Bayonets
of the Imperial German forces in the Ottoman Empire 1914-18

 
 

 

 
  Soldiers of the German army serving in the Ottoman Empire used the same bayonets as those fighting on other fronts during the First World War. Experience had proven that long bayonets, such as the S98 and even the S98/05, were not practical in modern trench warfare and they were sometimes replaced by shorter bayonets such as the kS98 and from 1915, the S84/98nA. Period photographs show German soldiers on Ottoman fronts using both the S98/05nA and S84/98nA bayonet. Trench knives were also used. One photograph shows a cavalryman of the Asienkorps carrying a Demag trench knife/bayonet, possibly of the variation made to fit the Mauser rifles of the Ottoman army. Another photograph shows Asienkorps machine gunners carrying what appear to be Ersatz trench knives in addition to their S98/05nA bayonets.

Markings for bayonets of the Pasch I and II Expeditions were the same as those for the German army, showing unit and weapon numbers for example "MGK.601.24." (on a Heller S84.98nAS, see below) for the 601st Machine Gun Company ("Maschinengewehr-Kompanie 601") and "F.FL.A.300.111." (on another Heller S84/98nAS seen in "The Collector's Book of German Bayonets 1680-1945" by Roy Williams) for the 300th Field Flying Detachment ("Feld Flieger Abteilung 300").

Bayonets with sword knots were also sometimes carried by officers during the First World War as being easier to wear than cumbersome swords which were officially withdrawn in 1915. The same practice was carried out on Ottoman fronts. At least one period photograph shows Generalleutnant Liman von Sanders (commander of the Ottoman army in Palestine) carrying an S84/98nA bayonet, probably a privately purchased variation.

Some German soldiers smuggled into the Ottoman Empire through neutral Rumania in the early part of the war (such as the "Freiwilliger Pionier Kompagnie") and German soldiers serving as part of Ottoman army units (such as Artillery or Technical NCOs) may have been issued Ottoman army bayonets, which were based on German models and often made in German factories. So far no photographic proof of these bayonets in use by German troops has been confirmed, although period photographs do sometimes show German officers commanding Ottoman Army units carrying Ottoman swords.

The sailors of the SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau that served at Gallipoli have been seen in period photographs carrying the S98/05 bayonet. A surviving example (see below) confirms they were of the earlier S98/05aA variety.

 
     
     
S84/98nAS Bayonet from the Pascha I Expedition  Photos © Chris Wood
This bayonet has the markings "MGK.601.24." showing it to have been issued 601st Machine Gun Company ("Maschinengewehr-Kompanie 601") of the German Imperial army during the First World War, weapon number 24. The 601st Machine Gun Company were part of the Pascha I expedition sent to Palestine in 1916. It has an all steel scabbard and the maker's mark "Gebr.Heller" (for "Gebrüder Heller"- Heller Brothers) in Marienthal. This bayonet has no date markings.

The S84/98aA bayonet was a modification of the S71/84 short bayonet originally for use on the G98 rifle and carbine. It was first produced in 1908 and was issued to some Reserve Regiments of the German army. The S84/98 was not fully introduced throughout the army before being replaced by the S98/05. It was put back into production in 1915 to replace the more expensively manufactured kS98 (which itself had replaced the S98/05 in selected units). The new, modified bayonet, was known as the S84/98nA and came in both plain and sawback variations, as seen here.

S84/98nAS Bayonet from the Pascha I Expedition  Photos © Nate Friedlander
 
This bayonet has the markings "MGK.602.1_" showing it to have been issued 602nd Machine Gun Company ("Maschinengewehr-Kompanie 601") of the Pascha I expedition sent to Palestine in 1916. It has an all steel scabbard and the maker's mark "Gebr.Heller" (for "Gebrüder Heller"- Heller Brothers) in Marienthal. This bayonet also has no date markings.

 

 
S84/98nA Bayonet from the Pascha II Expedition  Photos © Chris Wood

This bayonet has the markings "F.A.701.?.?.54" showing it probably to have been issued to the field artillery of the 701st Infantry Battalion, of the Pascha II Expedition ("Asienkorps") deployed to Palestine in 1917. The missing numbers, may be battery numerals with a weapon number 54. It has an all steel scabbard and the maker's mark "F. Herder A Sn Solingen" with crossed keys for Friedrich Herder and sons in Solingen. This bayonet was made in 1916 (marked "W16"). 

S98/05aAS Bayonet from the Imperial Navy in Gallipoli  Photos © Chris Wood

This is a naval bayonet with the markings "W.K.2500", for "Werft Kiel" showing it have been issued to sailors equipped at the port of Kiel, weapon number 2500. It was made at Erfurt in 1908. It has wooden grips and a steel mounted leather scabbard. This bayonet is of particular interest as it has a hand written note attached stating that it was "Found in Turkish trench Gallipoli 1915". It is then almost certainly one owned by a sailor from either the SMS Goeben or SMS Breslau, both of which supplied sailors to serve in machine gun units on the Gallipoli front. As the SMS Goeben was equipped at Kiel (whereas the SMS Breslau was equipped at Wilhelmshaven) it is most likely that this bayonet is from a sailor from the SMS Goeben.
     
Demag Trench Knife Bayonet, Ottoman Army Variant Photo © Chris Wood
 
This is an unmarked Demag ("Deutsch Maschienenfabrik AG" of Duisburg) Trench Knife Bayonet. Note that unlike most Demags made for German issue, this one has an added full muzzle ring, usually referred to as the "Turkish variant" and believed to have been made to fit Ottoman army Mauser rifles (although this bayonet has not itself been recently tested on an Ottoman rifle). This particular bayonet is not believed to have been used by German troops in Palestine but it is of the same type tentatively identified in at least one period photograph of the Asienkorps.
     

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