German Bayonets

Bayonets of Adolf Hitler's "Thousand Year Reich"

It is impossible to estimate the number of words which have been written concerning the role of edged weapons throughout history. From Biblical days to the 20th century, warriors of all nations have carefully included edged weapons in their personal armament. In fact, edged weapons have long been recognized as symbols of courage, honor and authority. And since they often meant the difference between life and death, these weapons were usually treated with respect and even affection.

Although the larger edged weapons like the lance, the sword, and the dagger have generally been accepted as obsolete relics of bygone ages, every major military force in the world has stubbornly retained the bayonet as an item of standard issue for soldiers. But many would argue today that the time has come to also place the bayonet on museum shelves. For example, following his in-depth study of World War II, General S.L.A. Marshall had this to say concerning the true combat worth of the bayonet, ''That weapon (the bayonet) ceased to have any major tactical value at about the time the inaccurate and short-range musket was displaced by the rifle. But we have stubbornly clung to it-partly because of tradition which makes it inevitable that all military habits die a slow death, but chiefly because of the superstition that the bayonet makes troops fierce and audacious, and therefore, more likely to close with the enemy. I doubt that any officer of the last war below field grade would agree that this idea has any merit whatever."

Could the psychological benefit from bayonets proposed above be a reality or just a propagandized military myth? History would definitely favor the former hypothesis. In the late 1930's, Adolph Hitler very skillfully employed the use of elaborate military and political paraphernalia adorned with the now infamous Wehrmacht eagle and swastika to foster unequalled "esprit de corps" and morale among the members of his "Thousand Year" Reich. And of no small consequence were the elaborate, omnipresent edged weapons which were conspicuously worn with both the German dress and duty uniforms.

To paraphrase Napoleon's comment, the bayonet has many varied uses. One utilized by Hitler during the structuring of the Third Reich was to inundate his forces, both military and political, with ornate edged weapons. This served a twofold purpose- it rejuvenated an ailing Ruhr Valley steel industry and instituted unprecedented morale and sense of tradition among his people.

Like their dagger and sword counterparts, original WWII German bayonets have become highly coveted military collectibles; and although the demand for bayonets is presently auxiliary to the demand for dress daggers and swords, this field is rapidly growing with a large number of collectors specializing in this area. The auxiliary demand is easily explained by the fact that German bayonets were not as aesthetically appealing as the elaborately designed dress daggers and swords, and that fewer bayonet variations were manufactured. For example, all elements of the Wehrmacht and Party authorized to wear dress bayonets wore the standard issue models, with the exception of the Fire Departmemt, Customs Officials, Police, Hitler Youth, and the enlisted ranks of the Diplomatic Service. This compares to the scores of different authorized dress daggers and swords designed and adopted for some twenty different Third Reich organizations. This author contends that the current prices of Nazi bayonets are grossly deflated and fall into the realm of collectible "sleepers."

Third Reich bayonets can generally be separated into two categories, work and dress, depending upon their intended purpose. The optional dress bayonets were introduced for the military forces to be worn after duty hours. Since the hilts and the blades of the dress sidearms were nickel or chrome plated, these edged weapons are much more in demand than the work models.

Although the dress bayonet hilts were generally lackluster and of standard design, the same is not true for the bayonet blades. Elaborate etched blades were offered by the various Solingen Waffenfabriken (factories) to the individual bayonet purchaser for an additional fee. The majority of the etched designs were typical combat scenes of Infantry, Artillery, Air Force, or Cavalry forces in action. The most common inscription ordered was "ZUR ERINNERUNG AN MEIN DIENSTZEIT" (In remembrance of my period of service) along with the individual's unit designation. Very often the servicemember's name was also included in the engraving. The desired standard etched pattern was selected by number from a color print in the Waffenfabrik salesman's catalog. The widest variety of variations was most probably sold by Ernst Pack and Sohn Waffenfabrik which offered a total of fourteen different bayonet blade etchings. Engravings on the pommels of dress bayonets, as well as the blades, were usually of standard branch of service design and could also be purchased at additional cost. And the options did not terminate here. Grips were available in plastic, wood, and genuine or imitation stag-horn. Although the standard bayonet scabbard was constructed of steel, some models were available in black or brown leather with metal fittings. Finally, several different bayonet lengths were available at the purchaser's own discretion.

A common adjunct to the collecting of German bayonets is the addition of Third Reich close combat or trench knives (a name given to them during the fierce trench warfare fighting of World War I). While not bayonets, per se, these edged weapons usually fall into the realm of the bayonet blade collector. Just as Randall-made knives flourished in South Vietnam, many WWII German combat soldiers elected to carry personal fighting knives, in addition to their issued bayonets. In some units, fighting knives were a standard item of issue, while in other units the individual soldier purchased or constructed his own sidearm. Consequently, the quality of these pieces ranges from exceptional to extremely crude. Many fighting knives which were Solingen designed and manufactured for use in WWI were individually revamped and Nazified for use by members of the "Thousand Year" Reich.

The most common pocketknife issued to the German forces during WWII was the paratrooper utility knife. The unique method in which the blade extended into a locked position resulted in its common name, "gravity knife." The one hand operational design was considered essential for paratroopers, so the knife could be employed during airborne descent to cut fouled suspension lines, tree limbs, etc.

Conclusion

It appears highly unlikely that the bayonet, per se, will be relegated to the role of a museum relic for years to come. As this article is being written, our own Army is hard at work modifying the present standard rifle bayonet to a more practical combination bayonet/knife, incorporating the favorable aspects of both bayonets and fighting knives. Unfortunately, the classic engraved presentation bayonets, similar to those worn during the Nazi era, will probably have to continue to compete for museum shelf space with the Civil War musket and the Japanese Samurai sword.

Thomas M. Johnson: "Bayonets of Adolf Hitler's "Thousand Year Reich"", "The Classic Collector", 1974