The elite German paratroopers, known as Fallschirmjägers, shocked the world in 1940 with their success in Norway, and then overwhelmed Belgian and Dutch resistance in a series of swift blitzkrieg air assaults. During WW2, the German Luftwaffe built up a division-sized unit of three Fallschirmjäger regiments who went on to fight in Crete, Italy, and Normandy. On D-Day, the German 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment met the US 101st Airborne Division in the field at Normandy in a titanic “paratrooper vs. paratrooper” clash, and the “Lions of Carentan” of FJR 6 gave as good as they got before withdrawing after a few days of intense close quarters combat. The parachute harness used by Fallschirmjägers in WW2 was different from Allied models, forcing German paratroopers to throw themselves forward out of the plane. They were in a face-down position when the chute opened, and landing on knees and elbows reduced the amount of equipment a trooper could carry. As a result, they jumped with only a pistol, gravity knife, and compass. German heavyweight boxing champion Max Schmeling, who was 1-1 against Joe Louis with a TKO victory in the 1930s, served as a Fallschirmjäger during the war. This German WW2 F&A Helbig Fallschirmjäger Paratrooper Airborne Gravity Knife is in Good Condition, with moderate front to back loosening to the blade when in the open and locked position, some side to side loosening to the blade when in the same position, the blade tip able to extend a bit when it’s supposed to be fully retracted and locked, some light rounding to the blade tip, some sharpening to the blade edge, some scratching at each side of the blade, some scratching to the guard, some loosening to the locking latch at the upper tang, some scattered nicking, scratching, and darkening to the handle scales, and with some overall age wear evident. Most interestingly, it features a 4” bright drop point gravity blade, sports the original, rugged walnut handle scales secured by 4 metal pins, and is etched at the ricasso with its scarcely encountered maker, “F&A HELBIG / Gaefler / STEINBACH K.R.M.”, one of the rarest makers of the gravity knife. It boasts a fully functional thumb lever opening, locking, and closing mechanism, exhibits the original folding secondary spike blade along the front tang, which still closes with a great “snap” and shows an “eagle 5” proof mark at its base, and carries the original steel hanging bale riveted at bottom. A fine example of a very rare, original German WW2 F&A Helbig Fallschirmjäger Paratrooper Airborne Gravity Knife.