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

Nazi Party Membership Badges

National Socialist German Worker's Party Badge (Abzeichen der National-Socialistischen Deutschen Arbeiter Partei)

Over the years there has been a flood of material published about the now infamous Nazi party. Based upon the ideals promulgated by Richard Wagner, Dietrich Eckhart and H.S. Chamberlain, the N.S.D.A.P. became a hurricane that was to sweep the Germanic Lands.

The National Socialist party was born in the post World War I years of late 1918 or early 1919. One little-known fact points to the movement itself being started in Austria as an alternative to their peculiar political situation, and not as an answer to the entire Deutsche Republik. This was to be the political party for the working people, and not for the bureaucracy.

Party member 555, a painter from Vienna, would emerge as the driving force that would catapult the Nazis into newspaper headlines around the world. His name was Adolf Hitler. N.S.D.A.P. hierarchy, in order to promulgate party ideals, decided upon the official decoration to be an attractive enamel/silver badge measuring only 23mm across. The central theme of this party decoration was a centered black enamel swastika. This "hakenkruez" was surrounded by a white (or off-white) enamel field 14.5mm in diameter inside the badge. A doughnut-shaped ring of transparent maroonred enamel then surrounded this. Inside this red circle were the words "National-Sozialistische D.A.P." The swastika, white field, lettering, and outer rim were all trimmed in silver.

In the early years this party badge was produced in a fairly high content silver/nickel metal, though it never carried an actual silver content stamp such as "800", In the late '30s thc basic metal base was changed to a higher content of nickel alloyed with a small percentage of zinc, and only a small amount of real silver. These badges were silver plated on the highlights. About 1942 the base metal was again switched to copper/nickel with a silver plate overlay. In the later stages of the war 1944-45, the badges were solid zinc with painted surfaces where enamel used to be.

In all there were over 2,500,000 N .S.D.A.P. badges produccd from 1921 to 1945. The badges were given to actual members upon their entry into the party.

Generally the device was produced in one form only: as a spring pin/ catch back badge. Throughout the course of events however other variants showed up such as a round dome postbacked badge for lapel buttonholes. Some badges were even mounted as stickpins, though this was done privately by jewelers rather than an official variation. There was also a half size badge that could be purchased as a private acquisition item only. It was meant to be worn on civilian dress rather than as a military accouterment, but if worn on a political uniform it was to be worn on the black tie. Military regulations stated no political decorations, at least "unofficial" badges, were to be worn on military uniforms. Official party decorations like the Golden Party Badge could be worn on a military tunic.

After assuming the title of Reich Chancellor in 1933 one of the first actions of Adolf Hitler was to establish many new party and state decorations and badges. This had been spelled out in Mein Kampf as a means of giving the people back their pride and self-worth. On October 13th of that year Der Fuehrer signed into law a decree bringing the Golden Party Badge into existence. This official N.S.D.A.P. decoration was to be presented to all qualifying party members with membership numbers of 100,000 or less. The official dates regulating time frame of this award were anyone who joined between Feb. 27. 1925 and Oct. 13. 1933. One of the decree's stipulations, however, stated that service had to be uninterrupted, and this disqualified many members. Party membership had hit 100,000 by September 1930 and was over 700,000 by 1933. In all only 22,282 of this service longevity award were presented.

The decoration itself was virtually a carbon copy of the standard party badge. It had the addition of a golden oakleaf wreath surrounding the basic design.

There were also two types of the Golden Party Badge presented during the history of the Third Reich. Both were identical on the obverse but had slightly different reverses. On the first type, the long service version, the reverse bore the typical spring pin/catch as seen on many small enameled badges. The patent pending code "Ges. Gesch." was found to be stamped on the pin base plate in many examples in lieu of the maker's hallmark. Original badges are marked one way or the other, possibly both. The member's party number can be found stamped on the reverse, usually on the bottom part of the back. On the Type II, awarded on the 30th of January each year until the end of the war for exemplary service, the solid vertical semi-wide, flat pin and catch (as found on some combat badges) was utilized instead of the spring pin/catch. Directly below the pin's base at the top usually could be found Ges. Gesch. followed by the initials "A.H." and the date of presentation inscribed below this. On some examples the A.H. is replaced with a facsimile of Hitler's signature. It is believed that these were given to very high and important friends of Hitler, due to the fact he retained the honor of presenting these awards personally. Armaments Minister Albert Speer was the recipient of such a badge from Hitler.

