German Assualt Shovel?

**Richtofen** · 03-31-2012, 11:41 PM

I bought this as a german assualt shovel but i am not positive it is

it has this weird brass pin with no real purpose stuck in it

also i was not able to photograph this but the shovel is labeled " FASCH-43" on it any help about htis would be nice thanks!

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 03-31-2012 11:41 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**JPhilip** · 04-01-2012, 12:42 AM

Hello,
Not 100 % sure as it's not my stuff, but it looks like swiss to me...
By the way, an assault shovel does not exist, there were not shovels meant for the assault and shovels meant to dig holes....shovels were mainly used to dig holes again and again. Not saying no one ever used his shovel in close combat, just saying that for one actually used in close combat, there were thousands of them that only dug holes...
Thanks

**bigmacglenn** · 04-01-2012, 12:45 AM

Swiss. The reinforcing ring around the shaft is always the dead giveaway. The pin is there to prevent the wood from splitting, btw.
I bought about 6 of these once, thinking they were German (all had WW2 dates)...But soon found out otherwise. They're great little shovels though!
Cheers, Glenn

**AMTG** · 04-01-2012, 01:39 AM

By 1943 the German markings would only be a 3 letter code and date...names of manufacturers were replaced eith a three letter code for security reasons

**JPhilip** · 04-01-2012, 08:26 AM

by AMTG

By 1943 the German markings would only be a 3 letter code and date...names of manufacturers were replaced eith a three letter code for security reasons

Hello,
You're partially wrong here. It is true to say that from 1940 you can find 3 letter code on shovels (ex : ekz, obp) with or without a date, but you can also still find the name of the manufacturer until very late in the war. For instance, the manfacturer REX used this name until the end of the war, along with a date and a logo (XVIIth or XVIIIth century soldier within a circle). Some other producers like Idealspaten never used a name or a 3 letter code, but a logo only (man standing with a long shovel in hand)...many manufacturers used a logo in fact, with or without a date...
Thanks

**Adrian Stevenson** · 04-01-2012, 10:04 AM

It is indeed Swiss: I have one too, same maker. Bought for a fiver as an item I could use. It also has the brass tack in it. Now I was told this was so you could tell which way around the shovel was in the dark???? I am not convinced about that...

Cheers, Ade.