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Das Fallbeil

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Straight from the World of Pulps
.Thrilling-Mystery-V42-September-1936-600x860.jpgThrilling Mystery September 1936 (just after Berlin Diary - is this how Barb learned about those Nazi guillotines?)
 
Well done, yes. But, would have much preferred another ending — probably due to my hatred of Nazis, both those then and our neo-types now regardless of what they call themselves.

If the worthless Dieter had any guts, he had his sidearm and could have acted in the execution room vice suicide after. Assuming he was carrying an issued Luger 9mm that would be eight rounds in the magazine. Say five shots plus one extra if needed for five people in the room — the four troopers and Gunther. Could leave the priest (maybe).

That would leave two shots for themselves if needed as he and Barb made a run for it. Worse case: his beloved would not face the blade and there would be at least some dead Nazis.

Just a highly prejudiced thought.

Thanks Horseman for the alternative ending. I like the way you think ;)
 
Thanks Horseman for the alternative ending. I like the way you think ;)

But, yours is by far the more poignant ending — and perhaps more realistic? A German 9mm Luger was a jewel of a pistol; the height of precision German machining art. Unfortunately, due to its fine internal tolerances it tended to jam if not cleaned and oiled every three hours. Plus, because of its grip design and short barrel it was problematic to hit a target any further than spitting distance. So, my thoughts for saving the damsel may have been a bit hard on hapless Dieter. Yet, without the attempt one may ever know.
 
A German 9mm Luger was a jewel of a pistol; the height of precision German machining art. Unfortunately, due to its fine internal tolerances it tended to jam if not cleaned and oiled every three hours. Plus, because of its grip design and short barrel it was problematic to hit a target any further than spitting distance.

why was it carried if all that is true?
 
And why were 3 million Lugers built?

The Luger worked very well, but only with the cartridges it was designed for. For instance, its specific toggle-lock reloading system was very reliable, but needed more recoil force than usual. Not all 9 mm cartridges could provide this power.

And later in the war faulty or wrong cartridges were probably an issue?
 
The 9mm Luger was the first pistol with the special developed 9mm Parabellum cartrige with a clearly higher damage. Based on the design it was substantiell more secure for the shooters in case of massive malfunction. Several european armys brought it into use.
Procured as orderly weapon, it was intended for close-quarters combat, so accuracy was not high priority. When it jammed than mostly based on non-eligible munition. The pistol was zeroed in (is that correct in english?) on a distance of 50m.
 
The 9mm Luger was the first pistol with the special developed 9mm Parabellum cartrige with a clearly higher damage. Based on the design it was substantiell more secure for the shooters in case of massive malfunction. Several european armys brought it into use.
Procured as orderly weapon, it was intended for close-quarters combat, so accuracy was not high priority. When it jammed than mostly based on non-eligible munition. The pistol was zeroed in (is that correct in english?) on a distance of 50m.
English is good and 50 m with a pistol is a decently long shot!
 
The reason for the change to the Walther P38 starting 1938 was the high manufactoring costs of the Luger.

I was trying to research faulty cartridges and came across an account written by a Wehrmacht heavy machine gunner in which he complained of non-brass cartridge casings jamming the gun. It sounded as though they appeared later in the war as a cheaper substitute for proper cartridges if I understood what he was saying correctly
 
I was trying to research faulty cartridges and came across an account written by a Wehrmacht heavy machine gunner in which he complained of non-brass cartridge casings jamming the gun. It sounded as though they appeared later in the war as a cheaper substitute for proper cartridges if I understood what he was saying correctly

Moore, your last performance on the NYPD firing range didn't exactly qualify you for expert status:rimshot:
 
I was trying to research faulty cartridges and came across an account written by a Wehrmacht heavy machine gunner in which he complained of non-brass cartridge casings jamming the gun. It sounded as though they appeared later in the war as a cheaper substitute for proper cartridges if I understood what he was saying correctly
As much as I know you are right, but that goes for all munition and even bomb and torpedo production. May have been caused by massive bombing of munition factorys and the fact that a lot of laborers there were prisoners of war or political prisoners.
 
Moore, your last performance on the NYPD firing range didn't exactly qualify you for expert status:rimshot:

Geeze ... it was only a ricochet ... people should have ducked! ;)

As much as I know you are right, but that goes for all munition and even bomb and torpedo production. May have been caused by massive bombing of munition factorys and the fact that a lot of laborers there were prisoners of war or political prisoners.

I'm sure that's correct about the bombing and sabotage. From what I have been just reading it sounds as though German military hardware suffered in general from being too sophisticated (thus vulnerable to battlefield breakdown and malfunction, in addition to more expensive to produce in quantity) as compared to the simpler but more reliable Soviet equipment.
 
Geeze ... it was only a ricochet ... people should have ducked!
We'll discuss that later :firedevil:IMG_1081.JPG

I'm sure that's correct about the bombing and sabotage. From what I have been just reading it sounds as though German military hardware suffered in general from being too sophisticated (thus vulnerable to battlefield breakdown and malfunction, in addition to more expensive to produce in quantity) as compared to the simpler but more reliable Soviet equipment.
Those have been issues for the US in Afghanistan and Iraq and for the Russians in Afghanistan as well. All that fancy stuff doesn't like little grains of sand in its interior.
 
as compared to the simpler but more reliable Soviet equipment.
You are correct. They made their weakness to a strenght. They could even transfer this knowledge from one product to another. For a while they had a problem with wings breaking off their planes till one constructer started perforating the wings. He had remembered that their toilet paper rips everywhere only not there were it was perforated.
Sorry, couldn´t resist :)
 
I'm sure that's correct about the bombing and sabotage. From what I have been just reading it sounds as though German military hardware suffered in general from being too sophisticated (thus vulnerable to battlefield breakdown and malfunction, in addition to more expensive to produce in quantity) as compared to the simpler but more reliable Soviet equipment.
That's also true. Soviet equipment often omitted safety aspects in their design, making production cheaper and easier.
 
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