MichaelWC
Senior Member
M/71-84 in German colonies
I've been meaning to make this thread for a while. I just didn't have all of the pieces yet. Now I do have all of the pieces to make a good representation. This thread is just a representation of what the Truppe des Reichs-Kommissars, Kaiserliches Gouvernement Polizei and Landespolizei of the GSWA. Also German reservest and maybe one lucky Junior NCO of the DOA may have carried. Any time from 1889's to 1918.
There is no evidence that the M/71-84 rifle was used as a 'standard weapon' by the Kaiserliche Schutztruppe in the German colonies. The Schutztruppe was armed with M/71 Jägerbüchsen, never with the 71/84 model. The weapons would have been condemned as a unfit for use by the commanders in the colonies if only because of the complicated repeater mechanism. The application of this weapon can however be traced via the Padre of the Benedictine Missionary Society of St. Ottilien from Genltendorf in Upper Bavaria, who were permitted to take possession of ten M/71-84 rifles together with 1,500 cartridges free of charge from the artillery depot in Augsburg, Germany.
The items were required by the missionaries 'for protection against rebellious natives and wild animals' in the DOA or German East Africa. These ten M/71-84 where from a artillery depot in Bavaria. However we know with the help of a 1913 inventory report from the German colonies. The Landespolizei in German SouthWest Africa had 34(1) with one being unusable and one in use with the Schutztruppe of German East Africa.
If the M/71-84 was not the standard issue rifle then how did they make their way in African colonies?
Possible Theories
German East Africa or DOA:
• Now I am not 100% certain after the missionaries came back to Germany. If they came back with the rifles or left them rifles in Germany East Africa with the Schutztruppe.
• The one company from each Seebataillone I and II. Did see combat in Maji-Maji Rebellion in German East Africa from 1905-07. This theory is highly unlikely.
German SouthWest Africa or GSWA:
• Before the creation of Schutztruppe was the Truppe des Reichs-Kommissars" or "Francois-truppe" that operated in German Southwest Africa between 1889-91. They allegely were equipped with Kar 1871's and M/71-84.
• The two company from each Seebataillone I and II. Did see combat in Herero Rebellion in German SouthWest Africa from 1904-05. Before being transferred over to the DOA to fight in the Maji-Maji Rebellion. This theory is highly unlikely.
• Kaiserliches Gouvernement Polizei where the police before the formation of the Landespolizei in 1905. Either police organization my have bought M/71-84's.
Possible Manufactures of the M/71-84 in the colonies:
• Seeing how the missionaries that went to the DOA were from Bavaria. Bavarian military did lent them the rifles. I'm guessing they were manufactured by Amberg.
• As for the 35 71-84 in GSWA. I am also not 100% sure but the rifles could have been manufactured by Spandau or Danzig but we may never know. Most of the 1871 Jägerbüchse used by the Landespolizei I have recorded are from Danzig.
M/71-84 rifles:
1887/Amberg/28487/B.14.R.11.145. (The rifles stock has a crack by the wrist.) This 71-84 is taking the representation of what may have been used by missionaries when they left Bavaria for German East Africa.
1887/Spandau/2057/G.R.R.229. This M/71-84 is also representing the 35 M/71-84's in the GSWA.
Bayonet:
1887/Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co of Sollingen/Sch. D.O.A. 223 (Grenadier-Regiment Kaiser Wilhelm, König von Preußen Nr.101 (2. Königlich Sächsisches)
Now with the German East African campaign starting on 3 August 1914. After blockade runners Rubens delivered supplies on April 14th 1915 and Marie delivered supplies on March 16th 1916. Lettow-Vorbeck did anything and everything to supply his small army. Finding any items marked DOA is hard to came by.
Mainly because some items were ditched in the jungle after being replaced by a captured enemy weapon. Or the item or weapon became non-functional. Example: the weapon ran out of ammunition.
Bayonets used by the DOA Schutztruppe may have been used as combat type of knife. If the rifle of the soldier was ditched or became non-functional. Some items where destroyed so they didn't fall into enemy hands. I hope you enjoy.
