Gew 88 Regimental Unit Markings

[Cleo45]

I recently acquired an 1890 dated OEWG-Steyr-built Gew 1888 Commission rifle with regimental unit markings on the front barrel band (see pic below). The band is stamped "P.B.4.149." with the "B" in script form.

I went to Jeff Noll's amazing "The Imperial German Regimental Marking" book, the Revised Edition Redux version, and if I interpret the info on page 31 correctly, the "P" symbol on my rifle could mean one of several things:

Pionier (Engineer)
Proviant (Provisions)
Pferde-[Depot] (Horse)
Park (Park)
Jager oder Grenadier-Regiment zu Pferde (Jager or Grenadier on Horseback).

I also found that the script "B" means:

Belagerungs (Siege, often followed by a modified such as Train, Telegraph, etc.)

Page 55 of this same source says the "PB" marking seen on my rifle stands for Pionier-Belagerungstrain which translates to Engineer Siege Service Corps.

My initial translation of this stamp is Engineer Siege Service Corp, Battalion #4, rifle #149. Is that correct?

After thinking about this, I am wondering if there is any way to tell which "P" unit applies to this rifle? If so, how?

I tried to find out more about the 4th Engineer Siege Battalion but could not find out anything in another amazing source document "Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army Which Participated in the War (1914-1918)", published by the US War Dept in 1920 (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/55620/55620-h/55620-h.htm).

I suspect I may be barking up the wrong tree here but I am not sure I am even in the right forest!

I would appreciate any help that could be provided here.

 

[chrisftk]

I would agree with your assessment.

 

[Spartaner545]

Very interesting unit marking. First of all, yes, your translation of the unit marking is correct. PB stands for Pionier-Belagerungstrain.

"P.B. 4. 149." stands for "Pionier-Belagerungstrain Nr. 4, Gewehr Nr. 149.". My personal english translation would be something like pioneer (or combat engineer) siege supply unit, so "pioneer siege supply unit no. 4, rifle no. 149.". This exact unit marking comes from the prussian 1900 unit marking regulation.

Everything regarding the history and structure of the german pioneer bataillons is very complicated, a nightmare to research without access to the state archives in Berlin and i cant stretch enough that i am by no means an expert in this field but a very simplefied explanation might sound something like this.
When war is declaired all german pioneer bataillons are mobilized. Roughly two thirds of them start forming two bataillons with several companies. These companies are then assigned to diffrent army divisions. The last third of the pioneer bataillons each form a pioneer-regiment. These newly formed regiments were used as the siege units of the german armed forces and each had a "Pionier-Belagerungstrain" attached to it. The task of the Pionier-Belagerungstrain was to provide and organize all of the heavy siege weapons. So far, so good.
Now: the pioneer-regiments 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30 and 31 were formed in 1914, the regimantal number stayed the same as it has been with the piece time origin Pionier-Bataillon. Meaning the pioneer bataillon no. 20 formed the pioneer-regiment no. 20.
This is why i dont know what regiment the Pionier-Belagerungstrain no. 4 belonged to. One might think that your G88 served in the Pionier-Belagerungstrain of the pioneer-regiment no. 23 as it was the fourth such regiment of the german army but i cant prove it. All i can say is that there was no pioneer-regiment no. 4 and that all of the Pionier-Belagerungstrain unit markings i know of feature single didgits like yours or P.B.5.167.

Thats all i know, i hope this helps a little bit. Pioneers are a very interesting and very often overlooked topic of german military history.

With kind regards

Vincent

 

[Cleo45]

Thank you for the info, I think you are being modest in your self appraisal! It does sounds like any info beyond knowing what P.B.4.149. stands for is a life achievement award. By coincidence, I currently am re-reading Barbara Tuchman's amazing Guns of August and am at the point where Germany has invaded Belgium and just destroyed the Liege forts. She talks of the giant siege guns being trundled through Liege on their way to the Namur forts. No doubt a Pionier-Belagerungstrain or two were involved in that effort. If my Gew 88 could just talk, the history it has lived would likely be a fascinating story. Thanks again for the great info!