Really great Navy Luger Postcard on Ebay
 

Really great Navy Luger Postcard on Ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Imperial-Ger...item53ed3680fe
Bidding is already to rich for me though.
Marc

Nice indeed.
But this kind of picture always get some high bids.
It took me a few years to find one in an affordable range.

Douglas

There's been similar cards posted here, most seem to be from the Torpedo Division...

Was the 'Torpedo Division' a school???

I'm guessing that the pics are some kind of graduation picture, like from a school or training class of some kind...

But I'm curious as to what the Torpedo Division would have to do with sidearms??? Were torpedomen considered auxillary 'infantrymen' when an armed escort or boarding party [VBSS?] was required???

I can imagine that on a sub, everyone would wear many 'hats', and duties would be doubled or tripled...But why specifically a torpedoman???

And why not a rifle???

Your right, Rich, this photo and others like it are a sort of graduation picture. They were taken on completion of what the Germans call infantry training and we call basic training. Torpedo men served on torpedo boats, of which there were several hundred in the Imperial German Navy. In addition to near suicidal attacks on larger more powerful vessels, they acted as the German equivalent of our Coast Guard. Regards, Norm

The postcard sender was not particularly chatty!!

But I'm curious as to what the Torpedo Division would have to do with sidearms???

Lugers were issued to most Naval vessals. Even Submarines..They were used for various reasons but boarding parties or shore duty such as obtaining fresh water on shore. Anytime a small party left the boat and needed arms.

Hi Jerry, The Torpedo Divisions acted most of the time much as our Coast Guard does. They were constantly stopping and searching neutral vessels and they, more than any other branch of the service, were constantly sending out boarding parties. Despite the small size of these boats, they were allocated 30 P04s each, due to space restrictions no rifles could be carried. Regards, Norm

WOW! That many? How many crew were there?

Don't know, Jerry, they were pretty small boats. The 1st Torpedo Division based at Kiel, on the Baltic, was larger than the 2nd Division which was based at Wilhelmshaven, on the North Sea. Photos taken at Kiel are easily recognized by the distinctive brick facade of the barracks building. The top photo is from Wilhelmshaven, the bottom, from Kiel. Regards, Norm

WW1 Machine Gun Photo
 

Heres Just one of the many that I have been lucky to find....and Ive had these photo enlarged by a good friend of mine that runs a good copy shop......and if you look at the NCO ....maybe officer...not sure...standing on right side....he has the Machine Gunners patch on his left sleeve...he also has the Iron Cross 2nd...anyway...Good photo...Hans Fischer

One More Machine Gun Photo
 

Its hard to believe the youth of these guys manning this Maxim.....in one of the Battles in WW1....the Germans had over 1,000 Maxims in operation........Hans Fischer

I didn't think of MTBs...I suppose because I've never read about them (in WW I)... :rolleyes:

On an unrelated topic, it wasn't until I read Deighton's Winter that I even knew the German Navy had Zeppelins in WW I...Many of them...That attacked England in packs...

Here's a Navy Luger photo that was offered by the same seller but he misidentified it as an artillery. Note the single cockade on the machinegunner's cap. They were most likely members of one of the two Naval divisions in Flanders.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...m=360462057717

George, Both the gunner and NCO are wearing Imperial Navy Pistol holsters. The OIC is also wearing a double magazine pouch. Cool photo! Rare I bet...

Hi George, I was the winning bidder of this photo. What intrigued me apart from the Navy Type 1 altered holster and pouch on the officer's belt, is the fact that it's inscribed "Memories of 1914/15, Ernst" on the back. 1914/15 really? Best regards, Norm

Norm, I would bet it was taken in 1917/18 and the notation on back acknowledges an early war friendship between the sender and recipient. One of the fellows in the photo is probably the sender.