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Bayonets of the German
Colonial and Overseas Forces
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A collection of Imperial German Bayonets
Photo © A British Collector |
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The Imperial German army, navy and
colonial forces used several different models of bayonet. On this
page are shown a selection of bayonets used by the colonial and
overseas forces from private collections. Of particular interest are
the various unit markings showing them to have come from the
Seebatallione, Schutztruppe, Polizeitruppe and the East Asian
Expeditionary Corps.
Please respect the generosity of the owners in
sharing these copyrighted photos with us by not reproducing them
without prior permission. Special thanks to Chris Wood
for providing additional information on each bayonet in this very
specialised field of study.
Recommended External
Link- Bajonett
Recommended Reading- "German Bayonets Vols. 1 & 2" by Anthony Carter
(published by Tharston Press) and "The Collector's Book of German
Bayonets 1680-1945 Pt1 by Roy Williams (available from
this link)
(Click on the pictures
to enlarge)
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| An S98aA (or first pattern)
bayonet from the III. Seebatallion
Photo © Chris Wood |
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This S98aA
(or first pattern) bayonet shows typical markings for German bayonets
from the Imperial era. The marking across the hilt shows the unit
number and initials, company number and weapon number ("Waffe Numer").
In this case "III.SB. 2.66." for the III. Seebatallion, 2nd
company, weapon number 66. Unit markings were often also put on
the scabbard. The date of manufacture or inspection was usually
marked on the blunt side of the blade. These markings showed the
crown and first initial of the reigning monarch and the last two
numbers of the year. In this case "W00", W for Wilhelm II, and
00 for 1900. The name or abbreviation of the maker or factory
was usually marked on the flat of the blade, in this case
Erfurt.
The blade and scabbard of this bayonet look similar to the other
S98aA bayonet shown below. This bayonet has its original wooden
grips and leather scabbard. |
| An S98/05aAS bayonet from the
III. Seebatallion Photos
© Chris Wood |
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The markings "III.SB. 5.11." show this
bayonet to have been issued to the 5th (Mounted) Company of the III.
Seebatallion based at Tsingtao. It also has unidentifiable scratched
out markings "KU 1645" from a previous issue. This bayonet was made
at Erfurt in 1909 (marked "W09"). Note that this bayonet like
several others on this page, has a serrated back edge to double as a
saw. The frog is of an older pattern originally for a larger bayonet
and has been altered to fit this bayonet. This bayonet has wooden
grips and a leather scabbard. |
| An S98aA
bayonet from the III. Seebatallion
Photos © Dow Cross |
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The markings "III SB 5.1.33" show
this bayonet also to have been issued to the 5th (Mounted) Company
of the III. Seebatallion.
This bayonet has a sawback blade, wooden grips and a leather
scabbard. |
| An S98
bayonet from the depot unit of the III. Seebatallion
Photos © Dow Cross |
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The markings "III. St SB. 342" show
this bayonet to have been issued to the depot unit ("Stamm") of the
III. Seebatallion based at Cuxhaven in Germany. Note the maker's
mark, a crown with "Erfurt" can clearly be seen on the blade. This
bayonet has wooden grips and a leather scabbard. |
| A kS 98
bayonet from the German South West African
Schutztruppe
Photos ©
Chris Wood |
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The markings "KS4892" show this bayonet to
have been issued to the Kaiserliche Schutztruppe (of German South
West Africa). This bayonet was made at Erfurt in 1912 (marked "W12")
and has its original leather grips and steel scabbard.
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| A kS 98
bayonet from the German South West African
Schutztruppe Photos © Nate Freidlander |
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The markings "K.S.11067" show this
bayonet to have been issued to the
Kaiserliche Schutztruppe (of German
South West Africa). The frog is the
integral frog of the Schutztruppe mounted equipment (see
Schutztruppe Mounted Equipment Page). This bayonet has leather grips
and a steel scabbard. Also seen in this photo is an original NCO
bayonet knot ("Troddel") in imperial colours as used by the
Schutztruppe. |
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The markings "Sch. D.O.A. 1345" show this
bayonet to have been issued to the Schutztruppe for Deutsche Ost-Afrika
(German East Africa), weapon number 1345. |
| A kS 98
bayonet from the German East African
Schutztruppe
Photos © Chris Wood |
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The markings "_ch. D.O.A. 404." show this
bayonet to have been issued to the Schutztruppe Deutsche Ost-Afrika.
