OEWG Kar 71 from 2nd Guards Uhlan Regiment

Recently picked this beauty up. If I read the unit marking correctly it should be the 78th weapon assigned to the 3rd company of the 2nd Guards Uhlan regiment. Im quite happy to have this peice in the collection. Thanks for looking!

I agree, an excellent example. I agree with the unit marking interpretation, though that is not a specialty of mine. Adding it to our study, I noticed we have more OWG/Steyr K71's than the rest of the makers combined, but still a mere flicker of what was made and issued. I noticed Ulanen marked is pretty common for Steyr made carbines, though yours is the first Garde.

Here are some Ulanen at work, though with 98a (pretty poor tactics though, but probably necessary for the photography equipment of the era..)

Loewe said:

I agree, an excellent example...
...I noticed Ulanen marked is pretty common for Steyr made carbines, though yours is the first Garde.

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Thanks! But pardon my ignorance, but what is meant by Garde? I assume its the same as Guards in Soviet armies?

The German spelling, same as the English (Royal) Guard units, not sure how the word functions for the USSR, they had no royalty, none they didn't murder (a few escapees in the White forces), but perhaps communists used/revived the term in WWII to instill some nationalistic zeal into the slaves they put in uniform. Nationalism has an important function in the health of the state, especially a totalitarian state at war, I am sure the USSR use of Guard was symbolic, not literal or out of a sense of tradition like it was with the English and Prussians.

I believe in Soviet armies they designated a unit as "Guards" after a particular unit distinguished itself somehow.

Survival seems to be a laudable distinction in 1941-1943, strange that communists would resurrect a traditional conservative label or even institution (custom) to honor bravery or sacrifice for their ideology, which was stateless and international in character (theoretically anyway, Lenin and Stalin often acted "nationalistic" when it suited their agenda, Russian foreign policy, meddling in neighboring states and cultures didn't change much after WWI, which is one reason why England was so hostile to the Bolsheviks, (seizure of property and default on loans another) if anything Russia was more of a menace to England's "Empire" after WWI than before, even German communists resented "direction" from Moscow... so communism isn't entirely opposed to nationalism when it suits them, I suppose this is another example). I can think of no ideology that is more antithetical to conservatism (originally clergy, nobility etc.. or even its modern interpretations, which are more economic distinctions rather than class) than communism.

Anyway, a nice carbine and an even better unit marking. Garde marked are generally the most desirable, though with the G98, the KM (Imperial Navy) or KS (Imperial Colonial Forces) often are rated higher. Whether this is because the KM/KS are Imperial institutions (under the Kaiser) and the Armies are all "State" institutions, combined under the Kaiser only during emergencies or war (technically, Prussia was the dominate state and had a great deal of influence), I am unsure, but I guess most just like unit markings for their reputation, Garde generally assumed to be the most reliable or well trained, which might be true early on, but it seems in period literature, the Garde units didn't seem to be especially "elite" was the war progressed. Though I have read accounts of certain Garde Infantry formations marching back to Germany during the armistice doing so with impressive discipline. Though generally, most units returning from the western front did so in good order, - English Officers were placed along the path of retreat and reported positively on their discipline (generally), which completely came unglued when they reached Germany.

NMarshell said:

I believe in Soviet armies they designated a unit as "Guards" after a particular unit distinguished itself somehow.

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