In the event only 500 (100 according to some sources, 1000 according to others) of the SG-41 were delivered, and presumably correspondingly less of the SG-41Z.Īpparently some machines were dumped in the sea to prevent them falling into the hands of the Allies, several others in a freshwater lake from which they were recently recovered, and one was retrieved from the wreck of a sunken U-boat. The SG-41Z was produced for the Luftwaffe weather service and differed from the SG-41 in having a 10 digit keyboard instead of the 26 letter keyboard of the SG-41. In 1944 the German Supreme Command ordered 10,000 of the SG-41 (11,000 according to some sources) and 2000 of the SF-41Z, of which the one on offer is an example. Once in production, Hitler’s cryptographers wanted to replace the Enigma en-masse, but by this time there were apparently tens of thousands of them in service. The development began in 1941 at the Warderwerke typewriter company in Chemnitz. Notes on the encoding machine: the SG 41 was intended to supersede the Enigma machine. There was considerable interest from private collectors and museums around the world and it finally sold to a telephone bidder for £3100.
![.577 5-shot francotte-counet .577 5-shot francotte-counet](https://images.gunsinternational.com/listings_sub/acc_221/gi_100623469/Giles-Whittome-London-Falling-Block-Single-Shot-Rifle-577-3-Nitro-Express_100623469_221_C6F4B4E6B4A09DAA.jpg)
The original metal base with the carrying handle was missing, and had been replaced with a flat metal base for display purposes. Small items, such as screws and springs, had been replaced.
![.577 5-shot francotte-counet .577 5-shot francotte-counet](https://www.bevfitchett.us/firearms-assembly/images/3523_2525_1135-big-bore-british-revolver-577.jpg)
It appeared to have been recovered from underwater, cleaned, and partially restored to exhibition standard. We start the report for this sale not with medals, as we normally do, but with a very rare device that was intended to supersede the Enigma encoding machine, an extremely rare WWII German Schluesselgeraet SG-41Z encrypting machine, with operating handle and metal cover.