tom h

Ray, You are correct that the KU series of Kreighoff assembled Mauser parts did begin at s/n 1 and up to about 5000. The way I've alway heard it, Mauser was switching their PO8 production line over to P38 production in late 1942, but as part of their standard contract with the government for the PO8, in addition to the pistols produced, they also had to make a certain amount of spare parts for repair of these PO8s. I'm sure that Mauser didn't relish the idea of dabling in the PO8 business once they stopped producing them, so at the request of FM H.Goering, a KH stock holder, they were happy to give/sell their spare parts to KH, so that the Luftwaffe could get their pistols faster. Lw lugers were issued primarily to AAA batteries, since these personnel were sometimes close to enemy ground action and were not equipted with rifles. Most flight crewmen, were issue foreign made (CZ,FN,FEG,etc) 32 pistols strickly for survival purposes, in case they were shot down. Tom