The W on the bayonet stands for Gendarmerie.
The U in a circle on the scabbard stands for a Fortress Artillerie Regiment.

 

ttenoyab

Do you know why Belgian bayonets often also are made by German manufactures? After all the Belgians had a comprehensive arms industrial complex spread on a lot of smaller firms.
Is there a pattern in the German production of Belgian bayonets - early production before the Belgian firms had tooled up - emergency production - late production because Belgian firms are occupied by other production?

//Bo

 

Bo,
As far as I know only 3 kinds of Belgian bayonet blades were made in Germany, the bayonets themselves were assembled in Belgium:

- the blades for the first delevery of Pioneer 68 "yataghans" (made by Lüneschloss) which were exact copies of the German PFM65 blades; the later deliveries were made in Belgium when the machinery to make saw tooth blade became available.
- the blades for the Garde Civique Comblain 1870 : the Garde Civique didn't really depend on the military and could order where ever and whatever bayonets and fire arms they wanted; the Garde Civique order their arms in the private industry.
- the blades for the long Gendarmerie 89 (made by Coppel Solingen): the Gendarmerie at that time with its own command structure, decided they needed long blades for their carbines: these long blades wern't available immediately in Belgium. The identical long blades were made later in Belgium for the Fortress Artillery units.

So I guess your conclusion about the lack of early production possibilities is right.

 

Thank you for your information.
I realise now it would be have been much more appropriate to ask why Dutch bayonets often also are made by German manufactures
If you have the answer to that question I am all ears

//Bo

 

I can only guess. When the Dutch decided to adopt the new Mannlicher M95 rifles, the first series were made by OE WG in Austria, as well as the bayonets. When their own rifle production lines were ready at Hembrug they also made the bayonets. When the production lines for M95 carbines were ready, priority was given to the production of fire arms, and orders for bayonets were placed in Germany (Coppel).

 

I Just learned why Belgium & Holland used German Arms Makers! Never too old to learn some more info!!