WWII German M1911 K98 Rifle Ammunition Pouch - Early Pattern Gallery
These are 1935 dated early pattern pouches from my personal collection. This type of pattern has two belt straps that wrap under each pocket and slips over a post. Hardware is all aluminum. The latest pouch here is "CARL KUNTZE PENIG-SA 1935".
1935
C. Pose Leder
G.m.b.H.
Berlin
1935
Brown pebbled leather dyed black. Hardware is all aluminum as is typical with early pattern pouches. All clip dividers are present. (20070330-01)
CARL HEINICHEN
DRESDEN
1935
Salty K98 pouch of the Kriegsmarine marked with Weimar eagle below the date stamp. The Courier style "M" is clearly impressed and a few unique features of the Weimar eagle are found in the KM acceptance stamp. Brown pebbled leather dyed black on the outside per regulations of 1940. All ammunition clip dividers are present with aluminum hardware throughout. The middle and right straps where they attach to the lids is held on by only a few threads of the top row of stitching. The interior pocket bottoms are slightly oversize and wrap up the side by about 5mm. The bottoms have discoloration from ammunition that was once carried inside. The left pocket lid has lost most of its shape and appears to have been resewn at the lid strap. This is my oldest KM marked pouch.
Dresden is located in eastern Germany on both banks of the Elbe River. The city suffered serious destruction from Allied bombing raids from February 13-15, 1945. These controversial raids totally destroyed the older center section of the city, an area that was known to not have any military industry. Details of the attack can be found on Wikipedia. Adolph's half-sister Angela Hitler lived in Dresden but moved to his retreat in Berchtesgaden after the bombings. Wounds from the bombing can still be found in Dresden today. (20071210)
CARL KUNTZE
PENIG-SA
1935
Salty K98 pouch that was originally natural in color, dyed black except for the back. All ammunition dividers are missing. A large steel rivet has been added to each of the six corners of the pocket lids. It is not known when these were fitted but they appear to have been there a long time. There is a small (15mm) cut on one of the outer pocket lids that has been period repaired with three stitches. (20090111-01)
The letters "SA" are for Saxony (German: Sachsen) that is now located in the modern day district of Mittelsachsen. Penig was the location of a concentration camp in World War II. It was a Buchenwald satellite camp for women.
LEDERWARENWERK
CURT VOGEL
COTTBUS
1935
Luftwaffe marked inside middle pocket lid in ink. Very early original brown pebbled leather. Hardware is all aluminum as is typical with early pattern pouches. All clip dividers are present. Ink stamp inside middle lide reads "Flg. Staffel 1935" and "I" over "B St 35". Excellent condition. Indirectly acquired from a WWII US Army veteran from the 29th Infantry Division, living in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. (20070201)
ERICH SCHULER
HAMBURG 15
1935
Dark chocolate brown leather making this likely a Luftwaffe K98 pouch. Images appear to be black leather but are in fact dark brown. Hardware is all aluminum as is typical with early pattern pouches. All clip dividers are present. Cloth label glued to a larger label on the underside of center lid in red that reads "Krause". (20070606)
EUGEN HUBER
MÜNCHEN
1935
Kriegsmarine acceptance stamped pouch with Weimar Eagle over "M". Very strong impression of Eagle; in fact it is was pressed so hard that the stamp has cut the leather and almost went through to the inside of the middle pocket. Natural tan pebbled leather dyed black on the outer surfaces except the belt side. Hardware is all aluminum as is typical with early pattern pouches. All clip dividers are present. One of the outer pockets is crushed more that the remaining three. (20081221-01)
MAX MÜLLER
NURNBERG
1935
Chocolate brown pebbled leather with all dividers missing. All of the hardware is aluminum. Pouch is unit marked 14./J.R.35 under the lids of center and right pockets. (20061202)
Lederwerk
Sedina
Finkenwalde
1935
Unit marked to inside of middle lid is the designation, "2./M.G.31 1 ", 2nd MaschineGewehr Company 31st Regiment. The small "1" could indicate parade use. Also stamped to the right of unit impression is a "K35" in a rectangle. Light brown pebbled leather with all dividers present. Very nice example of an early German Patronentaschen 98K with a sharp, well defined maker stamp and date. Typical of early pouches, all of the hardware is aluminum.
According to Kim's records, the acceptance stamp "K35" stands for "Königsberg" 1935. During the Weimar period, Königsberg was isolated from the rest of mainland Germany by the Polish Corridor. The British Air Force bombed the city during August 1944, destroying a significant part of the historic district. Russian forces engaged the Germans in the Battle of Königsberg from January - April 1945 with the Germans surrendering. The city was renamed Kalingrad, Russia and the German residents expelled.
The city of Finkenwalde is located about 250 kilometers northeast of Berlin, east of the Oder River. It was part of Germany during the Weimar period (1919-1937). Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his followers setup a Christian based Confessing Church in the city during the years 1935-1937 until it was closed by order of the Gestapo and 27 of it's students arrested. After WWII, the city and surrounding area was added to Poland.
This pouch has an interesting history as it was once in the massive K98 pouch collection of Kim Henvig of Denmark in 2006, was sold as part of that collection to Henrik Raske in Germany and made it's way to the Collectors Guild in Canada. Picked up by Rick Diehl in Florida and finally made it in my collection in 2008. Kim comments regarding this pouch are, "Flot taske" (Beautiful bag). (20080129)