Name/Title
1917 - Rare German Imperial Army model 98/05 Seitengewehr 'sawback' pioneer sword bayonet - Possibly captured by members of 87th Battalion (CGG), CEFDescription
A rare German Imperial Army issue Seitengewehr 98/05 has a wood handle and swept back quillon. 14.5-inch single edge butcher blade, marker marked on the ricasso. Dated on top of the blade in front of the crosspiece. The saw back was phased out during the war due to negative Allied propaganda. Most had the saw back ground off and re-issued. The first scabbards were leather with steel fittings, followed by all steel.
At the beginning of the Great War, the M1898/05 came with high ears and without flash guard. Pioneers and machine gunner crews used this version because of its suitability to chopping down bushes. The sawback was a favoured tool among German Military units.
The Seitengewehr 98/05 was introduced into the Prussian army in late 1905, as a replacement for the 98/02 for engineers and pioneer troops, as the 98/02 was deemed to long and heavy for it’s intended purpose and one and a half times the length of the 1898/05. Initial production was in two versions, the first plain backed, and the second with 29 double teeth. The bayonet, as typical of German blades, did not have more than a vestigial muzzle ring, relying on the length of the hilt mounting to fix the blade to its rifle. The plain back version was identified as the S98/05 or S98/05 o.S. (ohne Säge – without saw) and the saw back as the S98/05 S or m.S. (mit Säge – with saw). About 6% of blades made were fitted with the saw back
At the beginning of WWI it was found that the S98/05 had a problem when used with the Karabiner 98 rifle, the shorter barrel on this model led to burning and damage to the grips as the barrel finished before the vestigial muzzle ring, so in1915 it was decided to fit a steel flash guard (Schutzbleche) to the back of the bayonet to protect the grips. The bayonet was modified by removing most of the muzzle ring remaining, reducing the back of the tang and adding the flash guard.
The sawback version of the bayonet soon became very unpopular on both sides of the frontline. When plunged into the enemy, this style of blade pulled out the victim’s insides when removed causing exceptional pain, suffering and inevitably death. It was communicated to the German army that French and British soldiers would torture and then killed their troops if found with a sawback blade on their bayonet. Therefore an order was issued in 1917 that all sawbacks be removed from service.Created By
Zarina CarlevarisCreate Date
August 7, 2024Updated By
Lieutenant Michael Hayes-Rivet, retired.Update Date
October 28, 2024
