Help ID Markings

[mga_coupe]

Has anyone seen what appears to be a backward Z proof? What's the significance?
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v307/ ... C01379.jpg

I also have feed tray with what appears to be a squirrel looking up! It's on the back of an MG2 tray.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v307/ ... C01380.jpg

Thanks

[Michael J]

I believe it is a squirrel who's face was just hit by a frying pan by the looks of it .

Very interesting, i haven't a clue, but i'm interested in knowing!

[rocco1911]

I believe thats the rare Nazi mounted squirrle division mark I think bil knows more about it

[Bil]

Actually,they never got bigger than a regiment-332nd Mounted Squirrell Rgt.The idea was,they could be deployed in the more wooded areas,mostly the Eastern front,near the Baltic region.In theory,it worked well,but in actual practice,they had a hard time getting the horses up into the trees also.Eventually,they were issued bicycles with extention ladders mounted on them.This worked much better,until they were deployed to the western front shortly after D-Day.They fought well until the battle for the Huertgen forest,when the High Command made the mistake of sending them to defend a large oak forest.Once safely up in the trees,they refused to come down and spent their time gathering and hiding acorns.The unit was disbanded shortly thereafter.While composed of regular Heer soldiers,they apparently took their unit insignia to heart.You have a rare piece there,sure to increase in value.Or not,depending. ---bil

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

TRANSLATION of bil's comment:

"I don't know jack $hit."

[mga_coupe]

You know, looking at the squirrel mark again, it looks like the two vertical lines are ears and the squirrel is looking to the right toward its tail. This doesn't make it any less unusual. Maybe this is what my grabdfather meant when he said, "I fought the Nutzis."

Any theories about the backward Z...that don't involve squads of armed rodents?

[Michael J]

Backward Z... Maybe they made the stamp with a correct Z, and it did not occur to them that it would appear backwards after stamping it?

Also, you sure that it is a squirrel? I can't think of it being anything else, but who knows, what kind of squirrel has ears like that ! Although, it does look like it is looking backwards, not up.

Not to hijack, but i saw this companies truck while driving today, and i thought "that logo looks familiar..."
http://www.eaglewestcranes.com/
http://www.usmbooks.com/images/STANDESBEAMTE/Stan1.jpg

[Bil]

I actually spent over an hour last night researching logos of german manufacturers,anyone that might have made the feed tray.No luck at all. ---bil

[Bullwinkle]

The squirrel is "Eickhorn" (sp??). They make military bayonets (M16, Galil, R4) and other military fighting knives as well as subcontract for stamped parts for various German military gear. Never seen a Eickhorn feedtray, i have seen a MG3 top cover with an Eickhorn stamp. The z stamp is an armourers code. Don't know what it specified but it's common to find Z, A, E and * marks on demilled MG42 kits and MG42 kits that were converted and used as MG1/2's...in MOST cases, the converted receivers (if not NEW POST WAR MADE0 had the Nazi proofs ground off and the the MG42 and/or date ground off. I have never seen one re-stamped or re-marked , only the MG42 markings removed. (But I've only seen several hundred kits and a handful of F/A guns over the years, so I am by far NOT an expert)

Hope this helps

[Bullwinkle]

Go about 1/2 way down this thread... viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7461

there is a brief explanation of what your wanting to know about receiver marking...with a few pictures.

So much documentation was destroyed at the end of WWII and the actual armourers are mostly all dead, i'm not sure we ever know what all the markings are/were. Post war markings are much easier, but I don't beleive anyone has put out a compliation of marks in a book format like the excellent ones on Lugars and Mausers... one day when I win the lottery, I'll retire and start research on this topic and put out a book just on codes, serial number range, conversion markings, variations etc. al.!!!