IrishGunner

Wasn't Himmler in this Freikorps unit even though he never saw WWI service?

Hi Tony,

I use 0000 grade steel wool in my shop for finish work and have also used it on steel artifacts. There is a light machine oil with the brand name of 3in1 that works well. The lubercant seems to allow the wool to "float over the original finish yet removes the higher points which is the rust. This will not be a quick operation as 0000 is pretty fine and won't remove rust very quickly so be ready for a good deal of work. I've used this on hunting weapons which are heavily blued with small patches of corrosion with success. You can get the 4 "0" (0000) steel wool at cabinet and furniture finishing supply shops. The secondary reason I use 4"0" on cabinets is that it comes without any oil on the wool where other courser grades always comes with a coating of oil to prevent rusting while being stored.

You already have the correct attitude in trying any method on a small area first. Considering the price this may be the perfect specimen to attempt a little restoration.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Regards

Brian

Thanks Brian - I've learned something. Best thing about GMIC - expert replies to questions.

How much for a cannon?

I'd be surprised if "snake eaters" was a period term for WWI "ski troops."

First of all, snakes are dormant during winter - so that connection seems dubious at best.

Second, I believe the term "snake eater" had its origins in the 60s with US Special Forces - eating snakes as part of survival training. It has expanded to all special operations forces.

So, why would ski troops "eat snakes"? Survival? Again, tough in winter. And I've only been a temporary resident in Europe, but I never considered snakes a ready enough source of food in Europe (unlike the swamps of North Carolina where SF train).

I'd chalk this up to "snake oil" from online collectors. Perhaps because they have equated "ski troops" with "elite troops" - and by extension, special operations forces. Thus, snake eaters. Kind of like calling Manfred von Richtofen - "Top Gun"

PS: Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

Interesting that his sons became U-Boot captains.

Nice.

I just happened to be researching his birthplace of Graudenz (now Grudziądz, PL) a few moments ago.

WD40 and very fine wire wool i think should be ok....

I am not an expert and Chris has probably done this once or twice, but I would think anything abrasive - no matter how fine - would be a bad idea.

A quick Google search came up with this: http://www.german-helmets.com/RUSTY%20SURFACES.htm

Maybe helpful.

Bronze is for 10 years service. Looks like 1935 Kingdom type. Weren't these for both officers and NCOs? Probably a sergeant (or maybe a lieutenant if officer).

You dont read much of artillery units being thought of as the best. I know there must have been great artillery units. If the size of the unit being considered is brigade or division level then all branches may be included.

If I ever bet off my lazy butt and start putting together the website I've considered dedicated to the German artillery, I might be able to answer this one... I've recently added a lot of new regiments, need to get more organized.

Several great comments regarding WW1 to WW2 German bars. And it's all subjective, but I'll add my two cents. On any bar from any period from any other country than Germany, I have no problem with any medal. As for Germany, like many have said, I prefer bars without TR medals (although I do have a couple TR medals). I agree Imperial bars w/o the Hindenburg are a premium, but I have no particular problem with a bar if it has the Hindenburg. I'm becoming more interested in "short" bars - an EK2 and only a State's (ie Wuerttemburg or Hamburg or etc) equivelant military merit medal or cross. These pre-Hindenburg pairs are becoming my favorites.

There are some good german books out... do you want details on the bayonets themselves? There is a book with period photos of the bayonets being worn that is not bad and pretty cheap.

Best

Chris

Yea, I'm looking for something that has details - one to learn to be able to identify the various types and countries; two to be able to decipher particular makers marks etc. Mainly, need to get smart so as to not get fleeced by someone taking advantage of my lack of knowledge.

UN use seem plausible...but couldn't find an image of Japanese troops on Golan Heights wearing this patch. They have been in other UN missions as well. Not conclusive by any means...

Coincidentaly, however; Yesterday The Japanese government announced it will be pulling out the Self Defense Forces (SDF) from the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) stationed in Golan Heights after this rotation. Japan has been in Golan Heights since 1996, making it the country’s longest-running peacekeeping operation. There are currently 47 SDF personnel stationed there.

You bever know how high the winning bidder was willing to go...

Best

Chrs

True. This is the second Wuerttemburg one I've missed. Next time they won't know how high I'm willing to go...

Ne poznaję o waszym Japoński "patch" ale - Witam w GMIC!

