

[Seth_Soldier]

[Seth_Soldier]