M35 DD with TROPICAL Paint?

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 09-16-2019, 08:38 AM

by olboy

Hows that impartiality going there!

I'm not the one on the offence here but I will if I have to.

Do what you have to Larry c but you'll be stuck with them and perhaps more will fight back in the future

Rather be stuck with Larry and the boys than listen to any more of your ill informed muck spreading! Goodbye, Leon.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 09-16-2019 08:38 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 09-16-2019, 08:42 AM

by TWS

Here to try and serve...
There was no regular Heer MG Battalion 40. According to Tessin, there was a Festungs-Maschinengewehr-Bataillon 40 but it existed only 1 Sep. '44 to 3 Nov '44. So unlikely much of anything was unit marked as it was pretty much an ad hoc unit that existed for an extremely short time.

In effect, I think the unit designation on the helmet is likely an embellishment or perhaps we are deciphering the remnants incorrectly... although MG BTL 40 does mean Maschinengewehr-Bataillon 40 in Heer parlance.

That's great Todd, does make it unlikely that the naming is period, I personally am not keen on the "block" style of it either, although it is not completely unheard of. Leon.

**TWS** · 09-16-2019, 02:31 PM

by MAP

Thanks Todd......that was my gut. I'm familiar with the terms MG squads and companies, but not battalion sized? And 40 of them? But not knowing something I didn't want to spread falsehoods like we saw here already.

Great work.

You're very welcome. There were Machine Gun Battalions, but your instinct is correct in sensing that "40" seemed like an awfully high unit designation.

Some of the more famous ones were Machine Gun Battalion 8 of the Afrika Korps and MG Btl 10, elements of which fought at Cholm.

**Danmark** · 09-16-2019, 10:46 PM

Have a good holiday and we'll carry on ( with civility ) when you and the helmet return..... general consensus seems to be leaning towards the negative but stranger things have happened and I'm keeping an open opinion until full assessment has occurred.

**FurryRhino** · 12-05-2019, 06:26 AM

Finally had a few minutes to look at this helmet and overall I'm disappointed. Very obviously has had post combat damage "shiny green" paint applied that can be seen covering the front crack and interior of the helmet. There are multiple areas on the interior where that shiny green is applied over heavy rust. As for the "MG Btl 40 FRITZ" I looked for over a month and couldn't find a single credible reference for it.

Overall the helmet is a real ET 64 with at least two layers of original paint and the remains of a decal. The tan layer is shiny like the off colored green so I'm assuming that it is not original either. The tan/green overpaint appears to be very old and consistently chipped so I'm not sure if there is any way to know when or why it was done. If it weren't for the 40th battalion markings I would assume it was a grave marker painted over to preserve it post war, but other than that no idea.

I'm still glad I purchased the helmet, annoyed that it has been tampered with, but it has been a great learning experience. Hopefully others can learn from this and avoid the same mistakes in the future. GET BETTER PICTURES!

Thank you all for the help and knowledge you have shared. I really enjoy collecting these relics and I have purchased three more helmets that will be here soon for inspection.

**FurryRhino** · 12-05-2019, 06:29 AM

I will post pictures soon from my computer, the forum keeps logging me out on my phone.

**AndyM35** · 12-05-2019, 07:09 AM

Ultimately, it’s all about learning and I’m sure we all have stories to tell about learning the hard way.

Andy

**FurryRhino** · 12-08-2019, 01:37 PM

Battle damage with green paint over the metal fractures.

**FurryRhino** · 12-08-2019, 01:49 PM

Vent and liner holes.

**AndyM35** · 12-08-2019, 10:54 PM

FurryRhino, thanks for the additional images as some of these are the "smoking gun". I believe these images assist a lot in showing that a lot of this paint was not war time applied.

If you look at the closeup images these is green paint on the edge of the damaged section where the metal has broken away. This paint should not be there as obviously paint does not reside inside the steel - therefore the paint had to have been applied after the damage was done. The base layer of feldgrau may stand a chance but other than this the shell is a relic with post war applied paint.

Andy