This bayonet was made at Erfurt in 1910 (marked "W10") and has a
sawback blade, its original leather grips and a steel scabbard. Note
that the top of muzzle depression has been filed or possibly
machined flat. One possible explanation is that it may have been
altered to fit a captured rifle such as the British Lee Enfield or
the Portuguese Mauser Vergueiro many of which
were used by the German East African Schutztruppe during the First
World War. |
| A kS 98
bayonet from the German East African
Schutztruppe Photos ©
Chris Wood |
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The markings "Sch D.O.A. 208." show
this bayonet to have been issued to the Schutztruppe Deutsche
Ost-Afrika. This bayonet was made at Erfurt in 1907 (marked "W07").
Note that this bayonet is a rare variant with its leather grips
replaced with wood secured by three rivets. Leather rotted quickly
in the hot, damp climate of East Africa and this bayonet is believed
to have been re-gripped locally. Later models changed to wood grips
with two screwbolts, then finally in 1914 they where changed to a
form of unvulcanised rubber ("Kautschuk") again with two
screwbolts. The dry, desert heat of German South West Africa did not
seem to affect leather grips in the same way. |
| An S71/84
bayonet from the German East African
Schutztruppe Photos ©
Chris Wood |
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The markings "Sch DOA 1116"" show this
bayonet to have been issued to the Schutztruppe Deutsche Ost-Afrika.
This bayonet was made at Weyersberg, Kirschbaum and Co (sometimes
abbreviated to W.K.C.) in 1888 (marked "W88"). Note that the date of
manufacture or inspection as marked on the bayonet was not
necessarily the same as the date of issue. Some bayonets may have
been kept in storage in Germany for years before being issued, as is
probably the case here as the Schutztruppe for German East Africa
were not officially named until 1891. The S71/84 bayonets were
issued to fit the askaris' Jägerbüsche 71 rifles. This bayonet has
wooden grips as seen above but with two rivets. The scabbard is also
a replacement steel version as again leather scabbards rotted
quickly in German East Africa. Note the upside down "V" used for an
"A" on the "Sch DOA" marking. |
| A modified 1871/84 bayonet possibly
used by the Schutztruppe
Photos © Chris Wood |
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This bayonet was made by Kirschbaum and
Erfurt but has no unit markings or weapon number and therefore
cannot be proved to be colonial although several clues point in this
direction. The tip of the blade has a "Bowie"-style tip (see the
comparison photograph on the right between a bowie and normal tip).
