German Shotglasses...and lots Of them!

[Wagriff]

I thought that I'd show you a fun collection that I began many years ago at a time these things looked to be endless. Unfortunately, today, the Eastern fakers have begun to notice them and have been cranking out some pretty decent looking fakes, so I'm thinking that I may have to say Adieu to these interesting shotglasses. When I first saw these things, they were just interesting little pieces and were reasonably inexpensive to pick up and so I began getting more and more of them together. One of the fascinating things about them, is that they are All Different! As with all trench art, Some, as you'll see, are Very crude and simple. Their engravings are applied with tips of nails, knife blades and various tools, etc. And, some are Extremely well done and look almost professionally made. Their inscriptions vary from just a town name where they were camped to anywhere from Division emblems, dates, and you name it. Most are from Stalingrad, but many are not. Stalingrad is, perhaps, the world's largest and oldest battlefield excavation site, so, naturally, things have been coming from it for many decades now. Remember, 850,000 Soldats finished up their military careers here(not to mention many of their Lives as well..). The shell cases they are made from are usually anti-aircraft shells, but can Also be flare gun cases and larger brass shell cases. Sadly, the aluminum flare gun rounds have a tendency to corrode and deteriorate in the soil and so some of the odd bits I've found are nearly illegible today. The brass rounds, though, are much more durable and come from any number of places. Some exhibit battlefield damage or signs of fire and burial damage. Some have been over-cleaned by the diggers who found them, while some are nearly as they came from the ground. But, as I said, they are all different and all have come from absolutely reliable diggers-which is the key, of course, to collecting Any battlefield relics. Unfortunately, there have been more and more of the fakes coming out of Eastern Europe and so there ends an era of collecting. I'll probably continue to pick up pieces from my known diggers if and when they come up with something new, but one by one, they change or disappear over time and the new ones are nearly impossible to have trust in now. At any rate, I just thought that I'd post the collection of them and see what you guys think of them!

[Wagriff]

The 1st piece was dug in Kurland Pocket in the positions of the 205th Infantry Division near Frauenburg(Saldus). Reads "Russland 1941-1944"


2. Dug in Stalingrad: 29th Motorized Infantry Division-15th Motorized Infantry Regiment(destroyed Jan 21,1943) "Wolga 1942 I.R.15"



3. Dug near Kalatschev: 22nd Panzer Division-disbanded in April 1943 after being destroyed near Kataschev in Nov 1942. "Kalatsch and Unit Emblem of double crossed arrow in a shield"




4. Found in Russia. Just an interesting and nicely decorated shotglass. "1943"



5. Dug in Stalingrad: Luftwaffe Group 1 Kampfegeschwader 51 the "Edelweiss group". Flew Ju88A's at Stalingrad until December 7,1942. Dots with "Russland" in banner and an Edelweiss on the other side.

[Wagriff]

7.Dug in Stalingrad: 100th Light Infantry Division-Jager Regiment 54. Destroyed at Stalingrad Jan 1943. Emblem of an S over a Pine Tree. Jag Regt 54-Stalingrad 1942.


8.Found in Latvia. Another unmarked but smoothly decorated shotglass.


9.Dug in Stalingrad. Technically not a shotglass but a small Mug. 16th Panzer Division-Panzer Regiment 2 Destroyed at Stalingrad Feb 1943. Note the handle is one piece to mnthe mug and integral to the shell casing. It features the unit emblem of a crossed Y. Several Christmas trees and "1942 Stalingrad Weinachten" on the left side and "Pz Rgt 2" on the right. For most men in this unti, the 1942 Christmas was their last one-the regiment being destroyed 2 months later.



10.Dug in Stalingrad. Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" . Has "Pitomnik" on one side and the "Udet" unit emblem on the other side.

[Wagriff]

11. Dug in Russia. Small battlefield damaged shotglass with "Donez" punch marked into it.


12.Dug in Stalingrad. Small stemmed schnapps glass with 79th Infantry Division unit emblem and "Mein Ordonnanz Offizier Hans Gumrak 1942". Apparently given to an Orderly named "Hans" by some superior officer.



