UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons The BCN Bayonet Forum WaA77

hi all,
I found that WaA77 was used by:
1. lyo Kromolowski Radom (PL)
2. S/27 Erma und Geipel Erfurt 1938
3. 27 Erma und Geipel Erfurt 1938
4. ndk Arba GmbH Petrikau (PL) 1944
5. 660 Steyr-Daimler-Puch Steyr (AT) 1939
6. bnz Steyr-Daimler-Puch Steyr (AT) 1940 - 44
everyone I asked about german rework of polish wz29 "mobilization" with WaA77, said, that it was done in Steyr. It is obvious that it couldn't be done in 2. 3. 5. but what about 1. and 4.?
Kromolowski manufacture was also in Radom (where was located polish armory), so wouldn't be reasonable for Germans to rework bayonets in the same city? Maybe, when russian army was close, they moved production to Stayer, but what about early years of war?
What is your opinion?

thanks in advance
Tomasz

Hello Tomasz!

While the basic concept is fairly simple it might take a little effort to explain. The �short� answer is that some inspection teams were moved around a lot more than others, and some handled multiple items in a given geographic area, not just for a single manufacturer.

The �longer� answer is as follows: The stamps we call Waffenamts have numbers (some also had letters) which represented the commission number assigned to a specific (chief) inspector by the Heeres-Abnahmewesen (Army Inspection/Acceptance Entity). Which is commonly referred to as the Heereswaffenamt. The inspector normally had a team of trained personnel assigned to him and the team members used stamps which all had the same commission number.

If the factory was big enough the inspector (and his team) might only work at one factory spending their careers at one location. There could also be multiple teams at some of the larger locations. Others could be moved around from factory to factory and might even leave Germany. And in some locations they might be responsible for everything in a localized area from multiple makers.

As a rule the inspectors were responsible for new items being manufactured. Not previously completed items being reworked (although some latitude might have been granted in the initial transition phase while factories were being incorporated into the German controlled production apparatus). As a group I think that the WaA77 bayonets fall into this category as newly manufactured bayonets (in Poland not Austria) with some that were no doubt reworked even as some of the Waffenamted CZ bayonets were reworked.

One other factor to take into account is the fact that some factories sponsored or gave a great deal of assistance, or transferred personnel to factories in the occupied territories. Included the loan or reassignment of management personnel as well as Heereswaffenamt inspectors. That is why the WaA63 Mauser /Oberndorf Heereswaffenamt inspection/acceptance stamp is seen on later issue Czech (CZ) rifles and bayonets made under German control. And in the case of inspection/acceptance team # 77 it was moved from Erfurt to Steyr when Austria was taken over by Germany. With later some of its personnel being reassigned to factories in Poland to assist in getting items being manufactured there to be more acceptable to German production standards.

The �bottom line� I think is this: Which makes more sense? To move an inspection team where they could get all of them onto a single train with minimal effort and set up shop somewhere else relatively quickly? Or to move a factory? The workers, management, the machine tools, the metal supplies etc. etc. which is an entirely different manner involving a considerable amount of resources and work possibly taking months. Although at the end of the war that is what the Germans did as supported by period documentation. With varying degrees of success as evidenced by the quality/quantity of what they produced at the end.

I hope this helps, FP

Tomasz,

Welcome to the forum. It is good to see you made it here.

FP has given a good overview of the work duties, and probable deployment, of various Waffenmeistern. I think the theory that the inspectors (in this case those with WaA77 stamps) moved from place to place is certainly correct. While common wisdom is that these particular Wz29 bayonets were reworked at Steyr, I think that FP makes a good case that they could have been reworked or inspected in Radom as well.

George

FP, thanks for that lesson and sharing such a good bit of information.

Fred, George
thanks for answer. My intention is, to find source of this "common wisdom". I'm not 100% sure if wz29 mobilization were really reworked in austria. Quality of this bayonets is very good. Like at the beginning of the war. Produced without hurry and without stress of comming russian army. As Fred said, it would not make sense to move all resources hundred miles. So, I think, when Germans took over polish stores in Radom armory, they simply reworked this bayonets and performed controll process immediatelly. But, maybe I am wrong...
Does anyone of you have documents describing transfers of team #77?

regards
Tomasz