Other examples with this bowie tip modification have been stamped
Sch.K. for issue to the Schutztruppe Kamerun. The frog is also of a
type often seen with Schutztruppe bayonets, in that it is for a kS
98 bayonet, in brown leather with tooled edges. The scabbard is of a
rare style, being made from a cut down 1866 French Chassepot
scabbard (these and are usually found with shortened French 1866
bayonets). The French scabbards have not been noted with colonial
bayonets before but bayonet, frog and scabbard have obviously been
together for a very long time (note the imprint of frog stud in the
leather). |
| A Portuguese Model 1904
Bayonet as used by the East African Schutztruppe Photos
from the Museo Militar, Lisbon Portugal |
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This was the standard short model bayonet issued to Portuguese troops in Europe and East Africa during
the First World War to fit the Portuguese Mauser-Vergueiro
rifle. Large numbers of these rifles and bayonets were captured from
Portuguese stocks and used by the German East African askaris during
1917-18. The markings on this particular bayonet (which probably did
not see East African service) show "F8693" and a
small swastika sign (but with the arms going the other way from the
later unrelated nazi symbol). Portuguese bayonets were not
marked for individual units but simply showed serial numbers
preceded by a letter. The marking on the upper blade shows this
bayonet (like many Portuguese models) to have been made by Simson &
Co, in Suhl Germany. It seems ironic that so many of them then ended up
back in German hands. |
| An S71/84
bayonet from the Cameroon Schutztruppe Photos ©
Chris Wood |
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The markings "Sch.K.8559" show this
bayonet to have been issued to the Schutztruppe Kamerun. It also has
previous issue markings crossed out. They read "62.R.11.132.9"
showing it have previously been issued to the 62nd Infantry Regiment
("4. Oberschlesisches Infanterie-Regt. Nr.63") of the regular German army. This bayonet was
made in 1887 (marked "W87"). This bayonet has a short fuller (the
groove in the blade, added to decrease weight but not strength and
also to aid in the gruesome task of "after thrust withdrawal"). From
1889 onwards longer fullers going to the tip were used. This bayonet
has wooden grips but still has its original leather scabbard, rather
than the replacement steel scabbards more commonly seen. Leather
parts rotted quickly in Cameroon as in German East Africa due to the
damp tropical climate.
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| A kS 98 bayonet from the
Cameroon Schutztruppe Photos ©
Chris Wood |
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The markings "S.K.7. 126" show this
bayonet to have been issued to the Schutztruppe Kamerun, 7.
Feldkompagnie. Both "Sch.K". and "S.K." markings seem to have been
used by the Schutztruppe in Cameroon. This bayonet was made at
Erfurt in 1904 (marked "W04"). This bayonet has a sawback blade, its
original leather grips and a steel scabbard. |
| A kS 98 bayonet from the
Cameroon Polizeitruppe Photos © Nate Freidlander |
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The markings "PTK. 415.A" show this
bayonet to have been issued to the Polizeitruppe Kamerun. This
bayonet has a sawback blade, steel scabbard and composition grips
designed to replace the original leather grips which as mentioned
above rotted easily in the climate of Cameroon. |
| An S98
bayonet from the East Asian Expeditionary Corps Photos ©
Dow Cross |
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The markings "O.E. 2.241" show
this bayonet to have been issued to the 2nd Headquarters Company of
the East Asian Expeditionary Corps ("Oberkommando
des Ostasiatischen Expeditionskorps").
The bayonet has wooden grips and a leather
scabbard. |
| A pair of S98aA bayonets from
the East Asian Expeditionary Corps Photos © Nate Freidlander |
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The bayonet of the left has the
markings "6.O.R.5.134" showing it to have been issued to the 5th
(Bavarian) company of the 6th East Asian Infantry Regiment ("6.
Ostasiatische Infanterie Regiment") and is date marked "W99"
showing it to have been made in 1899. The bayonet of the right
has the markings "2.O.R.5.15." showing it to have been issued to
the 5th (Prussian) company of the 2nd East Asian Infantry
Regiment and is date marked "W00" showing it to have been made
in 1900. In the photo on the right, the Bavarian bayonet is
shown with an other ranks bayonet knot of the 5th company (a
white/red/white tassel). The steel scabbard may however be a
later addition. |
| An S98aA bayonet from
the East Asian Expeditionary Corps
Photo © Roy Williams |
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This bayonet has the markings
"2.O.R.1.13." showing it to have been issued to the 1st (Saxon)
company of the 2nd East Asian Infantry Regiment. Note the wooden grip
and sawback
blade. |
| A bayonet Scabbard from the
East Asian Expeditionary Corps
Photo © Thomas Krause |
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The markings "6.O.R. 6. 138" show this
scabbard to have been issued to the 6th (Bavarian) Company of the
6th East Asian
Infantry Regiment.