13. Dug in Stalingrad. Strange 3 inch tall shotglass or candle holder? with toothed lip. Has "L.C. 88 1936" above a diving eagle on a bomb on one side and "Russland 1942" on the other side. Large calibre shell, being an inch and 5/16 in base diameter. Apparently a Condor Legion veteran serving at Stalingrad in 1942.




14.Dug in Leningrad. A stemmed goblet made of odd bits. Has engraved on it "Ostfeldzug 1941/42" on one side and "Zum Andenken an die Kampfe um Petersburg" on the other side. "In memory of the battles of St Petersburg(Leningrad)" Is 5 inches tall and weighted with lead and is in fragile excavated condition.



15.Dug in Stalingrad. A small flare gun cartridge decorated with dot punches and base is toothed. Note the base is not Finished. One can only imagine why it was never finished.

[Wagriff]

16.Dug in Stalingrad. A large flare gun cartridge. Hard to read, but engraved around the base with "FL. Rgt.8" for the Flak Regiment 8. This unit was destroyed at Stalingrad January 1943.



17. Found and dug in Russia with seven others. A flare gun cartridge engraved with zig zags and "Dezember 1942 Demjansk"



18.Found and dug in Russia with 7 others. A flare gun cartridge engraved with zig zags and "MGA Juli 1943"



19.Found and dug in Russia with 7 others. A flare gun cartridge engraved with swirls and X's and "Luga September 42"



19.Found and dug in Russia with 7 others. A flare gun cartridge engraved with zig zags and "Penna Marz 1943"



20.Found and dug in Russia with 7 others. A flare gun cartridge engraved with zig zags and "Pleskau April 44"

[Wagriff]

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[Wagriff]

25.Dug in Stalingrad, The 60th Infantry Division Motorized. Has "1942" engraved on one side and the ubnit symbol of 2 Iron Crosses on the other. They were destroyed at Stalingrad in Feb 1943.



26.Dug in Stalingrad. The 295th Infantry Division. Has the unit symbol of crossed horseheads over an Iron Cross on one side and "Wolga 1942" on the other with fancy streamer around edge of top. Destroyed in Stalingrad in Feb 1943.



27.Dug in Stalingrad. 6oth Motorized Infantry Division-Jager Regiment 92. Has "J.R. 92" on one side and "Hans" on the other. Destroyed in Stalingrad January 1943.



28.Dug in Stalingrad. Has "Gumrak 1942" on one side.



29.Dug in Stalingrad. 3rd Infantry Motorized Division-Panzer Jager Artillery Regiment 3. Has unit symbol of a slanted double cross one one side and difficult to read "Pz Jag Art 3" over 12.02.41 on the other side. Destroyed in Stalingrad Jan 1943.



30.Dug in Stalingrad. Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader 3 Gruppe 3 "Udet". Has the unit symbol of a double blade axe with a wing on the left and a blade on the right side. Below it has "I.XI.42". They flew from Pitomnik from Sept 10,1942 to Nov 22,1942.

[KradSpam]

15.Dug in Stalingrad. A small flare gun cartridge decorated with dot punches and base is toothed. Note the base is not Finished. One can only imagine why it was never finished.

Great stuff Will, I love them. I might start hunting them down myself. If you would ever like to sell a few of your Stalingrad related glasses I'd definitely be interested.

Regarding the unfinished base on the flare cartridge example. The saw tooth edge is actually a factory standard effect. It is used to ID the colour of the cartridge by touch alone, one colour has 1/4 sawtoothed, another colour 1/2 etc.

[Wagriff]

35. Dug at Stalingrad. Has engraved "Gumrak 1942".



33.Dug at Stalingrad. Crudely engraved stubby shotglass with an unfired primer in it. Has the 16th Panzer Division emblem scratched into one side. The division was destroyed at Stalingrad in Feb 1943.



34.Dug near Stalingrad. Not unit ID'ed but has very nice engravings of dotted diamonds with dots between on the top.



35.Dug in Stalingrad. Unusual curled lip. Luftwaffe 1st Flak Corps Regiment 8. has gun site emblem with exploding shells engraved lightly on it above Flak Rgt 8. Destroyed at Stalingrad Jan/Feb 1943.

[Wagriff]

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