German paratrooper from the Luftwaffe armed with an automatic rifle FG-42 in the summer of 1944 in the Battle of France. Western Front of the Wehrmacht during World War II in Europe.
FG-42 (Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 – 1942 parachute rifle) – an automatic rifle 7.92 mm caliber developed by the Luftwaffe specially for the German paratroopers, combining small dimensions and weight and high fighting qualities.
For the first time, the FG-42s were used on May 12, 1943, during the landing of the Luftwaffe paratroopers on the island of Rhodes occupied by the British and showed themselves at their best. But the first production party FG-42 type “G” went into production only in August 1944 after the liberation of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini by the German paratroopers under the command of Otto Skorzeny, armed with a new rifle.
Location: France
When the photo was taken: 1944
Author: Wolfgang Vennemann