WW1 krags

[rice 123]

I was at the WW1 museum in kansas City today. They had a display with a Ross Rifle, a Krag, and a couple of fencing rifles. The caption under the Krag said that krags were used for training and gaurd duty and then it stated in 1917 the 12 engineers used krags on the front line. This was the first time I have heard of Krags in combat in WW1.

Information

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[kragluver]

Correct. This is also discussed in Canfield's book on US Military bolt action rifles. Perhaps as many as 10,000 Krags may have seen service in France.

[rice 123]

also they had one display of a doughboy wearing a french helmet with a French rifle. caption said that one us divivsion was issued french equipment early in the war I cant remember what division

[gew8805]

Most famously, the US 93rd Division, composed of African-American troops in the then segregated US military, fought with the French Army in the trenches on the western front. They wore US uniforms but carried French weapons and wore French equipment. For headgear, they wore the blue French Adrian helmet which became a part of their divisional insignia.

For some good, general information on the 93rd's service, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/93rd_In...ited_States%29

They fought very well.

[jon_norstog]

The 93rd started out as the 15th NY Volunteers. They drilled with brooms and mops at first. When they came back they were a crack unit. They marched in a tickertape parade up Broadway all the way to Harlem where they were mobbed by women!

They have a chapter in Jervis Anderson's "This was Harlem."

jn

[Fred G.]

I was at the WW1 museum in kansas City today. They had a display with a Ross Rifle, a Krag, and a couple of fencing rifles. The caption under the Krag said that krags were used for training and gaurd duty and then it stated in 1917 the 12 engineers used krags on the front line. This was the first time I have heard of Krags in combat in WW1.

What did you think of the museum? I'm from Kansas CIty and have moved to Nebraska, but I've never seen the Museum since it's been rebuilt, updated and improved.

[rice 123]

I thought it was worth the drive down from Omaha, I do not think my wife was that impressed. They had one room that housed a collection from a German family that donated it to the muesum. That room was full of german WW1 uniforms, machine guns, and just about kind of German WW1 weapon or equipment you could think of. Back to Krags years ago I had a 1899 carbine the only stamp on it was a WW1 style firing proof P . That P always puzzed me I guess I can assume that it probably went through a rebuld for WW1 does that sound possible

[jon_norstog]

Rice, the "P" in a circle meaNS the rifle/carbine was proof tested. It is separate from the "cartouche" which is on the left side of the stock ahead of the wrist, and is really fancy-looking. A stock that lacks the cartouche but has the "P" is probably an arsenal replacement.

The Krags had a short but eventful service life and a lot could happen to an individual piece. Guys like Dick Hosmer and 5 Mad Farmers can tell you a story fit for a long winter's night, based on the stock, handguard and sight found on a given weapon.

jn

[Fred G.]

I thought it was worth the drive down from Omaha, I do not think my wife was that impressed. They had one room that housed a collection from a German family that donated it to the muesum. That room was full of german WW1 uniforms, machine guns, and just about kind of German WW1 weapon or equipment you could think of. Back to Krags years ago I had a 1899 carbine the only stamp on it was a WW1 style firing proof P . That P always puzzed me I guess I can assume that it probably went through a rebuld for WW1 does that sound possible

Sorry I haven't been visiting this thread and so I didn't see this answer until just now! Thanks for replying! I too am from the Omaha area. More accurately, Yutan, just to the west a few miles. I'll visit at the Memorial with my wife the next time that we're down there.

[andiarisaka]

It was pretty common for troops of different nationalities, when serving with another nationality, to use the weapons of the most represented unit. An example would be York's unit, when first in France, served with a British unit and they were all issued British weapons. Alleviates ammo supply problems.