Bayonets
of the East Asian Army

 
 

 

     
 

The East Asian Expeditionary Corps were issued brand new S98 bayonets (later known as the S98aA) for their new Mauser G98 rifles. The bayonets of the East Asian Expeditionary Corps (and later the Occupation Brigade and Detachment) were unit marked depending on the arm of service. The cavalry and other mounted units did not carry bayonets but were armed with swords instead.

Infantry
The bayonets of the East Asian infantry were marked with their regimental number, "O.R." (for "Ostasiatische Infanterie Regiment"), followed by the company number and a weapon number. For example "2.O.R.5.15.", see below.

Jäger
The bayonets of the light infantry (or "Jäger") were marked with the company number, 1, "O.J." (for "Ostasiatische Jäger"), followed by a weapon number. For example "1.O.J.98." has been reported on a W99 Erfurt S98aA.

Artillery
So far no examples of the bayonets of the East Asian field and foot artillery have been found. Other weapons however have been found with their markings and it is reasonable to speculate that bayonets may have been marked in a similar way- "O.F.A." for "Ostasiatische Feld-Artillerie" and "O.A.F" for "Ostasiatische Artillerie zu Fuss".

A surviving K98 carbine has been seen with "O.F.A.1.21." (East Asian Field Artillery, 1st Battery, weapon number 21). An 1883 Reichsrevolver pistol has been seen with the markings "O.A.F.2.13" (East Asian Foot Artillery, 2nd Battery, weapon number 13). Another 1883 Reichsrevolver pistol has been seen with the markings "OA1 MK1" (East Asian Artillery, 1st Munitions Column).

Drivers of the field artillery were mounted, so carried swords rather than bayonets.

Pioneers
The "Pionier-Faschinenmesser 71/98" (or Pfm71/98) was a unique bayonet created only for the three companies of the East Asian Pioneer Battalion. German army pioneers used a bayonet with a wider, heavier saw blade than the infantry.

While standard infantry S98 bayonets had been made to fit the new G98 rifle by the time the East Asian Expeditionary Corps had been formed, no pioneer equivalent had yet been produced. The solution was for Pfm71 blades to be fitted to S98 hilts at the Erfurt factory, thus creating the Pfm71/98 hybrid.

They were unit marked "O.P" ( for "Ostasiatische Pionier"), a company number and a weapon number. For example "O.P.2.103", see below. Examples issued after May 1901 when two of the three pioneer companies were disbanded, omit the company number. For example "O.P.23", see below.

Other Branches of Service
Bayonets have also appeared with the markings "O.E.". This was identified by the late Major Rudolf von Stein, an expert in the field, as belonging to troops attached to the Command of the Expeditionary Corps ("Oberkommando des Ostasiatischen Expeditionkorps"), for example "O.E. 2.241" for the 2nd Company, weapon number 241 or simply "OE." with no further unit or weapon numbers both seen on S98aAS bayonets.

General consensus among authors and collectors (including Anthony Carter, Chris Wood and Roy Williams) is in agreement with him. I personally have my doubts on this one simply because I cannot find a reference in the organisation of the East Asian Expeditionary Corps to one let alone two command companies.

It is my suspicion that "O.E." represents the Train battalion ("Ostasiatische Eisenbahn Batallion") consisting of three companies. I must admit though that I have no further evidence to back up my hunch.

 


Soldier of the 4th East Asian Infantry Regiment,
Germany 1900

This photo was taken in Germany before the unit had been issued with S98 bayonets. This solider still has his old Hf71 bayonet.

Photo © Mark Skurka


Soldier of the 1st East Asian Infantry Regiment, c1901
He is armed with the G98 and S98 bayonet. Unusually he wears the Pickelhaube style spike on his 1900 Bortfeldt tropical helmet.
Photo © Karsten Herzogenrath

 
         
 
S98aA Bayonet from the Infantry of the East Asian Expeditionary Corps Photos © Nate Friedlander
This bayonet has the markings "2.O.R.5.15." showing it to have been issued to the 5th (Prussian) Company of the 2nd East Asian Infantry Regiment ("2. Ostasiatische Infanterie Regiment"), weapon number 15. It is date marked "W00" showing it to have been made in 1900. In the photo on the right, this bayonet is shown at the bottom with an other ranks bayonet knot of the 5th company (white/red/white) and a steel scabbard which may be a later addition. The unsheathed bayonet above it in the photograph on the right is the "6.O.R.5.134" marked bayonet described below.

