Article about: Hi All, Added this lengthy Quillback to my collection, was going to post it in the Imperial section but figured more blade lovers will see it here, it has a really decent blade and scabbard
Hi All,
Added this lengthy Quillback to my collection, was going to post it in the Imperial section but figured more blade lovers will see it here, it has a really decent blade and scabbard for being over 100 years old, I only know the basics with these, the blade itself has no markings(unfortunatly) but the crossguard is unit marked B.4R.12.149 which I think is 4th regiment 12th company, not sure what the B signifies if anyone can help with the unit it would be appreciated, The red buffer pad and slot felt may have been added later on, not sure, The last photo is to show the length compared to an Imperial Sword, Butcher Bayo and a HJ knife. These proved impractical on the front lines and in trench warfare due to the length and fragility of the long thin blade, but they sure do look pretty!!!!!!
Nice bayo John..I really like the period photo of the soldier and is rifle.....it gives great depth of how long these bayos really were. Judging by the length..they were made to go "All the way through "
It is not the size of a Collection in History that matters......Its the size of your Passion for it!! - Larry C
One never knows what tree roots push to the surface of what laid buried before the tree was planted - Larry C
“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” - Winston Churchill
Very nice dress "Quillback"! Its' marking is for the Bavarian 4th Infanterie-Regiment König Wilhelm von Württemberg of the 4th Bavarian Division of the II Bavarian Corps Headquartered in Würzburg. The 4th Regiment was sent to Metz at the beginning of the war where I am unsure what became of it. It may have been used as a reserve force or garrisoned the fortress. They may have also been used to reinforce other units.
Here is a what allied intelligence thought of the 4th Division during WWI (from Wikipedia):
During World War I, the division served on the Western Front. It fought in the Battle of the Frontiers against French forces in the early stages, and then participated in the Race to the Sea, fighting along the Somme and in Flanders, including the First Battle of Ypres. It remained in the trenchlines in Flanders and the Artois, and fought in the Second Battle of Artois and the Battle of Loos in 1915. In 1916, the division fought in the Battle of the Somme. In 1917, the division fought in Flanders, including in the Battle of Messines and the Battle of Passchendaele. For most of 1918, the division remained in Flanders, fighting at Armentières, Kemmel, Hébuterne, and Monchy-Bapaume. Late in the year, the division went to the Champagne region, where it faced the Allied Meuse-Argonne Offensive. After more fighting along the Aisne and the Aire, the division was withdrawn from the line, and spent the last week of the war on border defense in southern Bavaria and Tyrol. Allied intelligence rated the division as first class and of the highest quality.
One of the few I have researched in recent memory to be rated as a "1st Class Division".
Hi Sleepwalker...so this photo below with the Long Bayonet was for portraits only? Regards Larry
I'm not Sleepwalker, but I'll see if I can help. The dress S98nA and the military issue S98nA look identical externally, except for the nickel plating of course. The service issue bayonet has a longer, meatier tang that is brazed into the handle. The extra seitengewehr version was for "walking out" only and therefor did not need to be as sturdy, so the extra work and expense was eliminated. In the picture shown, I would say that it is a service S98. Hard to say for sure as the S98 was originally finished in the "white", meaning no bluing, just polished bare metal. The two of them in a black and white photo would be hard to discern, but the lack of any real "shininess" would lead me to think service S98.
Jim
p.s. somewhere I have a picture of a service S98 without the grips, I'll see if I can find it.
The Extra-Seitengewehr 98 and the Seitengewehr 98 are only optical identic...
The Extra-Seitengewehr has no marker or a commercial hallmark (a service S98 allways has a hallmark...), no acceptance Stamps (a service S98 always has accaptance stamps), and nickel plated surface (a servics S98 never has a nickel plated survace).
Also a differnet construction of the handle i show in the pic.
All this indicte that your bayonet is a Extra-Seitengewehr / dress-bayonet and were produced and were marketed as one.
Thank you Jim and S. Walker...sometimes those small details of something not known to me ( and unstudied ) goes over my head. Thankyou for explaining it again. Best Regards Larry
It is not the size of a Collection in History that matters......Its the size of your Passion for it!! - Larry C
One never knows what tree roots push to the surface of what laid buried before the tree was planted - Larry C
“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” - Winston Churchill
M1898 n/A Bayonet
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- Larry C
Regards Larry
by Larry C
) goes over my head. Thankyou for explaining it again. Best Regards Larry
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