German WW1 Mauser S84/98 a.A. Bayonet, 16th Reserve Infantry
Single-fullered spear-pointed knife blade, wood slab grips with cleaning hole, held by two screws. Scabbard of black leather, steel locket with frog hook and chape with oval finial. Blade 25.1cm in length, the bayonet 38.5cm overall.
The blade is stamped at the ricasso with the maker’s mark ‘C. G. Haenel Suhl’, one of eight makers of the 71/84 pattern blade. The spine of the blade is stamped with a crown and ‘W88’, indicating that it was manufactured in 1888, a year in which three different kings ruled in Germany – Wilhelm I, who died on the 9th of March, his son Frederick II, who died on the 15th June, and his son Wilhelm II. The ‘W’ refers to one of the Wilhelms. The scabbard has some small crown inspection stamps to both locket and chape, and the bayonet has the same on the spine of the blade and on the pommel.
The hilt is stamped with the unit mark ’16.R.7.114’ and the throat piece of the scabbard with ’16.R.7.171’, indicating that the blade belonged with rifle number 114, 7th Company, 16th Reserve Infantry regiment, which formed part of the 14th Reserve Division. The scabbard has been swapped from another rifle within the same unit – perhaps a replacement during service. The leather scabbards of this pattern were prone to wear and breakage in the field, and are not often a perfect match. The scabbard also has the cancelled unit mark ’62.R.5.135’, meaning it was previously first issued with rifle number 135, 5th Company, 62nd Infantry regiment (3rd Upper Silesian).
These bayonets were produced from 1909 from the large stocks of surplus 71/84 bayonets, converted to fit to the newer Mauser Karabiner 98 and Gewehr 98 rifles by remodelling the hilt and removing the muzzle ring. The reused blades come in two variations with a long or short fuller – this example has the long fuller, extending almost to the tip of the blade.
All Reserve Infantry Regiments were equipped with the 84/98 aA, as well as cyclists of infantry regiments, Jaeger and Schutzen battalions, and some Landwehr units depending on what rifle they had been issued with.
Once blade stocks ran dry the more abundant second model of 84/98 (nA) was produced, with a very similar knife blade and redesigned hilt. The 84/98 was the shortest bayonet to see use in WW1, and the same overall design continued through to the 84/98 bayonets for the Kar 98k of WW2.
The 14th Reserve Division was formed in August 1914 and fought exclusively on the Western Front, participating in the opening German offensive, the capture of Namur and Maubeuge, the Battle of Verdun from February to September 1916, the Second Battle of the Aisne in April and May 1917, and the Spring Offensive of 1918.
The blade has spots of patination and cleaned pitting. Likewise pitting and patination to the hilt and scabbard parts. The wood grips have some small dents, along with staining on the locking button side only. The leather scabbard body has many small dents and slight opening of the seam near the chape piece, but all its stitching is intact. It has stiffened with age but the blade sheaths and draws freely.