Japanese Mum Luger

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by George Anderson

The pistol is dated 1940. The Japs and Germans were not fighting one another in 1940 or thereafter. They became allies in 1941.

The Japanese did invade the Dutch East Indies in 1942 and captured a number of Dutch Lugers.

Datig quotes a report that some 3,000 KNIL Lugers were captured by the Japanese in 'about 1942', and that 'certain of these captured Lugers found their way to the Japanese homeland, where they had some Japanese characters added to them'.

I know it is popular these days to sneer at Datig, Kenyon, and Jones, but they published pictures of Lugers with Mum, Totenkopf, and crossed rifles long before latter-day experts declared them all to be 'fakes'.

It is my habit, when there is doubt, to believe pictures.