BACKGROUND: The Luftwaffe had their own ordnance department under control of the RLM, Reichs Luftfahrt Ministerium, (National Ministry of Aviation), with their primary focus being on aerial weapons and munitions with the basic ground based weapons being obtained through the HwaA, Heereswaffenamt, (Army Ordnance Office). The 7.92mm caliber MG15 was originally developed in 1932 by the Rheinmetall armaments factory as a light weight, general purpose, machine gun with the design being based on the earlier MG30. When developed the MG15 was intended for use as a manually operated, flexible, maneuverable, mounted aircraft weapon. The air cooled, rotating bolt/lock ring MG15 had a rate of fire of roughly one thousand rounds per minute making it a formidable weapon with automatic and semi-automatic firing capabilities and was utilized with a variety of assorted capacity, ammunition drums and magazines, with the most common being the seventy-five round capacity ammunition saddle-drums. When fired the MG15 had an ejector port which would expel the used shell casings. With it’s high rate of fire the expelled shell casings could be a troublesome hazard, which resulted in the development of a specific shell casing evacuation tube and pouch, which would fit over the shell casing ejection port containing the spent casings and preventing them from flying about the aircraft. Prior to and early in the war, almost all Luftwaffe aircraft were equipped with the MG15, until the began to be replaced with heavier weapons in late 1940. By 1941 most of the MG15's were replaced with newer model machine guns, including the MG81 and the MG131, and the MG15's were retooled and issued to Infantry personnel. In 1938 the RLM, established required specifications for all aircraft instruments and equipment and assigned a specific contract/requisition numeral to each specific item. Of Note: The WWII MG15 should not to be confused with the WWI Bergmann produced, MG15, which was a completely different weapon. Also Of Note: The MG15 was also utilized by the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces and was manufactured in Japan under licence as the (IJA) Type 98 and the (IJN) Type 1.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 13 1/2" x 12", elongated oval, eight panel, dark blue/grey leather construction, collapsible spent shell casing retaining pouch with machine stitched seams, natural alloy and blued tooled steel fittings. The pouch has four leather panels per side, with a heavy, dual-ply, central, horizontal seam. The top edge of the pouch has a roughly, 1 1/2" tall, 1 1/8" wide, 3 1/2" long, vertically extended, tooled blued steel, opened top, fitting, rivetted in place. The steel fitting was designed, to be secured over the MG’s shell casing ejection port. The steel fitting has a swivel, spring hinged connecting panel to one end and an internal, swivel, spring hinged deflection panel. The steel fitting retains about 85% of it’s original blued finish and is well marked with the stamped Luftwaffe contract/requisition number, "FL45717", "BA", with numerals within an octagonal border indicating, Beschaffungs Amt, (Procurement Office), with the numerals indicating a specific equipment inspector, and the manufacturer’s three letter code and date within an oval border, "baa 42", indicating manufacture by Keller & Knappich G.m.b.H. Maschinenfabrik of Augsburg in 1942. The bottom edge of the pouch has a roughly, 12 1/2" long, inserted and stitched, nickel/silver plated and natural alloy, "Rapid", zipper, allowing the pouch to be emptied as required. The zipper still has it’s stitched on leather pull tab intact and still functions. The pouch is in overall very good condition with light age and usage toning and the leather is still quite supple. Scarce aircraft ordnance accessory.