Both types of the Golden Party Badge were produced in two sizes: 30.5mm and 25mm. The larger version was intended to be worn on military and political uniforms, and to be placed on the left breast pocket. It ranked above all other badges and decorations except the HJ Golden Badge of Honor with Oakleaves. The smaller 25mm version was designed and specified for civilian clothing on jacket lapels, or the upper left breast area of a woman's blouse should she not be wearing a jacket. Each decoration was presented in a small black leatherette case along with an official award document.

J.R. Cone: "One People, One Reich - Enameled Organizational Badges of Germany 1918-1945" MCN Press, 1983

Bringing Your Collection to Life

How many times have you held a newly acquired relic and wondered about it's history? I know I always like to know as much as possible about the things that find their way into my collection. Unlike some hobbies, (coin or stamp collecting for instance), militaria collecting is the history of individuals, not just inanimate objects. If we're lucky, we can identify Some items with specific people, places and events.

There are a number of different ways to research artifacts, but there's never a guarantee of success. First, let's look at a "worst case" scenario. If you have a relic that has no identifying marks, names, units, etc., it may seem hopeless. But it's not impossible. You cold talk to the person you got the item from and find out from who or where they got it. Then contact that person and keep working your way back until you eventually reach the original owner. This is the hardest way to conduct research and it usually isn't successful, but the possibility is still there. If you have anything at all to go on, like the name of a unit, your chances of success are pretty good. You can at least narrow the scope of your research and concentrate your efforts in a specific direction. But you also have to be able to make some educated guesses when detemining what route to take. While the best situation is to have a full name, rank and unit, anyone of these three is enough to get started. I offer the following exmnples:

I acquired a German M-35 helmet from a friend. The field grey finish had been over-sprayed with a sand color and actual sand had been applied while it was still wet. It also had some shrapnel damage, as well as blood stains in the liner. The name "Ltn. Uecker" had been painted on the rear inner rim.

Thus far I could assume two things.

One: Since the model of the helmet and the date on the liner placed it as being made in 1940, I could assume he had fought in Italy or Africa. Had it been dated after 1943, he could only have been in Italy.

Two: It was obvious he had been wounded, possibly killed. With this in mind, I wrote the U.S. National Archives, asking for any information on German officers named Uecker. They in turn sent me a photocopy of a list showing that there were four officers with that name, but all were on the German Army active Juty roster in late 1944, and all were Major or higher. Strike one.

I wrote the German Archives next. There are several archives, each one dealing with different areas. The first one I wrote replied saying they had no information on any officers name Uecker. Strike two.

I then wrote the archives at Rastatt and hit the jackpot. Their reply said that they had Leutnant der Reserve Siegfried Uecker listed. He had been assigned to the 961st Afrika Rifle Regiment, and, unfortunately, no other records existed of his service, awards, etc., due to loss or destruction. The letter also said he had been a prisoner and died in Germany in 1976.

With this infomation I could place a name with the relic and it opened another avenue of research. I have a copy of the German Order of Battle, so I looked up the 961st. That unit was assigned to the 999th Light Afrika Division, also known as the 999th Infantry Division (Penal). It was comprised of political and ordinary criminals, so it was certainly a unit with a little "color" to it. The 961st was sent to Tunisia in March 1943 and surrendered there in May when the remains of Army Group Mrika laid down their arms. Not only did I have a good collectible, but one that could now "talk"!

In another instance, at a flea market I bought an Iron Cross 2nd Class document with the original signature of a general named Mieth. The recipient had been in the 4th Company, 256th Infantry Regiment, 112th Infantry Division. Using the German Army Order of Battle, I found that the 112th had been commanded by a Major General Friedrich Mieth. It stated that he had been Chief of Operations Department in the High Command of the Army and played a major role in the planning of Operation Barbarossa. He died of a heart attack in battle near Jassy, Rumania in 1944. I again wrote the National Archives and the Bundesarchiv. I got complete records from both, although the Bundesarchiv also sent a 5 X 7 photo of him. I was pleased to learn that General Mieth had won both classes of the Iron Cross in both world wars and was also a winner of the Knight's Cross and Oakleaves.