I've been meaning to make this thread for a while. I just didn't have all of the pieces yet. Now I do have all of the pieces to make a good representation. This thread is just a representation of what the Truppe des Reichs-Kommissars, Kaiserliches Gouvernement Polizei and Landespolizei of the GSWA. Also German reservest and maybe one lucky Junior NCO of the DOA may have carried. Any time from 1889's to 1918.
There is no evidence that the M/71-84 rifle was used as a 'standard weapon' by the Kaiserliche Schutztruppe in the German colonies. The Schutztruppe was armed with M/71 Jägerbüchsen, never with the 71/84 model. The weapons would have been condemned as a unfit for use by the commanders in the colonies if only because of the complicated repeater mechanism. The application of this weapon can however be traced via the Padre of the Benedictine Missionary Society of St. Ottilien from Genltendorf in Upper Bavaria, who were permitted to take possession of ten M/71-84 rifles together with 1,500 cartridges free of charge from the artillery depot in Augsburg, Germany.
The items were required by the missionaries 'for protection against rebellious natives and wild animals' in the DOA or German East Africa. These ten M/71-84 where from a artillery depot in Bavaria. However we know with the help of a 1913 inventory report from the German colonies. The Landespolizei in German SouthWest Africa had 34(1) with one being unusable and one in use with the Schutztruppe of German East Africa.
If the M/71-84 was not the standard issue rifle then how did they make their way in African colonies?
Possible Theories
German East Africa or DOA:
• Now I am not 100% certain after the missionaries came back to Germany. If they came back with the rifles or left them rifles in Germany East Africa with the Schutztruppe.
• The one company from each Seebataillone I and II. Did see combat in Maji-Maji Rebellion in German East Africa from 1905-07. This theory is highly unlikely.
German SouthWest Africa or GSWA:
• Before the creation of Schutztruppe was the Truppe des Reichs-Kommissars" or "Francois-truppe" that operated in German Southwest Africa between 1889-91. They allegely were equipped with Kar 1871's and M/71-84.
• The two company from each Seebataillone I and II. Did see combat in Herero Rebellion in German SouthWest Africa from 1904-05. Before being transferred over to the DOA to fight in the Maji-Maji Rebellion. This theory is highly unlikely.
• Kaiserliches Gouvernement Polizei where the police before the formation of the Landespolizei in 1905. Either police organization my have bought M/71-84's.
Possible Manufactures of the M/71-84 in the colonies:
• Seeing how the missionaries that went to the DOA were from Bavaria. Bavarian military did lent them the rifles. I'm guessing they were manufactured by Amberg.
• As for the 35 71-84 in GSWA. I am also not 100% sure but the rifles could have been manufactured by Spandau or Danzig but we may never know. Most of the 1871 Jägerbüchse used by the Landespolizei I have recorded are from Danzig.
M/71-84 rifles:
1887/Amberg/28487/B.14.R.11.145. (The rifles stock has a crack by the wrist.) This 71-84 is taking the representation of what may have been used by missionaries when they left Bavaria for German East Africa.
1887/Spandau/2057/G.R.R.229. This M/71-84 is also representing the 35 M/71-84's in the GSWA.
Bayonet:
1887/Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co of Sollingen/Sch. D.O.A. 223 (Grenadier-Regiment Kaiser Wilhelm, König von Preußen Nr.101 (2. Königlich Sächsisches)
Now with the German East African campaign starting on 3 August 1914. After blockade runners Rubens delivered supplies on April 14th 1915 and Marie delivered supplies on March 16th 1916. Lettow-Vorbeck did anything and everything to supply his small army. Finding any items marked DOA is hard to came by.
Mainly because some items were ditched in the jungle after being replaced by a captured enemy weapon. Or the item or weapon became non-functional. Example: the weapon ran out of ammunition.
Bayonets used by the DOA Schutztruppe may have been used as combat type of knife. If the rifle of the soldier was ditched or became non-functional. Some items where destroyed so they didn't fall into enemy hands. I hope you enjoy.
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