GEW 98

[YankeeDiv]

Well, its been a while since I posted. I figured I would share my Erfurt GEW 98. All matching but the bolt. It came with the saw back bayonet. Any ideas on the Unit Markings?

[YankeeDiv]

Bayonet

last one...Any Ideas on the Unit?

[4thGordons]

L=Landsturm? Or Landwehr? So perhaps Landwehr Regiment Nr. 2?

which I think served on the Eastern Front. http://www.flickr.com/photos/drakegoodman/7069590335/

Just a guess.

[shippingsteel]

Thats a nice sawback, and a very handy addition to have come with the rifle. The markings do indicate Landwehr but not sure on the regiment.?

A number in front of the letter should show the regiment, with the numbers following the letter indicating 2nd Kompanie and weapon number 112.

Cheers, S>S

[Michael Haselgrove]

Hello YankeeDiv,

Nice rifle - thanks for sharing.

An interesting feature is the 4mm large star marking above the crown on the receiver. This indicates a rifle manufactured under the system of decentralised manufacture of components introduced in 1915 by Professor Romberg of the Prussian Ordnance Office to alleviate the serious shortage of rifles. Usually rifles were manufactured by the maker named on the receiver, Erfurt in the case of your rifle, from parts made by other manurfacturers. By adopting this system Romberg hoped to obtain an additional output of 4,000 rifles per day. I can't see the mark under the serial number on the left of the receiver on your rifle. On standard production rifles that mark would be a letter, but it was provided that on star rifles it should be a numeral although this system was not strictly observed.

It is not known how many star rifles were assembled but it was only a fraction of the 400,000 rifles intended so your rifle may be a bit of a rarity??

Apologies if you already knew what I have written!

Regards,

Michael H.

[YankeeDiv]

Mike,

I had no clue! Thank you for the info...here is a picture of the left side, the number is a "3" underneath the serial number

Ken

[Michael Haselgrove]

Hello Ken,

Thanks for your response. Yes, the numeral 3 fits in exactly with the correct marking system for star rifles. I am only speculating but I suspect the system of numbering was different for star rifles so that they were easily identifiable from written reports as to any problems with rifles. That is not to say that the star rifles were in any way inferior, but possibly when introducing a new system of manufacture the authorities wished to be able to identify rifles manufactured under that system from the number alone. If you get the chance to check the numbers on other Gew 98s I think you will find that where your number 3 is they have a Gothic letter. I forgot to say that the information I previously posted came from M98 Rifle and Carbine by Dr. Dieter Storz.

Regarding your bayonet I have had a look at "The Imperial German Regimental Marking by Jeff Noll". That book says that L. was used for quite a number of different units including Bavarian "Royal" Infantry Regiment, Landwehr Infantry Regiment, Field Hospital, Training Battery of a Foot Artillery Gunnery School and Observation Balloon Detachment. The closest I can get is an actual marking observed by Mr. Noll namely L.4.10 (admittedly on an ASG 71) and that apparently stands for Fussartillerie-Schiess-Schule, Lehr-Batterie 4, Waffe Nr.10. I agree with Shippingsteel when he says that if the marking is Landwehr a number in front of the L. should show the regiment. In the circumstances your bayonet is possibly not Landwehr, but I'm afraid I can't say for certain which of the above it is.

Regards,

Michael H.

[YankeeDiv]

Mike,

Thank you for all the info, it is much appreciated.

Ken

[gew98]

If the 'L' on the scabbard was a script capitol it would be landwehr certainly. Not being so the likelihood is rather it's not. I've got a landwehr marked gew88 and a landwehr marked gew88 muzz cover...both the script capitol 'L' , and I've not seen different yet to think otherwise.Some years prior to WW1 Landwehr markings did not generally follow the 'type' of L applied , but Just prior to WW1 there was a more recognizable constant.

The "sterne" gewehrs as noted were assembled on something similar to the british peddeled scheme rifles. Arsenals like Erfurt that eventually devoted most of their production to MG's and the like still produced receivers and rifle parts they farmed out to depot's and artillery parks where these were used to assemble rifles . These rifles usually have a large percentage of 'RC' proofed parts to include a fair amount of salvaged parts...that is salvaged parts out of spec and not from field salvaged rifles. The Germans in both wars made great use of depot assembly/salvage operations.Wartime necessities made experts of them on this theme. You will find the 'star' to be more often than not an asterisk depending on the regional depot doing the assembly.Some receivers can be found stamped with an 'H' or a 'C' to denote Hannover or Cologne as the respective depot assembling those rifles..mostly spandau made receivers from mid 1917 through 1918.

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