It's a 42. has the slats instead of holes for heat release.
No the holes are on the left side of the barrel. The right side is just one big hole, this is done so the barrel can be taken out faster because the barrel of the MG42 is only good for a few hundred rounds before it had to be swapped out. To ease this, the right side of the machine barrel casing is gutted so the barrel can be popped out and removed so a new barrel can be popped in. This process done by a well trained crew took a few seconds. US Army during World War 2 trained new soldiers to wait for the barrel change before attacking. Here is a good video of the firing and barrel change of the MG42. Note, a well trained crew can do it faster than R.L Ermey and his buddy or the second video.
No the holes are on the left side of the barrel. The right side is just one big hole, this is done so the barrel can be taken out faster because the barrel of the MG42 is only good for a few hundred rounds before it had to be swapped out. To ease this, the right side of the machine barrel casing is gutted so the barrel can be popped out and removed so a new barrel can be popped in. This process done by a well trained crew took a few seconds. US Army during World War 2 trained new soldiers to wait for the barrel change before attacking. Here is a good video of the firing and barrel change of the MG42. Note, a well trained crew can do it faster than R.L Ermey and his buddy or the second video.
It appears I oversimplified. Refer to the picture of an MG42 then a MG34. My terminology of rectangular "slats" vs circular "holes" will then make sense.
I use "slats" vs "holes" as an easy quick identification method between the two weapons in pictures. Keeping it simple is my thing... Unless I've been drinking >.>
As you pointed out the MG42 has a line of "slats" down the left and top of the weapon for heat release and one large single "slat" on the right for both heat release and barrel change (visible in picture, the artist got it right!). An MG34 has none of these features. Instead, it uses a pattern of small "holes" all around the barrel casing solely for heat release. So clearly not what Erica is carrying in the picture.
Thus "It's a 42. has the slats instead of holes for heat release." Now, if I had been drinking at the time I likely would have added "as well as barrel change" to the end and it would have been more clear.
Therefore the logical conclusion is that beer is good.