Dum Question?
 

I'm relatively new to Lugers and obviously very ignorant about Navies, because I keep wondering, why did the Kriegsmarine issue pistols at all? In other words, what possible use were they, other than ceremonial or a badge of rank? I may just be displaying my own ignorance, but I'm wondering what good a pistol would have done in a naval engagement. Pistols are for close quarter combat. Thanks.

Don,

No question is a dumb question if you don't know the answer.

In this case, if you reflect about it for a moment, just think about various forms of guard duty, personal protection security, payroll security, not to mention boarding parties...both participating in them and repelling them... they serve the same purpose that they serve on land... AND as a deterrent against mutiny by a disloyal or disrepectful crew on the high seas...

John,

Ah ha! Thanks.

I think a lot of the Kriegsmarine Lugers were used by the "Matrosen" or Marines and machine gun crews, as well as torpedo boat and submarine crews where long arms were not practical. The P04 was also issued to Officers, staff and support personnel such as stretcher bearers, torpedomen, carpenters, and signal personnel.

In addition to the previous comments, Navy ships have a function known as "shore parties" These are groups sent ashore for various reasons such as unloading combat supplies, scouting or establishing a remote observation post, or just making the imperial presence evident. In the US Navy the "Blue Jackets Manual" for 1940 (my father's) has a part 6 devoted to the naval landing force and under 'Rudimentary Seamanship and Gunnery" there ia a chapter on carrying the BAR and the submachine gun (literally just covers carrying)and a chapter on small arms covering the use and care for the 03 rifle and the 1911 Colt .45. So naval use of small arms in the early 20th century was fairly wide spread.

One other uses of small arms (ie Rifles) by the Navy that hasn't been mentioned. Mine disposal. When I was a midshipman at Purdue, I took a summer cruise on an MSO (Ocean going mine sweeper) and found that once the cables had been cut holding the old contact mines to the bottom, they floated to the surface, where they were then exploded by small arms fire. Tom H.