An Artillery Luger (LP08)--trench warfare changed in WWI.
An Artillery Luger (LP08)--trench warfare changed in WWI.
Continued from above.
Unit marked LP08.
122 FÜSILIER REGIMENT (4.WURTTEMBERG) (122.R.4.6.)
Unit Marking is 122nd Fusiliers Regiment (Wurttemberg) 4th Kompagnie (Company)
6th Waffen (Weapon)
Of course the unit issue markings of this particular Artillery Luger show it was issued to an infantry regiment. Does anyone know the official authority for issuance of the "Artillery Luger" and which specialist units received this model pistol? Years ago when I owned a DWM 1917 artillery Luger with stock and accessories it was my impression they were issued to drivers in horse artillery units. The photo of the group of soldiers all wearing their artillery Lugers is quite unusual. I wonder if their unit may be identified from the shoulder strap or belt buckle details, or from any writing on the back of the picture.
Jim,
This is a extract from a presentation done in Jan 2005 by a gentleman that writes the books about these guns.
David
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A directive dated August 11, 1917 ordered each infantry company on the Western Front to be armed with 10 Long P08's for attack purposes (Gortz, 1994). A similar directive ordered the arming of the Sturmbattilone with Long P08's with 6 extra magazines each (Schad, 1993). This special arming for assault troops would require most of the 1917 Long P08 production (Imperial Lugers, page xxv). These assault troops consisted predominately of infantry, machine gun, minenwerfer, and flame-thrower personnel.
Based on unit markings, LP08's were predominately issued to artillery units and infantry regiment machine companies during 1914. During 1915-1918 they were predominately issued to infantry regiment, infantry regiment machine companies and minenwerfer units.
1917 LP08 DWM: predominantly infantry regiment (85 percent) Lugers were marked and issued. Some infantry regiment machine gun and minenwerfer Lugers were also marked and issued.
The number of LP08's marked to infantry regiments during 1917, 64, is very large when compared to infantry regiment marked P08's . This very large number of infantry regiment marked LP08's is related to the issue of LP08's to assault troops on the Western Front during 1917.
Of 870 reported unit marked Imperial Lugers 102 are LP08's and 78 of these are dated 1917. Of these 78, 52 are marked to infantry regiments, 6 to infantry regiment machine gun companies, 11 to infantry regiments, 8 to minenwerfer companies and 6 to various other units.
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NOTE:
There are more unit marked guns that have been identified since this article was written.
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During World War I the 122 Füsilier Regiment was part of the 26th, 105th, and the 243rd Infantry Divisions. The LP08 discussed herein
probably went into service with the 122 Füsilier Regiment sometime during August-September-October 1917. It spent the rest of 1917 and 1918 battling as part of the 243 Infantry Division on the Western Front. The issuing Regiment controlled and distributed these Lugers to the troops. The history of these Lugers is the same as that of the Regiment that issued them and the troops that carried them.
World War I battle history of the 243 Infantry Division during 1917 and 1918 on the Western Front. From “Ruhmeshalle unsere alten Armee”. The 122 Füsilier Regiment as part of the 243 Infantry Division battled at Hill 344 (near Verdun), at the Meuse, at Picardy, at the Somme, and at Le Cateau during 1917 and 1918.
An amazing Luger you have there!
Adler
Thanks Adler.
I had previously posted an expanded version of this thread in the World Firearms section of this forum before adding this thread here … some different photos and a bit of an expanded story about this rig.
David
"WWI “unit marked” LP08 (Artillery Luger) …with lots of other stuff."
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