George
This is one of the rarest and the most desirable unit marked matched Imperial Luger rigs that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing photographs of. These like the Bavarian Lugers were never fit with a hold open. It’s a long trip from German SW Africa back to Germany just to have the hold open added. Yours fits neatly by serial number with the others. I was fortunate enough to obtain one many years ago. The last I had heard all the others are still in Africa or in Europe. There are also an equal number of 1911 Erfurts so marked.
Thanks for the post.
Jan
AFRICA
* 1911 DWM, s/n 677e : L.P.95 - (Landespolizei Deutsch-Südwest Afrika, Waffe Nr. 95)
*#1911 DWM, s/n 9656e: L.P. 157 <two lines>- (Landespolizei Deutsch-Südwest Afrika, Waffe Nr. 157)
* 1911 DWM, s/n 9772e : L.P.370 - (Landespolizei Deutsch-Südwest Afrika, Waffe Nr. 370)
* 1911 DWM, s/n 9844e : L.P.343 - (Landespolizei Deutsch-Südwest Afrika, Waffe Nr. 343)
* 1911 DWM, s/n 139f : Sch.D.O.A.101 - (Schutztruppe für Deutsch-Ostafrika, Waffe Nr. 101)
* 1911 DWM, s/n 166f : L.P.335 - (Landespolizei Deutsch-Südwest Afrika, Waffe Nr. 343)
Here is a very rough draft of a short history that I prepared many years ago.
GERMAN SUDWEST AFRICA WAS AN UNEXPLORED, INHOSPITABLE LANDSCAPE FLANKED ON THE WEST BY THE COASTAL NAMIB DESERT AND ON THE EAST BY THE KALAHARI DESERT AND THE MARSHES OF THE OKOVANGO. ITS 371,725 SQUARE MILES WAS ALMOST AS LARGE AS ALASKA (much larger than Texas) AND IT CONTAINED ONLY DRY RIVER BEDS THAT FLOWED ONLY DURING THE RARE OCCASION OF RAINS. IT WAS INHABITED BY HOTTENTOTS, HEREROES, DAMARAS, OVAMBOS AND 15,000 EUROPEANS. THE GERMANS CRUSHED AND DESTROYED THE HEREROES INA BLOODY CAMPAIGN 1904 - 1908. THERE WERE NO BLACK AFRICANS IN THE SCHUTZTRUPPE, WHICH CONSISTED OF 140 OFFICERS AND 3000 OTHER RANKS. THIS TINY ARMY WAS NO MATCH FOR THE 50,000 SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS (BACKED UP BY 33,000 BLACK AFRICANS) ARRAYED AGAINST IT. AT THE ONSET OF WAR THE LANDSPOLIZEI CAME UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE SCHUTZTRUPPE. THIS LAND WAS CHARACTERIZED BY ENDLESS SPACES WITH TEMPERATURES UP TO 132 DEGREES F, DEADLY SWARMS OF FLIES, SCORPIONS, POISON SNAKES AND POISONED WELLS, AND BRACKISH WATETR. IT WAS A STRANGE WAR IN A STRANGE INHOSPITABLE LAND. UNLIKE THE CONSTRICTED FIGHTING ON THE WESTERN FRONT IN EUROPE, THIS WAS A WAR OF GUILE AND MOBILITY ACROSS VAST SPACES. THE SOUTH AFRICANS ATTACKED SEPT. 8, 1914 ACROSS THE ORANGE RIVER AT SANDFONTIEN. THE MOUNTED GERMANS SURROUNDED THE SOUTH AFRICANS AND USED ARTILLARY TO BRING DOWN VAST ROCK SLIDES, FORCING THEM INTO A DEBACLE ENDING IN SURRENDER. THIS WAS THE ONLY VICTORY FOR THE SMALL GERMAN FORCE. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WAR THE GERMANR WERE RESTRICTED TO STUBBORN RESISTANCE AND SKILLFUL COUNTERATTACK AGAINST THE MASSIVE ARMY AGAINST THEM. THE GERMANS SURRENDERED 9 JULY 1915 HAVING LOST 1,331 KILLED.