"fuq 1945" Gunner's Pouch

[Grossfuss]

Hi,
At last (thanks to Gerard) I have a 1945 Gunner's Pouch with interior fittings - see below.
I appreciate all the tools depicted aren't intended to go in and I'm not going to try and force my MG42 bolt into the interior spring clip!
I can't help thinking that my empty pouch may in the end be the more practical of the two!
Way back in a thread on this topic another member provided the name of the maker of the Prestoff of my "empty" pouch from the logo inside - if anyone out there still has this info I'd very much like to hear!
Good hunting,
Grossfuss

[Grossfuss]

"fuq 1945" Gunner's Pouch

More pics.

[Grossfuss]

"fuq 1945" Gunner's Pouch

Finally - my "empty" pouch (again).

[me6_130]

Found it: the maker is 'Capama', understanding it is the maker of the presstoff material, not necessarily the pouch maker 'epf'. Here's the link:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...s+pouch&page=2


Carles

[Grossfuss]

"fuq 1945" Gunner's Pouch

Thanks Carles - yes that was the thread - thanks for taking the trouble to look back and find it - much appreciated!
All the best,
Grossfuss

[IanC]

Fantastic pouch mate, congratulations.

Is the closing strap made of some form of webbing?

[corporalSteiner]

superb pouches here
how exactly does prestoff stand up to torrential rain...? did any of this kit fall apart often in the field when wet?

[me6_130]

superb pouches here
how exactly does prestoff stand up to torrential rain...? did any of this kit fall apart often in the field when wet?

Most 'presstoff' are a kind of well glued up cardboard/paper, so very flexible and partly waterproof, but these 'empty' kind pouches look just like plain cardboard. I haven't had a chance to have one on hand, so I cannot give an opinion. I believe stitching on most presstoff items is low quality and tends to loosen. Presstoff straps on bakelite 6x30 dienstglas cases are very fragile and are broken/ brake in a 90% of cases. I guess it depends on the different materials used.


Carles

[corporalSteiner]

thank you, carles. a prestoff army then is liable to fall apart in the rain. these invincible supermen waged war with paper equipment. yet a further humiliation in that regime's disintergration. that said, beautiful pouches as artifacts, nonetheless.

[Hans Zeug]

Nice display.

Hi Grossfuss,Nice pouch and a very nice display. I like the little "T" cloth holder device where did you find that? Part of the fun of collecting is to gather up all the various parts that make up the complete set..Best regards DAvid.

[Grossfuss]

"fuq 1945" Gunner's Pouch

Thanks for the compliments guys!
Gerard had three of these for sale - one with a leather strap was already sold and there was this one with a webbing strap described as "blue" or another with a green strap.
Of the two this one was in better condition albeit with the famous Russian black paint on the metal fittings - whyever did they think that necessary?
Despite the number of times I've handled the pouch while removing said paint it was only while looking at the photo that I noticed those two small holes in the web strap at the top - can't see for looking, as the saying goes!
The strap has a small piece of leather at the top, I assume to prevent fraying and also has a leather patch for the hole for the bottom stud.
The brass cleaning rod is very similar to the two depicted in Folke's book on page 425 - the two there have a brass tip fitted, mine is all brass. Folke states that they were a Waffenmeister-made job and mine would fit that description.
It was a very lucky find on eBay a few years ago and I've not seen another since.
Good hunting,
Grossfuss

[me6_130]

Hello Grossfuss,

I have just revised my only presstoff gunner's pouch. It is an 'epf 43', so the maker on your 'empty' pouch would be correct also. Curiously, my pouch is left-handed!!! as it has the clip for the bolt on the left hand side, not the right. I should say that the kind of 'presstof' of mine is very similar to that of the 'fuq' pouches not like that used for your 'empty' one

Carles

[Grossfuss]

"fuq 1945" Gunner's Pouch

Hi Carles,
According to my book "epf" was Koenigs- u. Bismarckhuette A-G, Huettenwerk, Falvahuette in Schwientochlewitz, Krs. Kattowitz, Huettenstr.4?
It is a handwritten amendment to the typed text - "epf - epg -eph" all being variants of the same manufacturer.
Can anybody add anything to this?
Apart from the clip being on the other side, the other fittings are minimal, sort of a "halfway house" between the fully fitted pouches and the "empty" version!
Curiouser and curiouser!
Thanks for this,
Grossfuss

[me6_130]

Oh, well, I wouldn't say mine is a half way...I would say it has been 'emptied'. The lack of rivets, wood and metal sheet is because they have been pulled of (pic #1). I've kept this one because it is a 'lefthander', I believe it's ultra rare, never seen any other.

For corporalSteiner some loose thread: (pic #2)


Carles