http://www.kaiserlicherautomobilclub.de/

This is an all inclusive site regarding these ultra rare daggers. My German co-author and I are in the middle of a number of projects regarding the Kaisers forces and this is the first in a series. It is currently only in English and German, but other languages will follow. Rather than a book at this time, we have chosen the internet. We have spent 1000's of hours on this project and enjoyed every minute. This is the only complete study of these daggers. We are including an interactive addendum hoping that members of this forum community will have material to add to the study, full credit will of course be given. Our goal is to share the knowledge. We welcome questions and feedback. Enjoy!

Vic Diehl

What an excellent reference. I hope that reader will contribute what they know to Vic.

I am going to pin this to the top so it does not get lost.

Thanks, Vic !

Dave

A heartfelt thanks to Vic and his co-author for all their work in putting this reference together and sharing it with all of us.

Vic,

Great job my friend! I know this was a long time coming, congratulations. There's so much info there, really tough to find info, I really look forward to getting in all those links you have. Bravo!

Collecting edged weapons is a fun hobby, but where lots of money can get involved, knowledge is power. This is just one little way to return some of the knowledge that collectors have shared with me freely for nearly 40 years. Our wish is for us to grow in knowledge together. That is the purpose of this great forum. Thanks for your support. We have some great stuff coming down the road. Right now our plan is to introduce, with the great help of Militaria International our next thesis at the Max 2007.

Vic

Hi Vic, please don�t promise too much ! There is a lot of work to do. All these dusty archives here in Germany...

But let me say one thing: The following Aero Corps article will be a nice one. Amazing infos we have: German stealth airplanes in 1917, Richthofen, Immelmann, Spies, ultra rare daggers and the article will be very heavy on history about early aviation.

Gentlemen, thanks a lot for your nice comments about our work !

The German Co-author.

I missed one of these in a motel buy in the midwest. It was a E. Pack manufactured piece with a double engraved blade similar to the ones shown here and the scabbard was brown. Mounts were brass and the horn on the crossguard was silver. It had a solid ivory grip. Couldn't get the veteran to sell it.
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria

This web site is posted all over the internet in numerous sites that are related to World War I in one way or another. It is interesting to see that a variety of history buffs are interested in new information. The site itself has registered over 1200 hits to date. There is an obvious thirst for new material. I am actually amazed.

Great Info!!!!!! I REALLY like the imperial daggers MUCH better that the TR items. Such high quality and most are VERY rare. Thanks for the hard work. This is what makes collecting daggers so much fun.

2nd example of the Auto Club hirschfanger and a nice Auto Corps dagger have been added to the site.

Vic,

Do you know how many of these dagger are known to still exist?

This week we are adding new material to the Addendum. Since the Automobil Korps was a military organization it was affected as all other military organizations by the treaty of Versailles. This is our first addition with more to come in a few days.

Collectors should note the Automobile Corps a part of the German Army; is not a part of later Automobile Clubs around Germany like the ADAC and others.

****************************

The End of the Imperial Volunteer Automobile-Corps

It was just a small notice in an automobile magazine who reported about the end of this great organization. It was one of the rules of the treaty of Versailles that military organizations must be resolved after the hostilities had ended.

So the last meeting of the German Imperial Volunteer Automobile-Corps happened at October 11th, 1919 in Berlin. A few speeches from high ranking former officers, a few telegrams to Prince Heinrich and Waldemar, and a remarkable part of the German history was over.

After that the Chief of Staff, privy councellor B�xenstein, remembered the fallen of the Corps with a minute of silence.

That was the end of the Corps.

Eric,

I just noticed your question about how many Automobil Corps daggers exist. I will tell you as the last two members of the Automobil Korps my German Co-author and I are follwing every lead here and in Europe. Membership of this organization was never very large.

Two Automobil Corps Daggers have turned up in the last year, one full damascus and the other with a hunting etch on the large dagger blade.

With all of my research and tracking since the early 70's I can account for 24 pieces. Surely there must be more.

Thanks for all the new info. Vic! Will later post pictures of the 3 daggers I own.
James Brown

Here is the pdf file with the 82 documents. It currently only on the German side so I listed it here for you. It is of course auf deutsch !
But the entire history of Schone through these documents mirrors the history of the Automobile Corps---Kraftfahr Korps as presented in our Article.

Documents include his initial assigment, how much will be paid for his car if lost in service
RM 14,000. a lot of money. Life insurance !Assignemnts as lookouts to be at certain places at certain times, then the mobilization of the Corps and his reduction in rank to an unteroffizier, secret day orders as a member of the 91 infantry regiment, his movements back throught the ranks to Lt. and attachment as Commander of the KFKK courier service in Budapest. Finally his release from service in 1918. Now the final document is very important from an historical standpoint. Remember the sailors revolted in Kiel when the Navy commanders wanted to make one last stand against the British fleet. The sailors said we are not going to the bottom for nothing.
This revolt spread through the German military and you had soldiers electing their commanders, the Kaiser fled to the Netherland and the military was in a shambles.
This last document has the stamp lower left of one of these socialist elected commanders, Soldatenrat Kraftfahr Korps countersigning Schone's official release, fascinating stuff. Rarely will you ever see a more historical document and stamp.



http://www.germanautoandaerocorps.com/automobilclub/documents/akte-schoen.pdf

Hello: Vic Add a few more to the Auto dagger number... Regards: Jim

left to right 1. WKC 2. early no maker 3.Bavarian Clemen Jung 4. early no maker nice grip with large crown.

Neat daggers! Rare indeed, seems the collectors are even rarer?

They are super tough to find!! Besides the 4 I own now I owned one other 20+ years ago...

Mr. Rader... I also own a super rare Autocorps Rangliste naming all members etc....

Damast,
nice pieces you have, congrats. I'm jealous. Thanks for showing. We would like to have a few highres pics for our website. [email protected]
Best;
Flyingdutchman

Working on the pictures. Regards: Jim

Auto Corps is not quite as popular a read as the Aero, to date a few over 8,000 downloads. We are constantly searching in this area not much new to add.

Vic

Interesting info on Pack Ohlinger Co. same logo! I learn something new everyday

New information added to the Addendum, see

Predecessor of the DFAC Hirschfaenger


Hermann and I are always searching for the earliest historical connections in Imperial Auto/Aero/Naval daggers.

That is really cool I love the pictures of the Kaiser!!