P.06 Navy Luger

[Brandon]

Hello John,

Here is a rather long quote from Jan Still's Imperial Lugers:

Lugers assigned to the Navy garrison at Tsingtao, the administrative center of Kiaochow, were marked "GOUV. KIAU." with property numbers which range from 8 to 245 (for the 7 so marked Navy Lugers reported). GOUVERNMENT KIAUTSCHOU refers to the Imperial German military government of the colony, which had under it's jurisdiction the following Navy units: Seebataillon, Pionier Kompangnie, Marine Feldbatterie, Matrosenartillerie, and Ostasiatisches Marine Detachement. These units consisted of over 3,000 Navy officers and soldiers, and about 250 Lugers were assigned to them. The reported 7, 1906 Variation Navy Lugers marked "GOUV. KIAU." are marked as follows:

Serial Number - Gripstrap - Left Side Frame

1. 2280 - GOUV. KIAU. 87 - 4.36

2. 3004 - " " 161 - 5.93

3. 3173 - " " 8 - ???

4. 3471 - " " 31 - ???

5. 3981 - " " 245 - ???

6. 4667 - " " 149 - ???

7. 2271a - " " ??? - ???

The GOUV. KIAU. stamp and property number were likely applied in Germany before the Lugers were shipped overseas, at the Kommando des III Stam-Seebataillions (III. ST.S.B.) located in Cuxhaven (this was the administrative center and training/depot unit for the III. S.B. troops in the German colony at Kiaochow). The III Seebataillon consisted of four infantry companies and one mounted company. The four infantry companies were numbered 1,2,3, and 7 and the mounted company was numbered 5. The Ostasiatisches Marinedetachement (O.M.D.) formed a portion of the fourth Seebataillon company.

According to G�¶rtz and Walter, 1989, about 75 Navy Lugers were issued to the III Seebataillon and the machine gun platoons of the Seebataillon were among those issued Navy Lugers. The left side frame unit markings for Navy Lugers serial numbers 2280 (4.36) and 3004 (5.93) likely translate as follows:

4.3 = 4. Kompanie, Waffe Nr. 3, III Seebataillon, Ostasiatisches Marine Detachement (The Luger probably went to a machine gun platoon).

5.93 = 5. Kompanie (mounted), Waffe Nr. 93, III. Seebataillon

The Kiaochow China marked Lugers have a very interesting history (originating in Germany to be used by German Marines to fight the Japanese in China) and are highly prized by collectors.

So John,
Can you post pictures of your Luger, with closeups of all the markings? Perhaps you are mistaking an O.M.D. marking for an O.M.L. marking?

I will let one of our resident experts take over from here!

I Can't wait to see learn from this discussion!

Best regards,Brandon