While it isn't always this easy, researching your relics will add a lot of fun to the hobby and in some cases can add monetary value to the item. It can certainly make it a conversation piece! Even though here have been plenty of times that I came up empty handed, a few success stories far outweigh the disappointments of running into a dead end. Take the time to research your collectibles - the only thing that will limit you is your imagination. Remember even long shots can payoff. An investment of a little time and leg work and you can bring your collection to life.

The following is a list of current addresses and phone numbers that may prove helpful when doing research. For those numbers in Germany dial 011-49, then the number.

National Archives and Records Administration NNG Washington DC 20408 Maintains records on German officers who were available for duty in the last months of the war. Charges 75 cents per page with a $6.00 minimum.

National Personnel Records Center Military personnel records 9700 Page Blvd.S1. Louis MO., 63132 The NPRC can provide information on former members of the armed services.Veterans who have lost their medals and decorations over the years can write this address with a explanatory letter and have all medals and awards replaced, free of charge.

Bundesarchiv Potsdamer Strasse 1 Postfach 3 20 56075 Koblenz Phone: 0261-5050

Bundesarchiv-Zentralnachweisstelle Abteigarten 6 52076 Aachen-Komelimunster Phone: 02408-1470 Has information on former members of the German Army, Luftwaffe, Waffen-SS, Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD) Organization Todt (OT), Armed Forces jurisdiction and awards of orders and decorations.

Bundesarchiv Ab1. VI - Militararchiv Wiesental Strasse 10 79100 Freiberg 1. Br. Information concerning Prussian Army (up to 1967), North German and Imperial Navy, protection troops and Freikorps, Reichswehr, Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS.

Berlin Document Center Wasserkafersteig 1 14163 Berlin 37 Phone: 030-8197754

Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) Eichbomdamm 179 13403 Berlin Phone; 03041904290 (Mon - Fri, 9-2 Central European Time) FAX: 41904100 Handles correspondence for Wehrmacht killed in action.

Volksbunb Deutsche Kriegsgraberfursorge Wemer-Hilpert Strass 2 34112 Kassel The German War Graves Commission maintains war graves in more that 80 countries around the world and has a database with the names of fallen and missing German soldiers, as well as their grave site (when known).

Mark Conrad, "Bringing your Collection to Life", Der Gauleiter , 1994

Duane Pfister Strikes Again !

The Early SS Uniform

The Schutzstaffel was first organized in the early 1930's by Heinrich Himmler as Adolf Hitler's own bodyguard (Leibstandarte SS). After the SA (STURM ABTEILUNG) Blood Purge, the power of the SA was broken; and the rise of the SS began.

The early regular uniform of the SS consisted of:

A Black Coffee Can type hat, with the SS eagle insignia with the SS deaths head under it.

The early SS uniform Shirt was constructed of a rough dark gray wool or cotton cloth material. A single shoulder board was worn on the right shoulder. No Sleeve or Cuff Insignia was worn. But the regular SS Collar Tabs were worn. The buttons were pebble grained with RZM Marks.

The early SS Trousers were made of a rough dark black wool and were of the riding breech type. A black leather garrison belt with an over the shoulder strap was worn with the uniform. A black regulation tie was worn with the uniform shirt, Usually a N.S.D.A.P. Party stick pin was worn on the tie. Regulation Black riding Boots were worn with the uniform and a Regulation Nazi Party broad red arm band with a black swastika in a white circle, was worn on the upper left arm.

An SS dagger was also worn with the early Schutzstaffel Uniform. The SS dagger was worn by enlisted men and officers. The design was identical to the SA dagger with the exception of a black wood grip with SS Insignia in place of the SA emblem. The blade was etched with the SS motto (Meine Ehre Heist Treue) Translation "My Honor is My Loyalty". The enlisted man's dagger had a black leather Verttical hanger and the officer's model dagger had a double chain hanger with alternate skull and SS symbols on the hanger.

VINCE KUCINSKAS: EARLY SCHUTZSTAFFEL UNIFORM, "Der Haken Kreuz",C. 1968