Interesting WW1 German military photos
 

Here is a web site assembled primarily for the Maxim gun crowd, but interesting regardless.

http://www.kaiserscross.com/76001/56722.html

Enjoy.
DJU

Thats a fine site. I will enjoy it very much. Thanks!

Charlie

A few more.

DJU,
If you want to see some of the P08 and LP08 historical pictures in my collection, you can have a look at my web site and visit the historical picture page.

It is only a subset of my entire collection but it is nice I guess.

Cheers,
Mauro

This site was made by Chris Boonzaier, a well known militaria collector from Germany. He is also interested on WWI machine guns and MG crew teams stories - hence the site.

A nicely done job.

Douglas

Flame thrower "Totenkopf" section. Re: DH Lugers?

http://www.kaiserscross.com/40029/76401.html

Ron,
Thank you for the link! It still hasn't been determined what unit or organization had the DH Lugers. For the longest time the most likely explanation was that the lazy "S" over the skull and crossbones represented the sweep of a flamethrower and the guns were carried by a flammenwerfer unit. The wide range of dates on the surviving examples and the rudimentary detail of the chamber marking suggest that they may have been utilized by a Freikorps unit during the Weimar era. Here is a photo of an armored car and flamethrower taken during the Kapp Putsch.

Hi Ron,

I just thought it was a strong argument for Flamethrower units. I've bounced back and forth between Freikorps and Flamethrower, leaning toward Freikorps. Not so sure now.

I wish I had the "Clipped / De-Billed" helmet in that photo.

Ron

I lean toward a Freikorps Falmmenwerfer unit, which turns out to be both your choices in one. I am under the impression that is what is in the photo.

Turkish contract helmets
 

Please note the very rare "Turkish contract helmets"
Just a few thousand were made and not shiped to Turkey due the end of WW1, some of them were used by Freikorps.

Ron, the group photo near the bottom, it looks like they are soldiers of a Garde Gren. Regt.
Can you identify the shoulder straps?

Andy,

If I recall, it is a Garde Grenedier Regt. I no longer have the card. It was sold along with several others I had.

Ron

I've added two more photos above.

Here's one that is kind of interesting. A German Fliegerabwehr (Anti Aircraft) unit with two captured St. Entiene 1907/16 French machine guns at La Ferte. Fliegerabwehr units were formed in early (Jan.) 1917 for static defense against air attack. This card is dated May 1917.

I have a 1917 Erfurt marked to the 17th Section 3rd Company Flamga Abteilung 912. This is a very rare unit mark applied after unit marking was ordered to cease. I wish I could determine which unit is in the photo. This very Luger could have been in one of those holsters.

Ron...wow... what a wonderful Erfurt to have. Really impressive. Were the St. Entienne guns the weapons notorious for jamming? cheers

Glen,

The St.Entienne was basically a variation of the Hotchkiss built by the Gov't arsenal. The one you are probably thinking of is the "Chauchat". It was literally a POS, jam-o-matic. Parts didn't interchange, the magazine was open on the sides and would clog with mud and debris.

They were issued to U.S. Troops as the latest and greatest. Most were left laying in the mud or thrown away when they jammed.

My few remaining limping grey cells kicked in with your reply. Chauchat was the one. Thanks Ron.

Too bad
 

That's what I thought it is. :rockon:
BTW, I collect KAGGR1 stuff. If somebody has to sell KAGGR1 items, pls. send me an email. Thanks.