IMAGE |
TEXT |
TRANSLATION |
NOTES |
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15
Patronen S.m.K. |
15
Cartridges, Spitzer Bullet with Core |
S.
m. K. stands for Spitzgeschoss mit Kern. |
|
hlb
1. L. 43 |
Treuenbrietzen
Factory, Delivery 1, 1943 |
"L."
likely stands for Lieferung (Delivery), thus: 1. Delivery. 43 |
Compiled and researched by ColoradoMinesForSale.com |
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Nz.Gw.Bl.P.(2*2*0,45):
rdf. 1940/21 |
Rifle
Powder, NC Flaked (size of grains): Factory Westfaelische-Anhaltische
Sprengstoff AG Werk Reinsdorf, Delivery 21, 1940 |
Gw.
Likely stands for Gewehr, P. likely stands for Pulver. 2*2*0.45 is the size
of each powder grain, likely in mm (2mm round, 0.45 mm thick). The 1940/21
syntax is not clear, and the only example on the label. The Most likely
interpretation is the 4 digit number is the full year, while the slash
followed by two digits is a lot or delivery. |
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PatrhS(Stahl)lackiert
hlb3L43 |
Cartridge
Case (Steel) Lacquered. Treuenbrietzen Factory 3rd Delivery 1943 |
The
S may indicate "Werk S", the 2nd factory at Treuenbrietzen? |
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Gesch:
hlb1L43 |
Bullet:
Treuenbrietzen Factory, 1st delivery, 1943 |
The
actual bullet was made at the same factory. |
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Geschossteile:
hlb |
Bullet
parts: Treuenbrietzen Factory |
Unclear
if this is the actual parts of the bullet (jacket, core, lead, etc) or if
it's meant to be assembly. Geschossteile literally translates to "Bullet
Parts". No lot or date. |
|
Zdh.
88: faa 238. L. 41 |
Zdh
88 Primer: Deutsche Waffen- u. Munitionsfabriken AG Karlsruhe Factory,
delivery 238, 1941 |
238th
delivery of primers, from 1941. |
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From studying other
boxes from the Treuenbrietzen Factory, also from 1943, and all S.m.K, it
appears varying powder lots were supplied. These might have been stored at
Treuenbrietzen, or supplied from random lots from another location as needed.
So far, 1939/69, 1940/21, and 1941/4 powder dates have been found. Similarly,
primers come from differing deliveries. So far, deliveries 216, 217, and 238
are known, all dated 1941. These may have been smaller batches than the
powder, and the delivery numbers may in fact be sequential if all boxes could
be documented. |
The Treuenbrietzen
factory employed slave labor, and was a concentration camp. It was in fact a
sub-camp of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, a gigantic concentration camp
complex which held prisoners, performed medical experiments, routine
executions, a gas chamber, and produced products for the German war machine
using the slave labor of inmates. The official name of the factory was
Metallwarenfabrik Treuenbrietzen GmbH, Selterhof plant. Although the
Treuenbrietzen camp is not readily documented in detail by date that I could
find, it is clear that by 1942 1,250 slave laborers worked at the factory,
plus 150 Prisoners of War (unknown from which nation(s), likely Soviet?). In
1943 Jewish prisoners had been transferred to the surrounding sub-camps,
likely including Treuenbrietzen. 2 years after this ammunition was made, in
1945, the Battle of Halbe encompassed the town. The Wehrmacht executed 127
Italian POWs at the camp before the Soviets could arrive. After the Soviets
took the town, the Wehmacht and SS retook the town for a short period. When
the Soviets took the town for the second time, they murdered somewhere around
1000 civilians and committed other crimes. |
This ammunition has a
deep and tragic history. It is my opinion that it is important to remember
that it was made in a concentration camp by slave labor, and should be
respected as an important artifact of the holocaust. One of the boxes in my
possession has fingerprints immortalized on the cardboard box by the glue
that was used to affix the labels. The fingerprints are those of a slave
laborer in a concentration camp over 78 years ago (label pictured above). Note
on the bottom right corner a partial print is visible. A full print is visible on the side of the
box. |
In regards to ammunition
usability, I have fired a single round of powder 1940/21 with primers faa
238, same as label pictured. It performed perfectly, without acting
"hot", no hangfire. It was in excellent cosmetic condition. All of
my rounds with powder load 1939/69 and primers faa 217 L. 41 have exterior
corrosion, corroded primers, and worn lacquer. These are immediately suspect,
and I would not recommend attempting to fire them. Due to the historic nature
of this ammunition, shooting it is not recommended not only due to the
unknown state of the powder and primers, but also due to their historic
significance and concentration camp history. |
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Compiled and researched by ColoradoMinesForSale.com |
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