German Bayonets

[Khaki]

The German's being logical and efficient, why didn't they standardize their wartime bayonets as to blade length and model ?, I am not referring to foreign blades that were used with captured weapons, but to the blades for the G98. Why did they keep producing various patterns?

khaki

[trajan]

Not quite with you there, unless you mean why did they not produce a single length bayonet for all rifles? Good question, as production of the S.98 basically stopped around 1910 or so (in a pub having a beer, and so free from the boys, but can't check that right now!), and although a few S.98 were produced in 1914, that essentially was that. S.98/05 production picked up massively in 1915 (I think after March-June?). Those two babies are, of course, different blade lengths, but why, IIRC, did they use a shorter specification for the S14 first type and the ersatz series is really weird - the lengths of these are somewhere mid-way between the 74/88 and 98/05...

[Khaki]

Maybe I didn't frame my question clearly (sorry),but essentially you have it, surely for efficiency and material/ cost saving the bayonet blade length and design should have been standardized, such as was eventually done for the K98 of WW2 fame.

khaki

[trajan]

Maybe I didn't frame my question clearly (sorry),but essentially you have it, surely for efficiency and material/ cost saving the bayonet blade length and design should have been standardized, such as was eventually done for the K98 of WW2 fame.

khaki

Yes, what I still find puzzling is why the German States mobiiised an extra million men between August-December with not enough Gew 98 and suitable bayonets for them. As far as I can make it out that's why the cack-handed response in (over)ordering S14 types I and II, and then the Erstaz series - "We want a pointed thing about 30 cm long that will fit on a rifle model 88 and/or 98 and when we have enough we'll make more of the longer wooden-hilted 98/05 to replace these"...