EXTREMELY RARE CASE V-42 WWII COMMANDO STILETTO WITH ORIGINAL SHEATH.

Revised: 9/8/2011

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: This knife is one of only 70 Navy issued examples assigned to the USS Omaha. The sheath markings were obliterated for security purposes.

EXTREMELY RARE CASE V-42 WWII COMMANDO STILETTO WITH ORIGINAL SHEATH. Fine WWII Commando Ranger knife made by the Case Knife Co. in 1943 with 7-1/4″ dbl edged stiletto blade with diamond shaped grind with 1-1/2″ ricasso that has a serrated thumb print on left side and the blade is slightly offset for a right handed user. Overall length is 12-1/2″ including the pointed steel pommel cap skull cracker and a swell center serrated stacked leather handle. Handguard is 2-11/16″, slightly curved with rounded ends and leather backing. Thumbprint side of ricasso has the maker’s name. Accompanied by a Type 3 orig leather sheath with metal plates riveted near the end and without staples at the throat. Sheath is overall 13-5/8″ long with a thumb snap and web belt hooks at the top. Front body of the sheath has an obliterated name over “E-12” and there is a stamped series of numbers which appear to be “10” and “16” on either side of a Canadian broad arrow acceptance mark. There is also a small “S” stamped near this series of numbers. There were approx. 3,600 of these knives produced in 1943 which were all shipped to the Navy depot in Brooklyn, the Pittsburgh Ordnance and the Washington Quartermaster Depot. These knives were issued to and used by the 1st Special Service Force (1st SSF) known as “The Devils Brigade”. Few of these knives survive today in any condition, let alone one with high finish. The Devils Brigade or “Black Devils” as they were known to some elements of the German military because of their use of black face paint and stealthy prowess as small unit raiders who frequently infiltrated & overwhelmed German defenders without firing a shot and then disappear into the night. This unit was formed in 1942 from a combination of Canadian & American forces and received specialized training at Fort William Henry Harrison, Helena, Montana and other U.S. bases. They were initially shipped to the Aleutian Islands to fight the Japanese but by then the Japanese had already evacuated the islands. They returned to the U.S. and in October 1943 were assigned to the 5th U.S. Army in Italy and from there to Morocco and back to Italy where they earned reputation for assaulting & capturing previously impenetrable objectives, one of which was the bases for the 1968 movie The Devil’s Brigade. From Dec. 3 1943 through Jan. 8, 1944 during that mountain campaign the Devils Brigade suffered 77% casualties. On Feb. 1, 1944 the unit landed at the Anzio Beachhead replacing two Ranger Batallions. They were so successful that the Germans withdrew more than half a mile to avoid their aggressive patrols. A diary obtained from a dead German soldier contained the passage that said “The Black Devils are all around us every time we come into the line.” During the Anzio operation the 1st SSF fought for 99 continuous days without relief. On June 4, 1944 the 1st SSF were the first Allied unit to enter Rome. During the war this 1,800-man unit accounted for about 12,000 German casualties, captured 7,000 prisoners and sustained an attrition rate of over 600%. The unit was disbanded on Dec. 5, 1944 in France and their members reassigned to mostly parachute regiments. Today’s Green Berets and Delta Force Operators are direct descendants of this fabulous unit. The design of the V-42 fighting knife was designed with the help of Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick who was instrumental in the formation of the 1st SSF. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Blade retains just about all of its orig factory blue with only bright edges from factory sharpening and slight thinning near the tip. Handle has a couple of minor dents and shows light wear. Pommel cap retains 50-60% thin orig blue with some light surface rust on one side near the handle. Sheath is sound & supple, lightly soiled with light verdigris on some of the rivets and brown patina on metal plates. Altogether a rare and highly desirable fighting knife. 4-42457 JR87 (7,500-9,500)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2011

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1162	$8,625.00	Revised: 9/8/2011 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: This knife is one of only 70 Navy issued examples assigned to the USS Omaha. The sheath markings were obliterated for security purposes. EXTREMELY RARE CASE V-42 WWII COMMANDO STILETTO WITH ORIGINAL SHEATH. Fine WWII Commando Ranger knife made by the Case Knife Co. in 1943 with 7-1/4″ dbl edged stiletto blade with diamond shaped grind with 1-1/2″ ricasso that has a serrated thumb print on left side and the blade is slightly offset for a right handed user. Overall length is 12-1/2″ including the pointed steel pommel cap skull cracker and a swell center serrated stacked leather handle. Handguard is 2-11/16″, slightly curved with rounded ends and leather backing. Thumbprint side of ricasso has the maker’s name. Accompanied by a Type 3 orig leather sheath with metal plates riveted near the end and without staples at the throat. Sheath is overall 13-5/8″ long with a thumb snap and web belt hooks at the top. Front body of the sheath has an obliterated name over “E-12” and there is a stamped series of numbers which appear to be “10” and “16” on either side of a Canadian broad arrow acceptance mark. There is also a small “S” stamped near this series of numbers. There were approx. 3,600 of these knives produced in 1943 which were all shipped to the Navy depot in Brooklyn, the Pittsburgh Ordnance and the Washington Quartermaster Depot. These knives were issued to and used by the 1st Special Service Force (1st SSF) known as “The Devils Brigade”. Few of these knives survive today in any condition, let alone one with high finish. The Devils Brigade or “Black Devils” as they were known to some elements of the German military because of their use of black face paint and stealthy prowess as small unit raiders who frequently infiltrated & overwhelmed German defenders without firing a shot and then disappear into the night. This unit was formed in 1942 from a combination of Canadian & American forces and received specialized training at Fort William Henry Harrison, Helena, Montana and other U.S. bases. They were initially shipped to the Aleutian Islands to fight the Japanese but by then the Japanese had already evacuated the islands. They returned to the U.S. and in October 1943 were assigned to the 5th U.S. Army in Italy and from there to Morocco and back to Italy where they earned reputation for assaulting & capturing previously impenetrable objectives, one of which was the bases for the 1968 movie The Devil’s Brigade. From Dec. 3 1943 through Jan. 8, 1944 during that mountain campaign the Devils Brigade suffered 77% casualties. On Feb. 1, 1944 the unit landed at the Anzio Beachhead replacing two Ranger Batallions. They were so successful that the Germans withdrew more than half a mile to avoid their aggressive patrols. A diary obtained from a dead German soldier contained the passage that said “The Black Devils are all around us every time we come into the line.” During the Anzio operation the 1st SSF fought for 99 continuous days without relief. On June 4, 1944 the 1st SSF were the first Allied unit to enter Rome. During the war this 1,800-man unit accounted for about 12,000 German casualties, captured 7,000 prisoners and sustained an attrition rate of over 600%. The unit was disbanded on Dec. 5, 1944 in France and their members reassigned to mostly parachute regiments. Today’s Green Berets and Delta Force Operators are direct descendants of this fabulous unit. The design of the V-42 fighting knife was designed with the help of Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick who was instrumental in the formation of the 1st SSF. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Blade retains just about all of its orig factory blue with only bright edges from factory sharpening and slight thinning near the tip. Handle has a couple of minor dents and shows light wear. Pommel cap retains 50-60% thin orig blue with some light surface rust on one side near the handle. Sheath is sound & supple, lightly soiled with light verdigris on some of the rivets and brown patina on metal plates. Altogether a rare and highly desirable fighting knife. 4-42457 JR87 (7,500-9,500) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2011 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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