The "Lanyard Question" continues..From Essen
As a follow up to what was written earlier regarding Luger Lanyards....
But let me try to tell you something about lanyards in the German forces.
It is absolutely correct, that the so called "Reichsrevolver" was issued with a
lanyard. Especially the long M1879 model for cavalry was issued with such a
string, but also the short M1883 model for infantry and artillery was found with
a string - maybe because usually the field artillery was mounted. Because the
German army between 1871 and 1918 was separated into several "contingents"
various regulations for lanyards could be found in Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and
Wuerttemberg. The lanyard of the Reichsrevolver was worn over the right shoulder
and should, fixed to the shoulder insignia to prevent loss of the revolver after
firing from horseback. Those lanyards were made of black or brown leather
directely tied to the lanyard loop without any carbine hook or button. Because
of this they didn't carry any official marks or inspection stamps and if you buy
one today you just have to believe that it is authentic.
But for the successing pistol 08 no official lanyard was issued. If you take a
close look on your holster, you will see, that is nearly impossible to carry a
pistol 08 tied on a lanyard within. But you will find reports of improvised
lanyards in WWI: Ernst Juenger wrote in "In Stahlgewittern" and in "Das
Waeldchen 125" that as an assault party commander (Stosstruppf�¼hrer) he used to
carry his pistol in the right pocket of his uniform - fixed with a "long
string". But this type of a lanyard was a sort of personal improvisation as well
as the use to carry the pistol in the right pocket of the uniform in combat (the
holster was not very useful for combat). In no German army (Prussian, Bavarian,
Saxonian or Wuerttemberg) any official type of lanyard for the pistol 08 was
issued before 1918!!! I never saw any picture of a German soldier, officer, NCO
with his pistol 08 fixed with a lanyard!!! And I never heard about any official
issued lanyard. The only exception could be with the navy, where white lanyards
could be seen before 1914 - but with the pistol 04 / model 1906 they had
holsters which made lanyards useful - with the pistol 04 / model 1914 and 1917
armylike holsters were issued.
The Portugese army used to have slightely different holsters (I have one), that
does not have the suitcase-like look, than the German holsters. Therefore with
the Portugese holsters - as with the Reichsrevolver and the former navy
holsters, a lanyard could be fixed usefully. The portugese one was made of
leather.
As you mentioned in your mail with the police in the Weimar republic and the
Third Reich things were a bit different. But as you know I'm not an expert on
police and / or Wehrmacht equipment. Therefore I can imagine, that police
officers and mounted policemen received lanyards with a nickled carbine hook
according to the clothing regulations of 1932. I also know about the army
regulations of 1935 (as quoted by Joachim Goertz). Roughly translated into
English they read like this:
"For the mounted personnel equiped with the pistol 08 a lanyard (Pistolengurt)
is issued. The lanyard should prevent loss of the pistol when fired from
horseback. For use head and right arm are put through the lanyard sling, the
pistol hooked into the carbine and carried like this in the holster. In case of
emergency the holster can be kept open. After firing the safed pistol can be
kept hanging loosely on the lanyard until it can be brought back into the
holster again. When storing the pistol in the holster the lanyard should be kept
hooked with the carbine to the pistol to avoid loss of the lanyard. The lanyard
should be ordered by the divisions at the "Heeres-Feldmeisterei" until Dec. 15.
1935"
Der Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres
9.11.35 AHA/In2 III.
That means that lanyards were issued only to the very, very, very few cavalry
units of the Wehrmacht and maybe to some of the mounted field artillery
personnel. But they were not issued to any infantry, armoured, recce, paratroop
(against the regulations the paras used to carry their pistols in a pocket
of their uniform - the so called "Knochensack" - too, like Ernst Juenger in WWI
and maybe they ha improvised or cavalry lanyards too), engineer, heavy
artillery, tank destroyer, staff, maintenance.... units.
In 1941 an additional order came out, reading:
"Despite of the soldiers, carrying pistols in mounted units, also soldiers in
the "fast forces" ("schnelle Truppen", that means recce and light tank units),
motorcycle and bicycle units are to be equipped with lanyards."
O.K.H. (Ch H R�¼st u. BdE) 5.7.41
- 72 - AHA/In 2 VII
So possibly after 1941 some more units received such lanyards. So, I am
still absolutely sure that before 1918 no lanyard was issued officially and
since I am not an expert for Wehrmacht and Police I have to consider that it
might be possible, that lanyards existed with some units in WWII. And therefore
it might be possible, that some lanyards are still existing - but: I never saw
one, I was never offered one and I never saw any picture of one. Therefore I
would be very very cautious and very very suspicious if someone would offer such a lanyard to me.
Frank
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