Original 1943 Nazi German K98 Bayonet By byf (Mauser-Werke) With Later Etched Blade ‘Deutsches Kriegsmarine 1940 Srhlarhtsrhiff Prinz Eugen’, & 1941 Dated Scabbard By ‘agv’ (Berg & Co, Solingen). Bayonets

Original 1943 Nazi German K98 Bayonet By byf (Mauser-Werke) With Later Etched Blade ‘Deutsches Kriegsmarine 1940 Srhlarhtsrhiff Prinz Eugen’, & 1941 Dated Scabbard By ‘agv’ (Berg & Co, Solingen). BAYO 751 - BAYO 751

An original WW2 dated Nazi K98 rifle bayonet with later beautiful etching that makes this a collector’s piece in its own right. The 10" single edged fullered blade is marked by the Nazi wartime manufacturer code marked at the ricasso ‘byf’ (Mauser-Werke). The spine is dated ‘43’ (1943). The blade is numbered ‘71830 above 360’ and is beautifully etched on both sides with panels ‘Deutsches Kriegsmarine 1940’ & 'Srhlarhtsrhiff Prinz Eugen’ (Translation: German Kriegsmarine 1940 Srhlarhtsrhiff Prinz Eugen’ (Prinz Eugen was an Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser, the third of a class of five vessels. She served with Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Prinz Eugen saw action during Operation Rheinübung, an attempted breakout into the Atlantic Ocean with the battleship Bismarck in May 1941. The two ships destroyed the British battlecruiser Hood and moderately damaged the battleship Prince of Wales in the Battle of the Denmark Strait. Prinz Eugen was detached from Bismarck during the operation to raid Allied merchant shipping, but this was cut short due to engine troubles. After putting into occupied France and undergoing repairs, the ship participated in Operation Cerberus, a daring daylight dash through the English Channel back to Germany. In February 1942, Prinz Eugen was deployed to Norway, although her time stationed there was curtailed when she was torpedoed by the British submarine Trident days after arriving in Norwegian waters. The torpedo severely damaged the ship's stern, which necessitated repairs in Germany. Upon returning to active service, the ship spent several months training officer cadets in the Baltic before serving as artillery support for the retreating German Army on the Eastern Front. After the German collapse in May 1945, she was surrendered to the British Royal Navy before being transferred to the US Navy as a war prize. After examining the ship in the United States, the US Navy assigned the cruiser to the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll. Having survived the atomic blasts, Prinz Eugen was towed to Kwajalein Atoll, where she ultimately capsized and sank in December 1946. The wreck remains partially visible above the water approximately two miles northwest of Bucholz Army Airfield, on the edge of Enubuj. One of her screw propellers was salvaged and is on display at the Laboe Naval Memorial in Germany). The pommel has an etched panel on one side ‘ Kriegsmarine anchor device & Swastika within panel’. The pommel is Waffenamt and has original red felt in the mortise slot. The bayonet has undamaged wood grips. Its steel scabbard is dated ‘41’ (1941) together with manufacturer detail ‘agv’ (Nazi manufacturer code for Berg & Co, Solingen). The ball end of the scabbard is Waffenamt. The price for this desirable collector’s piece includes UK delivery. BAYO 751

£545.00