Does anyone know these men?
 

Does anyone know who these men are (unit?) How about where and when this photo was taken?

Arming paratroopers with K98's was very short-sighted, no? What a waste of talent.

Anyone?

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

Waste of talent?

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

What a waste of talent: to be arming elite operators with open-sight, bolt-action rifles that were designed in 1898.

I've never understood that.

If there was no other choice, then why not go with optically-sighted K98's for every one of those guys? As in, every time you went up against a Luftwaffe paratrooper unit you were going up against precision, designated marksmen quality, long-range shooters.

Bronc

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

The war that Germany embarked on soon outgrew the capacity of its industry to support it. Adam Tooze’s book “The Wages of Destruction” is very good on this. It’s why their army was largely reliant on horse transport from first to last, for example.

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

The German Sniper 1914-1945 by Peter Senich (1982) devotes an entire chapter to FG 42 sniper rifles (ZF 4 optics.) Now imagine coming up against a company of paratroopers armed with THAT setup...

Notice how often the Fallschirmjager were photographed with optics hanging around their necks? They knew before anyone else that optical magnification is *essential* for infantry operating on a desert-mountain-steppe-bocage battlefield. (It's literally shocking how, for twenty straight years, the majority of Marine/army units in Afghanistan went on patrol with a single pair of low-end Bushnell 7x35 binos--or no field glasses at all.

That's Hauptmann Walter Gericke (KC) below with one of his guys.

They knew what they were doing...

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

It is, in the picture left, Erich Lepkowski (KC) with comrades, II/FJR 2. In their bunker they wait for the next soviet attack. Eastern front, winter 1943/44.

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

Wow-o-Wow. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Lepkowski

That man was the real deal. Here he is again--with field glasses.

Thanks!

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

'What a waste of talent: to be arming elite operators with open-sight, bolt-action rifles that were designed in 1898'

You can say that about the US Marines, the British Commandos and paratroopers etc

or you can say like the Rolling Stones - you can't always get what you want ..

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

In the today world of individualism, we could say that tens of millions of talents hv been spoiled:D
Rémi

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

Interesting. You mean exploitation of one's talent at the cost of others?

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

Back on topic please.

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

The FG 42 was not a sniper rifle ! I have fired many shots with a FG 42 and I would prefer a K98 any time if you are talking about long range shooting.
The FG 42 was not well made and the telescopic sight ZF 4 was not very good.
Besides that I won't call Fallschirmjägers in 1944 for an elite force. They were in 1940 and 1941, but in 1944 they were just ordinary infantry without (for the most part) jump experience. I have spoken to Fallschirmjäger soldiers that were transferred from Flakscheinwerfer and Luftnachrichtendienst. They got a two month infantry course and were sent to the front !

Re: Does anyone know these men?
 

This is an important post.