The bayonet shown with it is not unit marked and is probably a later
addition as it has the date mark "W02"- a year after the 6th East
Asian Infantry Regiment was disbanded. |
| An S98aA bayonet from the
East Asian Occupation Brigade
Photo © Chris Wood |
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This bayonet has the markings
"1.O.R.5.116." showing it to have been issued to the 5th company
of the 1st East Asian Infantry Regiment. The date marking "W02"
shows it to have been from 1902, by which time the East Asian
Expeditionary Corps had been down-scaled and renamed, the East Asian
Occupation Brigade ("Ostasiatische Besatzungsbrigade"). This
bayonet is marked as having been made at Erfurt. |
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An S98aA bayonet from the
East Asian Marine Detachment
Photos © Chris Wood |
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The markings "O.M.D.1 124" show this
bayonet to have been issued to the 1st Company of the East Asian
Marine Detachment ("Ostasiatische Marine Detachment, 1.Kompanie").
This bayonet was made by Simpson & Co in Suhl, but has no date
markings as was common for early naval bayonets. It was probably
made around 1900 or 1901 (although the East Asian Marine Detachment
was only formed in 1909 many bayonets were held in store for several
years before issue). This bayonet has wooden grips and a leather
scabbard. |
| An S98/05 1st pattern
bayonet from the Imperial Navy Photo ©
Chris Wood |
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This bayonet has the markings "W.W.8902",
for "Werft Wilhelmshaven" showing it have been issued to sailors
equipped at the port of Wilhelmshaven. It was made at Erfurt in1909.
The four digit number is a weapon number typical of the imperial navy.
Note the high muzzle ears and steel mounted leather scabbard. |
| An S98/05 1st pattern sawback
bayonet from the Imperial Navy in Gallipoli Photos ©
Chris Wood |
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This bayonet
has the markings "W.K.2500", for "Werft Kiel" showing it have
been issued to sailors equipped at the port of Kiel. It has a
four digit weapon number and was
made at Erfurt in 1908. It again has a steel mounted leather scabbard.
This bayonet is of particular interest as it has a hand written note
attached stating that it was "found in Turkish trenches Gallipoli
1915". It is then almost certainly one owned by a sailor from either
the SMS Goeben or SMS Breslau, both of which supplied sailors to serve
in machine gun units on the Gallipoli front. As the SMS Goeben was
equipped at Kiel (whereas the SMS Breslau was equipped at
Wilhelmshaven) it is most likely that this bayonet is from a sailor
from the SMS Goeben. |
| An
S84/98 2nd pattern sawback
bayonet from the Asienkorps Photo ©
Chris Wood |
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This bayonet
has the markings "MGK.601.24." showing it to have been issued
601st Machine Gun Company of the German Imperial army during the First
World War, weapon number 24. The 601st MGK were part of the Asienkorps
sent to Palestine in 1917. It has an all steel scabbard and the
maker's mark "Gebr.Heller" in Marienthal. This bayonet has no date
markings. |
| Two Colonial Bayonet Frogs
Photos © Chris Wood |
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One frog has the markings "K.A.
1906" showing it to have been issued by the Colonial Office ("Kolonialamt")
in 1906. The second has the partially illegible markings "1908" and
"....Berlin" and was found on a Schutztruppe kS 98 bayonet. Both
frogs fit kS98 bayonets and show tooled edges. |
| Four more Colonial
Bayonet Frogs Photos © Roy
Williams |
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This collection of bayonet frogs have
interesting markings relating them to the German colonies. The frog on
the left is marked "K.A. 1909" showing it to have been issued by the Colonial Office ("Kolonialamt")
in 1909. The frog below left is marked "K.A. 1906" and "Sch.Tr." for
the Schutztruppe. The frog below centre also has the "Sch.Tr."
marking below an illegible date. The frog below right has the "K.A."
marking above "P.T..." for the Polizeitruppe. It is
difficult to tell if it once read "PTK" for Polizeitruppe Kamerun or
simply "PT" for Polizeitruppe Togo. Below that is the number
413, probably the weapon number, which appears to have been stamped on
top of a previous date mark "19...". |
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