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German Officers and NCOs in the South
West African Landespolizei and the Polizeitruppe of other colonies were
authorised to carry swords rather than bayonets. Their locally recruited
other ranks did however carry bayonets.
The African auxiliaries of the South West African Landespolizei
were sometimes photographed armed with bayonets.
"Unter dem Kreuz des Südens"
by S Schepp records that the Landespolizei had varying numbers of
bayonets at different times, (for example
in 1912 they had seventeen S71/84 bayonets in Keetmanshoop, sixty-five
ks98 bayonets in Maltahöhe, eight S98 bayonets in
Schuckmannsburg in
the Caprivi Strip,
another four kS98 and four S98 bayonets in headquarters storage and one
S98 in Lüderitzbucht). No examples of the markings of these bayonets have so far been
recorded, though some may have been marked "L.P." followed by a weapon
number as were Landespolizei swords and pistols (see
Landespolizei Pistol
Page). As the Landespolizei were often
issued with old Schutztruppe equipment it is quite possible that many of
these bayonets would have had cancelled "KS" markings from their former
service. It seems especially likely that the sixty-five kS98 bayonets in Maltahöhe,
were former Schutztruppe stock as the 5. Feldkompagnie had recently left Maltahöhe
in early 1912 and the Landespolizei garrison there was only 15 Germans
and 12 Africans.
The askaris of the East African Polizeitruppe were issued S71/84 bayonets to fit their Jägerbüchse 71
rifles. No examples of their markings have yet been found. They may simply
have used Schutztruppe cast offs without re-marking them.
African soldiers of the Cameroon Polizeitruppe
were probably initially issued S71/84 bayonets, although no marked
examples have so far been recorded. They may simply have used
Schutztruppe cast offs without re-marking them.
These were gradually being replaced with kS98 bayonets as the Mauser 98 carbine
was introduced. The process of re-issue was not complete in all units
before the outbreak of the First World War. At least one S84/98aA has also
been seen with Cameroon Polizeitruppe markings. Cameroon Polizeitruppe bayonets were unit marked "P.T.K." for
"Polizeitruppe Kamerun" followed by a weapon number, for
example "P.T.K. 415.A".
The African soldiers of the Togo Polizeitruppe were
initially issued with Hirschfanger 71 bayonets. These were replaced with kS98 bayonets
as G98 rifles were gradually introduced into service. Their
bayonets were unit marked "P.T." for "Polizeitruppe Togo" followed by a weapon number,
for example a kS98 has been recorded with the markings "P.T.16."and
another "P.T.44".
A similar kS98 marked "P209"
has also been speculatively linked with the Togo Polizeitruppe.
Recommended External Link -
Polizeitruppe Edged Weapons in Cameroon and Togo at
Traditionsverband
The New Guinea Polizeitruppe were
initially formed under the German New Guinea
company. These first police soldiers did not have bayonets, as their
early issue carbines (French Chassepot 66 and Mauser K71) did not have bayonet mountings. Later several types of
rifle and bayonet were issued. Judging from period photographs it seems
that the Melanesian Polizeitruppe were mostly armed with Commission G88
rifles and S71/84 bayonets, while the Micronesian Polizeitruppe had Mauser
G71 rifles and carbines with S71 bayonets. No examples of their unit
markings have yet been found and it is quite possible that they did not
use any. One kS98 made by E&F Horster in 1913 has been reported in a
private collection without any unit markings and was allegedly captured
by Australian forces in New Guinea in 1914.
The Samoan Polizeitruppe and Fita-Fita
other ranks were armed
with Mauser G71 rifles with S71
bayonets, judging from the few clear photographs of them. No examples of the
Polizeitruppe unit
markings have yet been found and it is quite possible that they did not
use any. One S98aA bayonet marked "S.F.4"
has been very speculatively linked with the Samoan Fita-Fita.
The Chinese Company and later the
Chinese Police Force in Tsingtao both
came under the command of the III. Seebatallion. It is rare to see photos
of the Chinese Police with bayonets but one photograph of the Chinese Company
clearly shows them with S71 bayonets on G88 rifles. No markings have
however been recorded. They may have
had no markings at all or had III. Seebatallion markings. One curious
S98/05 bayonet has been noted with the markings "Ku1616" over-stamped with
Seebatallion markings "III.S.B.5.51.". It has been suggested that the Ku
markings may have been for the Chinese Police, as an abbreviation of "Kiautschou",
the German name for the province. German NCOs commanding Chinese units
wore their Marine Infantry Bayonets (and swords for officers and senior
NCOs) with III. Seebatallion markings.
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