What are the coolest accessories you've got?

[LA MITRAILLE]

Dwmmg08 wrote :

What an odd camo job on the last one! The regulations issued by the germans that I've seen for painting the steel helmets mandated separating the colors from each other by the black lines, *in the style currently seen on Machine Guns and Artillery*, and every camo job on waterjackets I've seen is the same style. Yours is very different though, and each camo job is unique that I've seen so far! Where did you get that? The colors look right, is it a late 1918 job?

I think that the camouflage of the helmet and guns (MG or artillery) is different. On guns, we do not often see, even never, black lines to separate the differents colours.

Some originals post cards of my collection:










My MG in black and white picture


And some pictures now of my camo mg in colour












Best regards
david

[Bil]

OOPS!!! I messed up-I tried to delete a double post,and got the wrong one! So very sorry.If whoever posted after the post above would send again,it would be nice-again,sorry. [This is one of the reasons I can't have anything sharper than a crayon-you never know what will happen!] ---bil

[dwmmg08]

Great post as usual David, once again, neat stuff!

Very cool pics, interesting camo jobs, I'll look for the set of orders I found, they were quite specific, but could be wrong, of course, as well.

A question: Would there be a chance of getting your 08/15 tool roll copied by a shoe or saddle maker over there? Or at least the belt holder for the lock? How often do you see those? I would very much like to have a functional replica of the belt bolt pouch, for sure, and I would like a good replica of the tool kits that you've got: mine is excellent, but is of the style without the sling, I would love to have the type with the sling! Are there any metal clips or other parts in the belt pouch for the bolt, or is it just a leather pouch?

Thanks!

[IMBLITZVT]

Yeah I would be in for some repro of those items depending on price. I really like the lock box belt holder.

Very nice paint job. I think I will use that as a model for mine when I repaint it. Now just need to find that top yoke strap!

Glen, do you have modern colors picked out for these colors? Do you know how they are made? Any info?

Thanks again, everyone!

[dwmmg08]

Hi Matt,

I'll go look up the colors, I've got them here, actually. I'll try to post them, It's fun to play with all the paint, of course! I prefer the feldgrau look myself...

I agree, I really would like that belt pouch!

Glen

[MarkFinneran]

Glen & Matt - I too would be vey keen on knowing the correct paint schemes/mixes.
I have though seen in 2 private collections 100% genuine painted camouflage MGs and accessories in the traditional camouflage, seperated by the black lines. There is no doubt they are period untouched pieces. So perhaps some were painted that way...perhaps.
As we know immediately after WWI the cottage industries were still paintng souvenirs to take back home. Even German helmets, so period could even mean anything up to 1922.
I can confirm 1922 as I had a British steel helmet, named to a British soldier in the Royal Flying Corps then RAF who had sent home to UK in 1922 this helmet, painted in an amazing camouflage pattern. The camouflage paint job was in German with black lines!!!!! It also had its postal label still on it.
So I think we can safely assume there were many camouflage patterns and some we will never know but with my limited knoweldge and seeing this MG08/15 in this cam style I think it was in service in WWI.

[dwmmg08]

Well, I have seen plenty of stuff with the standard camo separated by the black lines, I know that was common on helmets and artillery pieces, and believed that it was often done that way on MG's as well. I know the written order I found did say to paint the helmets in the same style as the artillery and machine guns already are, so I know it appeared to indicate that they should all be the same; and I've seen MG's that are painted that way, and were said to be original as well, but usually only on the waterjackets and sleds.

I'll give a nod to David's excellent collection and research though! I know I had not seen any pattern like his before, but about all I'd point out is that this is an army of millions of people, and camo jobs were pretty individualistic: I don't see any reason all of them wouldn't have been used, especially at different times and by different divisions or nationalities in the German Reich- the Bavarian's, for example, often seem to have done stuff a little differently just because, and this would certainly be something that could have easily been done exactly that way.

[MarkFinneran]

This is Erics which allows a MG08 to be used with bipod in 'light' role. It is different to the other clamp/ring?

[IMBLITZVT]

That clamp should allow you to clamp to the 1909 style Tripod or the Chinese T24 tripod. I have never heard of them using it as a bipod adaptor. I would love to get my hands on one of those too!

[MarkFinneran]

Matt this clamp of Eric's appears different to Glen's. It is thicker and has screw/butterfly nuts on both sides. He has it on a MG08 with anti tank rifle bipod. Glen's is thinner metal and has the fixing on one side only? His type I believe is the correct one for tripod and AA post fixing but would appreciate any thoughts on this. Of course any period pictures would help.
Mark

[lugercarbine]

While not a part for a MG, these are pre-WWI steins both from MG companies attached to infantry regiments. I've been collecting steins for many years, and these are some from my collection. One is what is called a 'crew finial' with 2 soldiers and the MG08 between them and 3 bullets holding up the finial. The other is named to the armorer for the MG company. If there is any interest, I'll post some additional photos along with a Meissen MG plate - all pre WWI or WWI





Any MG stein, either from a MG company attached to a regiment or a MG Abt. are difficult to find and bring quite a bit of money when they do come up for auction. I also have a collector friend who has one named to a individual that served as a machine gunner in South West Africa during the Herro rebellion.

I also have other German toys, but I thought you might find this of interest

Art

[dwmmg08]

Matt this clamp of Eric's appears different to Glen's. It is thicker and has screw/butterfly nuts on both sides. He has it on a MG08 with anti tank rifle bipod. Glen's is thinner metal and has the fixing on one side only? His type I believe is the correct one for tripod and AA post fixing but would appreciate any thoughts on this. Of course any period pictures would help.
Mark

That does look different from mine, does it have any proofmarks or inspectors marks? I just had it on the antitank bipod for the heck of it, I don't know that the gun would be very useful on that?? Mine is definately for the the different tripod or AA set up, I'm sure, the fact that it also fits the 08/15 bipod is little more than a bonus, really!

Neat looking though, I'm sure it would work well for the 09 or M1916 tripod!


Glen

[dwmmg08]

Wow Lugercarabine, that's great! Please post more pics!


Glen

[IMBLITZVT]

Yeah man you have to have something to drink from when shooting! Pretty cool.

[MarkFinneran]

I have been at Eric's this morning and asked to see this clamp. I have taken some pictures. It has been sand/media blasted so is down to the bare metal, I could not find any markings but will look again soon. He also let me take photos of 2 of his 08/15s. Note camouflage scheme.

[MarkFinneran]

[MarkFinneran]

[IMBLITZVT]

Well no marking and not as well made as the German version... Sounds Turkish to me. Probably Turk made to fit MG08s to there 1909 Style tripods. The Germans ALWAYS marked their products.

Thats some interesting paintjobs. The first looks like its painted Russian green. The last... well I have never seen a Booster painted except maybe black. Never seen a drum painted either. Does he have any historical base for these paintjobs? I mean they look cool but they don't look period for the guns.

Take more, please!

[lugercarbine]

OK - here is a Meissen plate from my collection that was made during the 1920's - it is to 'Machinengewehr Scharfschutzen Abteilung 52' as published in the German book 'Die Regiments- und Erinnerungsteller der Meissen Porzellanmanufaktur' by Georg Duwe in 1985. There is one other plate that was made is for Abt. 35. Both of these units existed during the period 1916-18 and I wish I had more information to share about them. Other pictures on the additional MG steins I'll have posted during the week. The steins were usually purchased about the time the reservist was to be discharged and sold by many different companies in large cities.

[alpencorps]

@ lugercarbine,

congratulations, very nice Stein's and a pretty plate,

your collection looks great!!

Greetings
Alpencorps