cj556
Senior Member
Here's a very nice 1913 Erfurt Kar98a, all matching and the best prewar 98a I've ever seen. I have been after this one for a year and a half now and I was finally able to purchase it. All matching to the screws with a very desirable unit marking "O.M.D. 49" which everything I've found points to issuance by the East Asian Marines. In his unit marking book Jeff Noll lists another 1913 Erfurt with an "O.M.D. 39" marking also with an A suffix serial. If anyone else on the forum has a 98a with this unit marking please post it!
The East Asian Marines were stationed in Beijing and Tienstin prior to WW1. They were beefed up from 1 company (200 men) to 3.5 companies in 1912 (700 men) and it appears that there was a run of guns in 1913 for both the East Asian Marines and the 3rd Sea Battalion. There are a couple 1913 Spandau Gew 98s out there marked to the 3rd Sea Battalion and like this carbine they bear a standard Prussian/Erfurt eagle instead of the navy crown you see on earlier DWM Navy Gew 98s.
After it became clear that the Japanese and British would lay siege to the Port of Tsingtao, the Germans moved all of their available forces there including the East Asian Marines. With the overall condition of this example it is hard to imagine it saw much use during siege if it was indeed there. How this one ended up in the USA is a mystery to me. The previous owner purchased it from a Maine antique dealer over 60 years ago and had no idea of the unit markings significance until I informed him. Perhaps it was never shipped to China? Maybe it was captured by the Japanese then brought back by an American serviceman on occupation duty in Japan? I know the latter may sound a bit far-fetched but I've seen examples of Mosin Nagants captured during the Russo-Japanese War and brought to the US after WW2. Anyhow this is likely my best find of the year and I am quite honored to be able to own it.
The East Asian Marines were stationed in Beijing and Tienstin prior to WW1. They were beefed up from 1 company (200 men) to 3.5 companies in 1912 (700 men) and it appears that there was a run of guns in 1913 for both the East Asian Marines and the 3rd Sea Battalion. There are a couple 1913 Spandau Gew 98s out there marked to the 3rd Sea Battalion and like this carbine they bear a standard Prussian/Erfurt eagle instead of the navy crown you see on earlier DWM Navy Gew 98s.
After it became clear that the Japanese and British would lay siege to the Port of Tsingtao, the Germans moved all of their available forces there including the East Asian Marines. With the overall condition of this example it is hard to imagine it saw much use during siege if it was indeed there. How this one ended up in the USA is a mystery to me. The previous owner purchased it from a Maine antique dealer over 60 years ago and had no idea of the unit markings significance until I informed him. Perhaps it was never shipped to China? Maybe it was captured by the Japanese then brought back by an American serviceman on occupation duty in Japan? I know the latter may sound a bit far-fetched but I've seen examples of Mosin Nagants captured during the Russo-Japanese War and brought to the US after WW2. Anyhow this is likely my best find of the year and I am quite honored to be able to own it.
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