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Article created: October 31, 2008
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Despite the official looking appearance and the dating on the cover of the featured 1934 P.08 manual, it is not a military manual, although published by the same Verlag „Offene Worte״ or Publishing house "Open Word" that published the official H.Dv.255 / L.Dv.405 P.08 German army / air force manual in 1936. The subject 1934 manual, of which there are at least two printings, 1934 and 1935 are unofficial, commercial manuals. The German Army continued to use the original 1909 D.V.E.No.255 P.08 instruction manual until 1936, when the formation of the Luftwaffe in 1935 and their adoption of the P.08 and their designation of the manual as L.Dv.405 necessitated a re-issue with updating and both official Dv. numbers on the cover. This P.08 Heer/Luftwaffe instruction manual was also used by various police organizations by simply changing the title page and adding the relevant Police related information to the document. Two Berlin 1936 dated examples are shown, both titled (Geändert für die OrdnungsPolizei.- Changed for the Order Police, a.k.a. OrPo or regular German Police.) The most interesting thing about the subject 1934 commercial manual is that it is the only known manual, commercial or military, that shows the short-lived 1934/5 dated holster pattern with provision for a cleaning rod under the lid. This feature was introduced in the early 1920s, when Reichswehr regulations stipulated that each man carry a cleaning rod with his pistol. The introduction of the Reingungsgerät 34 (cleaning device model 34) made the cleaning rod superfluous so the strap and pouch were discarded.1 Pictured is a rare LOB example of one such holster made in 1934 by KARL ACKVA A.G. for the German army showing the cleaning rod leather securing strap and compartment for the cleaning rod tip under the lid. The subject holster is stamped, unusually located on the front of the holster body, just under the holster flap, in four lines followed by a "droop-wing" eagle WaA102 with one other published, identical Karl Ackva holster example, stamped WaA102:2 As a matter of note the Waffenamt droop-wing Eagle is much rarer than the stick-wing Eagle. Front view. Rear view. Note that the loading tool pouch flap has never been closed as the cleaning rod securing strap, when closed, is adequate to secure or retain both items. Apparently the leather maker had a separate stock of pre-made loading tool pouches in inventory as the cleaning rod strap is attached separately, although there is no doubt they were attached at the same time of manufacture. The Eagle over WaA102 "sub-bureau" number is associated with 1934 while the Eagle over WaA286 is associated with 1938-42.3 The Karl Ackva made examples are commonest seen of this pattern, although it was only made for one year in 1934.
KARL ACKVA A. G. BAD KREUZNACH 1934 WaA102 Pictured is another 1934 holster with a similar cleaning rod provision under the flap. On the rear of the holster is the 1934 date, the makers name and location: Auwaerter & Bubeck AG, Stuttgart with a Droop Wing Eagle, WaA101.
A.G. STUTTGART WaA101 |
