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FG42 #540 (Type1/Type E) at Grand Curtius, Liège, Belgium

Guillaume d'Orange

Guillaume d'Orange

Senior Member
Hi folks,

Some pictures of this FG42.
I managed to get a photo of the serial number #540, but not the acceptance stamps.
What's interesting is the label that mentions Krieghoff in Suhl AND in Herstal.
I will probably ask the curator why they added Herstal and if he owns some material supporting the theory in "Death from Above" that parts of FG42s were made in Liège or nearby Herstal (book extract below).

1720707155078.png
 
mdarnell19 said:
Man that is one sweet rifle. Thanks for the pictures.
Click to expand...
Yes, I asked for the markings on the receiver but they made other pics in a lightbox.
The rifle is pretty used, it did not stay on a rack.
One can only imagine its journey.
Most of the early ones were issued to the troops in June 1943 in France while paratroopers were training to face an Allied landing on the Mediterranean coast.
And afterwards ? If it was with FJR 6, Italy, Normandy and finally Belgium. It is my guess, but who knows.
 
I think of the ones that landed in Sasso, and then had to work their way back.
They would have been used and abused even if they didn't shoot too much.
Great pics of an interesting rifle.

I am pointing to the Hotel Camp Imperatore (Gran Sasso) behind me, it is glinting on the hill top, it was extraordinarily windy, we had to quit filming multiple times.

(Spot the neck scarf, lol.)

​

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pitfighter said:
I think of the ones that landed in Sasso, and then had to work their way back.
They would have been used and abused even if they didn't shoot too much.
Great pics of an interesting rifle.
Click to expand...
Done by the I./FJR7, which became the Fallschirm-Lehr-Battalion and finally the Fallschirmjäger-Lehr-Regiment 21.
The "way back" from Gran Sasso was:
Jan 1944: Anzio Nettuno
Feb 1944: Nevers/Amiens
Aug 1944: Paris/Pontoise/Beauvais (most of the regiment captured)
Sept 1944: Aachen/Mook
Jan 1945: Brüggen
Feb 1945: Jüterborg

Harry Herrmann, the commander of the unit, was captured by Soviets near Berlin, survived 10 years in a camp, came home and finally joined the Bundeswehr.
 
Guillaume d'Orange said:
Done by the I./FJR7, which became the Fallschirm-Lehr-Battalion and finally the Fallschirmjäger-Lehr-Regiment 21.
The "way back" from Gran Sasso was:
Jan 1944: Anzio Nettuno
Feb 1944: Nevers/Amiens
Aug 1944: Paris/Pontoise/Beauvais (most of the regiment captured)
Sept 1944: Aachen/Mook
Jan 1945: Brüggen
Feb 1945: Jüterborg

Harry Herrmann, the commander of the unit, was captured by Soviets near Berlin, survived 10 years in a camp, came home and finally joined the Bundeswehr.
Click to expand...

A few pics here and others - https://modernmilitaryhistory.com/2...ewehr-42-in-period-photography-a-photo-essay/
 
Thank You for the great pictures

Interesting that s/n 540 has a large trigger guard. I would have assumed the transition was later. Do you know if this rifle is close to the transition
 
jithaca said:
View attachment 407773

View attachment 407774
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Good catch ! In which collection is #1295?

Actually #640 has a « normal » triggerguard. Quite possible that #540 has been modified.

1725609405106.jpeg

See here:
www.k98kforum.com

Pics of FG42s in Paris

The "Musée de l'Armée" reopened and I realized there are 4 FG42s on display there (one is in the "Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération"). I've never seen an FG42 before and was stunned to see how compact this thing is (some 16cm shorter than a 98k) ! Unsurprisingly, the 4 of them were made by...
www.k98kforum.com www.k98kforum.com
 
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They have a fantastic collection of military small arms. They also have s/n 1298 Type G on display
 
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