The German MG Capture & Trophy

[AZPhil]

Thank You MG1918,
I just went through the 3 topics you posted on the MG08 and found it fascinating and the period photo's to be outstanding.

Thanks again
Semper Fi
Phil

[MG1918]

Phil no problem. As a collector of WWI German MG the period photos (generally postcards) are very useful, especially now with fakes/repros being sold on the market. It seems the German machine gunner crews were very keen on taking photos of themselves in the field!

[MG1918]

another captured MG ready to take home....

[MG1918]

Attachment 60302
damaged and captured.

[MG1918]

Attachment 60303

[MG1918]

In the Vickers/lewis thread ref MGC you can see the superb sangster auxiliary tripod fitted to the Vickers. Here you see a captured example fitted to a MG08, with extra padding as the Vickers barrel jacket is slightly smaller. Great photo.

[MG1918]

[Calif-Steve]

A great deal of German weapons were given to the American Legion after WW1. Most of it is gone today, I'm guessing much was stolen over the years.

[Frederick303]

Here is eastern PA I know of two such guns

1 is a 08 on the sledge mount, visible from the road outside of the American legion on route 313 in Quakertown PA. Never stopped to closely examine so I have no idea how rough.

2) is a MG 08/15, the bipod model. Was a American legion trophy gun, near Jenkintown. A lot of the American Legion posts dumped their trophy guns after 1934 and this is one such gun. Cam with a nice bullet hole in the jacket and missing the lock mechanism, as it was taken out of the American legion basement with 40 Gew rifles around 1935~36.

To my knowledge the 2nd gun is not papered. Last I saw it was in the hands of the son of the guy who got it out of the American legion, that was back in the 1990s. Not sure if he is still alive, but his daughter married a local competitive shooter, so I suppose it is someplace in eastern PA.

[DocAV]

I suspect the lads in this photo are not German but from one of the Baltic states, just after WW1.

I recall that a copuple of these short-lived countries were equipped with a motley assortment of stuff to "kick-start" their forces. There are photos showing troops wearing German uniforms and helmets (of several late-war styles, and armed with P-14s and Vickers gun). Can't say I remember MG-08 sled mounts, though.

About three years ago, I saw what I believe are two of those P-14s in the hands of a collector in Queensland, Oz. They have a small, about 13 x 40mm brass plate on the right side of the butt. And the bores were atrocious.

The P14s with Brass or Copper tag in butt across Disc are Dutch Post-WW II, (Indonesian Independence) and sold off by Indonesia in the 1980s ; hence the Atrocious Barrels. I have two, a P14 complete (good Barrel) and an M17 Police Carbine (convt. 1948, Marechaussee) both Dutch Plated.

The Soldiers with the Vickers on the Schlitten Lafette and the P14s are Probably Estonians, one of the Three New Baltic States, which received a lot of British Equipment in .303 after WW I. Latvia and to a Lesser extent, Lithuania, also used .303 calibre equipment...but also Mosin Nagant and Mauser calibres/Rifles. ( RSAF Enfield used up a lot of CLLE Parts in 1920-22, making "Short Rifles" for the Baltic Orders, and Kynoch supplied Millions of rounds of .303 Mark VII in the 1920-1930 period.)

Doc AV
Brisban