Persian (Iranian) use of the Gew.98

[trajan]

Hi everyone,

 

I am trying to track down if the Persian / Iranian army or the various rebel units in Persia / Iran in 1916-1917 used the Gew.98. I have found a reference to the use of 'Mausers' by rebels there at that time, whatever 'Mauser' might mean, and I have come across a reference to a possible German bayonet with a Persian number on the pommel head - Persian (Farsi) numbers are different from 'Arabic' and Ottoman, and Persian bayonets in the 1930's were certainly pommel-head marked.

 

Thanks in advance for any help,

 

Julian

[4thGordons]

I cannot answer your question directly however, in the late 1920s (1929 to be exact!) the Persian government contracted with the Czech arms producer Brno to produce a version of the 1898 Mauser referred to as the 98/29. These rifles are very similar in appearance to the Gew 98 of WWI vintage with the exception of the sighting arrangement (different front and rear site set up). One might suppose that the choice of this rifle might indicate familiarity with the type from earlier?

Chris

[trajan]

3 minutes ago, 4thGordons said:

I cannot answer your question directly however, in the late 1920s (1929 to be exact!) the Persian government contracted with the Czech arms producer Brno to produce a version of the 1898 Mauser referred to as the 98/29. These rifles are very similar in appearance to the Gew 98 of WWI vintage with the exception of the sighting arrangement (different front and rear site set up). One might suppose that the choice of this rifle might indicate familiarity with the type from earlier?

Chris

 

Thanks Chris, Yes I know of those ones and they were supplied with a Czech-made bayonet, the VZ 1929. Czechoslovakia did get redundant S.98/05 in 1918+ but I find it unlikely these were shipped out to Iran with the new Brno-made 1929 rifles. 

 

Julian

 

PS: finished on-line teaching yet? How are you handling the exams??!!

[dman]

Iran (Persia) purchased 30,000 Czech Model VZ 24 rifles from Czech army stocks in 1929

 

Following year , 1930, ordered 240,000 more of slightly modified pattern with longer barrels, 

 

They were known as BRNO from the place of manufacture - Czechoslovakia had been part of the Austrian empire and has used the MANNLICHER Model 95 as it rifle

 

The VZ 24 itself was a modified version of the Gew 98, using the KAR 98 AZ with a 590 mm barrel and stacking rod and bayonet attachment  as its pattern

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vz._24

[trajan]

Thanks dman. I wasn't certain about the bayonet fitting on the BRNO 1929 rifles.

 

The 'Persian' German bayonet I have been informed of is a sawback apparently which makes it even less likely to have come from Czechoslovakia in the 1930's as they received their S.98/05 from Germany in 1918. There is evidence that Ottoman Turkey was receiving sawback 98/05's as late as 1918, so there is a possibility it came from there.

 

I hope to learn more about this one and will pass on what I can. However, a bayonet with a serial number does strike me as an 'official' army issue rather than a rebel-held weapon. There are, BTW, threads here on SMLE and P.1907 bayonets supplied to Iran.

 

Trajan

[Michael Haselgrove]

Julian,

At the beginning of the 20th century Persia purchased the Persian Model 1895 rifle.  These were Mauser rifles and were the main rifle in service at the time in question.  I can't say what rifles the rebels used and I suppose it is possible, given the German involvement, they procured some Gew.98s but I can find nothing to support that theory. 

Regards,

Michael.     

 

 

[trajan]

Thanks Michael. The Persian M1895 has the old-style 'Mauser' fitting, I assume, as the 'T-O' was introduced with the Gew.98 and S.98. My feeling is German supplied to Iranian rebels via Turkey, but the serial number bugs me! I really hope to find out more!

 

Julian