Although swords were usually kept for
parades rather than active duty all German officers and senior NCOs in
the armed forces were entitled to carry them. As well as German
officers and senior NCOs, some other branches of the overseas troops
carried swords-
Mounted other ranks in the East
Asian Expeditionary Corps
Mounted other ranks in the Tsingtao
Marine Artillery Battery
Junior NCOs from Sergeant upwards in
the Polizeitruppe and Landespolizei
Mounted other ranks in the Tsingtao
Chinese Police
African officers (Effendi) in the
East African Schutztruppe
African Senior NCOs in the East
African Wissmanntruppe
African senior NCOs in the Togo
Polizeitruppe
The type of sword and its decoration
depended on the owners arm of service and rank. Many types of sword
were in service, some are photographed below. The manufacturer and
unit markings on swords were the same as on bayonets and are described
on the Bayonets Page.
Highly Recommended External
Link- Traditionsverband has
four excellent articles by Rolf Selzer on the swords of the Schutztruppe. They are
entitled "Die Offizierseitengewehre in den deutschen Schutzgebieten"
in the "Magazin" section. In the same section are other
articles on Polizeitruppe and Landespolizei swords.
Please respect the generosity
of the owners of these bayonets in sharing their copyrighted photos with us by not
reproducing them without prior permission.
This is the typical kind of dress sword
carried by the Schutztruppe and Polizeitruppe from the mid-1890s until
the First World War. Note the large imperial eagle on the hand guard
and crowned imperial monogram on the grip. This particular sword is
marked as having been made by "Weyerburg Kirschbaum & Cie Solingen".
This is an officer's sword from the East
Asian Occupation Brigade. Like the swords of the Schutztruppe it has
an imperial eagle displayed on the guard.
The markings "III. St. S.B. 37" show
this oversize or Grosser 1870/1880 pattern Naval sword to have been
issued to the depot unit ("Stamm") of the III.
Seebataillon based at
Cuxhaven in Germany. Note the ornately decorated grip and hilt and
the officer's sword knot.
The markings "O.M.D.1 3" show this sword
to have been issued to the 1st Company of the East Asian Marine
Detachment ("Ostasiatische Marine Detachment, 1.Kompanie").
The markings
"II.S.B.56" on this Prussian 1852 Infantry Short Sword show it to
have been issued to the II. Seebataillon, weapon number 56. On the
other side is a Prussian crown and W (for Wilhelm I) and "7_" with
the last digit of the date missing and cancelled markings for
previous issue "4.15".
Three "dragon swords", each of
the 1889 Prussian model but with a Chinese
dragon on the hilt rather than a German eagle or state emblem. The
sword in the centre is for an officer, while those on the left and
right are for other ranks. It has
long been debated as to whether these swords (and the similar
Dragon Belt Buckles)
were made for the German East Asian troops or for the Chinese army.
German eye witnesses to the Boxer Rebellion report finding such swords
in Chinese positions at Taku and in Chinese arsenals (see Dragon
Article- "China-Waffen"
at
Traditionsverband),
yet the caption in the Rastatt Museum says they were a private
purchase option for the German East Asian Expeditionary Corps.
This Dragon sword also has the Imperial
monogram, "WII" on the grip and so unlike most dragon swords was
probably not made for export to the Chinese army but for a German
officer serving (or formerly serving) in China. This sword also has
a German officers Portepee Sword Knot
attached. The dragon sword was
never officially authorised for German officers but does appear to
have been privately made for some. Note the maker's mark for "Weyerburg Kirschbaum & Cie"
of Solingen on the blade (see right).
Please
contact me here if you have more
information or photos on this topic.