More S98aA Bayonets from the Infantry of the East Asian Expeditionary Corps

The bayonet on the left has the markings "6.O.R.5.134" showing it to have been issued to the 5th (Bavarian) Company of the 6th East Asian Infantry Regiment ("6. Ostasiatische Infanterie Regiment"), weapon number 134. It is date marked "W99" showing it to have been made in 1899. A full length view of this bayonet unsheathed can be seen above. Photos © Nate Friedlander

The bayonet in the centre has the markings "2.O.R.1.13." showing it to have been issued to the 1st (Saxon) Company of the 2nd East Asian Infantry Regiment, weapon number 13. Note the sawback blade. Photo © Roy Williams

The bayonet on the right has the markings "4.O.R.3.189" showing it to have been issued to the 3rd Company of the 4th East Asian Infantry Regiment, weapon number 189. It is dated marked "W00" showing it to have been made in 1900. Photo © Roy Williams

Bayonet Scabbard from the Infantry of the East Asian Expeditionary Corps Photo © Thomas Krause
   
  This scabbard has the markings "6.O.R. 6. 138" showing it to have been issued to the 6th (Bavarian) Company of the 6th East Asian Infantry Regiment, weapon number 138. The bayonet shown with it is not unit marked and is probably a later addition as it has the date mark "W02"- a year after the 6th East Asian Infantry Regiment was disbanded.
   

 

   
S98aAS Bayonet from a Command or Train Company East Asian Expeditionary Corps Photos © Dow Cross
The markings "O.E. 2.241" on this bayonet are debated. General consensus among authors and collectors is that they represent the 2nd Headquarters Company of the East Asian Expeditionary Corps ("Oberkommando des Ostasiatischen Expeditionskorps"). My personal opinion is that they represent the 2nd Train Company ("2. Ostasiatische Eisenbahn Kompagnie"), mainly because I cannot find a reference in the organisation of the East Asian Expeditionary Corps to one or two command companies. This bayonet was made at Erfurt in 1900 (marked "W10") and has a sawback blade and a leather scabbard.

S98aA Bayonet from the Infantry of the East Asian Occupation Brigade Photo © Chris Wood

This bayonet has the markings "1.O.R.5.116." showing it to have been issued to the 5th company of the 1st East Asian Infantry Regiment. The date marking "W02" shows it to been made in 1902, by which time the East Asian Expeditionary Corps had been down-scaled and renamed, the East Asian Occupation Brigade ("Ostasiatische Besatzungsbrigade"). During the formation of the Occupation Brigade the different Prussian, Bavarian, Saxon, Württemberg and Baden Infantry Companies all became Imperial units and lost their state distinctions. This bayonet is marked as having been made at Erfurt.

Pfm71/98 Bayonet from a Pioneer Company of the East Asian Expeditionary Corps Photos © Alain Ereth

The markings "O.P.2.145." on this Pionier-Faschinenmesser 71/98 show it to have been issued to the 2nd East Asian Pioneer Company ("2. Ostasiatische Pionier Kompanie"), of the East Asian Pioneer Battalion, East Asian Expeditionary Corps, weapon number 145. Note the manufacturers markings for VC Schilling of Suhl.

Pfm71/98 Bayonet from a Pioneer Company of the East Asian Expeditionary Corps Photos © François Fischer

The markings "O.P.2.103." show this Pionier-Faschinenmesser 71/98 bayonet also to have been issued to the 2nd East Asian Pioneer Company of the East Asian Pioneer Battalion, East Asian Expeditionary Corps, weapon number 103. Note the manufacturers markings for VC Schilling of Suhl. The photograph on the right shows the bayonet displayed with an East Asian Officers sword.

Pfm71/98 Bayonet from the Pioneer Company of the East Asian Occupation Brigade Photos © Christian Méry

The markings "O.P.23" on this Pionier-Faschinenmesser 71/98 show it to have been issued to the East Asian Pioneer Company of the East Asian Occupation Brigade, weapon number 23. With the reformation and renaming of the East Asian Expeditionary Corps as the Occupation Brigade in May 1901 the 2nd and 3rd Pioneer Companies were disbanded. Company numbers were then no longer used on bayonets for the one remaining company. Note the manufacturers markings for VC Schilling of Suhl on one side of the blade and the crowned "Erfurt" factory markings on the other. This would suggest that the  original Pfm71 blade was made at one factory and the re-fitting for the G98 rifle was done at the other. It is date marked W94, common to most early issue Pfm 71/98 bayonets. Also note the previous unit markings "R.E.1.42"  for the 1st Reserve Railway Construction Company ("Reserve Eisenbahn-Baukompagnie Nr 1"), weapon number 42, on the metalwork of the leather scabbard. Other previous issue markings are shown above that, but they have been cancelled too well to read.

The owner of this bayonet Christian Méry, is the owner of the French Bayonet Collectors website and has written articles on the Pfm 71/98 and kS98 bayonets in colonial use in the French Militaria magazine.

 

Please contact me here if you have more information or photos on this topic. 

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