Group shot of bayonets. These are shown with an original WWII bayo for the Garand. Oddly the bayo with the canvass scabbard will fit the '03, but not the Garand, the early fiberglass one will fit both.
Close up of markings on early model:
Butcher Blade, I do not know if this is German but suspect so:
Markings:
Sawback shot:
You can see the flash gaurd and the modification made to fit this to the Kar98, they had to grind off the barrel ring as the Kar98's barrel would not extend thru it.
All these came from the same trunk of stuff, I wish they had taken care to mark it in some way but who thought along those lines back then. I figure they were just glad to have made it home, probaly didn't want to think about it much.
If my figures are right, or close, we lost 58,000 people in Vietnam, in WWI we lost about the same amount, but our involvment in 'Nam lasted over 10 years, our involvment in the Great War was around 6 months. Do the math and the rate of casualties is just staggering. Then add in those killed by the Influenza outbreak. It really makes you stop and think.
The technology of death had far outpaced the methods of War, but they just kept feeding people in using tactics designed a Century before. What a time.
RD