ks98
Moderator: sniper1shot
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charlie don't surf
- Associate
- Posts: 844
- Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2002 3:26 am
- Location: Sweden
saw-toothed bayonets for the 98k
Charlie, I agree with you. I read accounts dating back to WWi, and found out that even then the personal "re-manufacture" of the common bayonet into a saw-bladed weapon was illegal and was subject to punishment.
When I played a short but intensive gig with the then-in-training 100th LID, we were told never even to think of saw-blading the bayonet, or be court-martialed..
There is also another facet to this: anyone taken prisoner and found in possession of such a gruesome weapon (that was then, remember?) was subject to be permanently erased.
Did some guys still do it? I am certain that this happened, but I am inclined to think that only the Dirlewanger mob would have been tempted to do so.
My opinion. Joscha
When I played a short but intensive gig with the then-in-training 100th LID, we were told never even to think of saw-blading the bayonet, or be court-martialed..
There is also another facet to this: anyone taken prisoner and found in possession of such a gruesome weapon (that was then, remember?) was subject to be permanently erased.
Did some guys still do it? I am certain that this happened, but I am inclined to think that only the Dirlewanger mob would have been tempted to do so.
My opinion. Joscha
Saw backed bayonets were originally a piece of pioneer equipment, used to clear brush and small trees, carried by enlisted members of the German Pioneer Corps and some enlisted Foot Artillery (for preparing firing positions) pre-WW1 and early war years. The common soldiers took these fearsome-looking (but no more deadly, actually they had a habit of getting stuck in things, esp. enemy soldiers being bayoneted, and being ripped off the rifle when withdrawn) to be particular examples of Hun "frightfulness", then the propaganda machines got ahold of this and ran away with it. Eventually, they were banned by common agreement. I don't know if the Geneva Accords of 1929 addressed them or not, but the beliefs stuck.
In the battle between good and evil, evil usually has more fun.
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Douglas Aguiar
- Member
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2002 6:07 pm
- Location: São Paulo - Brazil
Saw backed bayonets
You are right.
This kind of bayonets were standard equipment before the WWI to Pioneers. During the war most of them were modified or replaced because there was a "tacit agreement" or something that this kind of weapon should not be used. Interesting, isn´t it?
A collector friend of mine once have one of this pieces with its original shape. In spite of not seem a practicl thing, it had a very impressive and fearsome looking
.
Concerning the WWII, I never saw one of these.
If I remember well, there is a scene in the "All Quiet in Western Front" (the TV version, 1979), where the caracter called "Kat" (Ernest Borgnine) made some coment about one of these bayonets when he saw a recruit using.
Regards,
Douglas.
This kind of bayonets were standard equipment before the WWI to Pioneers. During the war most of them were modified or replaced because there was a "tacit agreement" or something that this kind of weapon should not be used. Interesting, isn´t it?
A collector friend of mine once have one of this pieces with its original shape. In spite of not seem a practicl thing, it had a very impressive and fearsome looking
.Concerning the WWII, I never saw one of these.
If I remember well, there is a scene in the "All Quiet in Western Front" (the TV version, 1979), where the caracter called "Kat" (Ernest Borgnine) made some coment about one of these bayonets when he saw a recruit using.
Regards,
Douglas.