Although not the same, this kinda fits here....

Just missed winning one of the Wuertt. Kriegerbund ribbons on eBay the other day. I was outbid by less than $1

Would the CAL insignia replace the US?

What type saber would go along with this?

I'm getting the itch to purchase a bayonet. But since I don't know much about them, I'm looking for a recommendation on a good guide book. I'm only interested in bayonets 1800-1918; mainly WWI - especially German.

Thanks in advance!

I had my eye on a few Prussian medals from the war with Austria just before the Franco-Prussian War - and I came across a medal that was listed on both sites with identical picture etc.. My question is:- Do I just beware of this item or do I beware of both sellers? As far as I can see they are not officially affiliated. I didn't post links because I doubt that's the done thing but just wondered if it's the item or the sellers that I should be wary of?

Difficult to say without the links / visual facts, but sounds odd to me to have "identical" pictures...enough to make me turn away. I think you answered your own question. You are wary. When in doubt, turn away is my advice.

Hi,

SA Members had to pay dues for membership, this was the dues card.

Best

Chris

I see... Interesting regarding unit stamps. Some better to collect than others I presume...

I guess you get what you pay for...

I'll play along...just to learn something today;

What are they being paid for?

I don´t like the american ranks in the history of the 251 divisions, becaus the americans came too late into the theatre to have a good overview of the german forces.

As Dave and others have already said, this task is very subjective in time and space. But I'll add my voice. Ranking of units is only a snapshot in a particular moment in time. How good a German Div was in 1915 or 1916 before the Yanks arrived on the battlefield has absolutely nothing to do with how good a German Div was in 1917. So, coming "too late into the theatre" has no real bearing on the ranking. And as Chris suggested, most of the data came from the French.

For that matter, a Div could be "good" one day - and "less than good" the next day due to changes in command, attached/assigned units, casualties etc. Everything is very subjective during the fight itself. Historically, however, we should be able to go back and look over time, as you suggest, and come up with a good overview. Assuming the study agrees upon specific criteria. Another study might consider other criteria. Again, very subjective results.

It does make for good discussion over Scotch and cigars though, does't it?

I just noticed that the star on the EAME on the plastic coated bar looks silver. A silver star equals five bronze stars - the number on the other bar.

Five campaigns and two Presidential Unit Citations - the recipient of this bar saw a lot of combat.

Each star on the "European-African-Middle Eastern Theater" campaign medal. represents a military campaign in which the recipient participated; for example "Normandy", "Northern France" etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European-African-Middle_Eastern_Campaign_Medal

The blue ribbons are unit awards - Presidential Unit Citations - the oak leaf represents a second award. The recipient would have served in a unit when it earned the distinction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Unit_Citation_%28United_States%29

Well, "Ohio" at the time was also the name of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky and parts of Missouri. I reckon the Generals' story was a bit flush, but there is also the "biblical reference" of pyramids being made of bricks to consider. People sued references of their time.

See here:

http://en.wikipedia....builder_(people)

"Well" - for the record, I never said "Ohio" I consistently use the term "Ohio River Valley" which indeed touches parts of all the states you name. While wiki-links are sometimes useful (and always suspect), this particular one you've posted seems to be a bit of an orphan and goes nowhere.

Of course, as you perhaps suggest, "Bricks" could be a relative term - except the article explicitly says "regular brick masonry and ruins of Forts." Doesn't sound like pre-historic mound builders to me... And as I re-read the article, we may be missing the real story - or should I say we are missing the dinosaur in the fort for the bricks. A jaw-bone with 5lb teeth? From what I've read, T-Rex had the largest teeth of the dinosaurs - and they reportedly weighed 1-2lbs. But you can't believe everything you read on the internet. Or maybe even 200+ year old newspapers.

We might conclude that the General is the ancestor of Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer - other tall tale spinners from another famous river valley. :P

But with the fort being destroyed less than 30 years before, would it still be evident that it was a recent ruin?

To be earlier than the French forts the bricks would have to have been made by native Indians. I'm not an expert, but I think only the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest made mud bricks - adobe houses. Indians in the Ohio River Valley would have used wigwams made of bark and branches or log homes. There is evidence of stone chimneys, but not brick. I think this article could have done with a bit of "fact-checking" or the French general was trying to spin a story to something more interesting.