Post by cookie on Jul 15, 2009 15:06:35 GMT -5
Not technically a VietMinh weapon, but certainly utilised by them in great numbers throughout the Indochina war.
K98k bolt action rifle produced by Mauser-Obendorf
Variously known as the 'Zhongzheng', 'Chinese Contract K98' and the 'Chiang Kai Shek' rifle, the K98k bolt action rifle was produced by Mauser-Obendorf throughout the 1930's for the Kuomintang in its thousands.
Being a direct development of the long-arm 'Gewehr 98' of WWI provenance, the five round, bolt action 7.92mm rifle was the mainstay of the German war machine from the early 1920's through to the last days of WWII in 1945. It saw service in many different countries under many different names and was usually produced to chamber the 7.92mm x 57mm cartridge. 14 Million were produced by German and occupied arms manufactures throughout the 1930's and 40's. Many thousands of which were made for foreign buyers such as Portugal and China. Initially banned from exporting arms the Germans had to ship the rifles dissasembled into Switzerland to the basement of a sewing machine factory, from there to their respective countries.
The Chinese K98 was also produced in China, at the Kunghsien, Hanyang, Jinglin and Canton arsenals from between 1935 and 1950 and it is thought between 500,000 and 600,000 were made.
The Mauser produced rifle was originally bought by a group of warring Chinese warlords during the period immediately after the fall of the boy emperor Pu Yi in 1914. These rifles, the Hanyang Type 88, were a straight-pull bolt action rifle and were soon replaced by the better designed and more compact K98k. The production order was taken over in the early 1930's by the Chinese 'Kuomintang' Nationalist party under the leadership of Chiang Kai Shek.
Chiang & Madame Kai Shek
Towards the end of the 1930's, as Germany began to step up its arms production in readiness for Hitler's Blitzkrieg, Mauser were unable to produce the numbers required by the Kuomintang. Chiang sent his wife, the formidable Madame Chiang Kai Shek, to the Mauser plant. She became the first and only official female visitor to the plant and received a guided tour of the vast complex by the directors themselves. She suprised the Mauser staff by her sharp intellect and her deep knowledge of the many and varied processes Mauser employed in making the rifles. She queried a stockpile of 'rejected' rifle parts and was informed that although servicable the parts fell short of the German Army's HeersWaffenampt committee. She then asked if these rejected parts could be used to make rifles fit to be fired, which they replied they could. From then on the Chinese orders were kept up by utilizing rejected German parts.
Towards the end of the 1930's, when there was a resurgence in the Sino-Japanese war, the Germans were unable to ship the rifles directly to China. They fulfilled their orders by shipping the rifles through British Hong Kong, much to the dismay of their Japanese allies.
Kuomintang 'Sunburst'.
The rifles produced in Germany by Mauser Obendorf featured the Mauser 'Sporting logo' and many also featured the Nationalist 'sunburst' symbol and Chinese characters. Later models were known to carry a variety of waffen stamps. Mauser stamped their weapons profusely with the Masuer name because 'Mauser' is the chinese word for 'rifle'. This is something the company exploited to maximum effect.
Mauser's 'sporting logo'
Due to the numbers produced and the chaotic nature of the Chinese civil war, it is not suprising that the Chinese communists were able to ship thousands of these rifles to the Viet Minh. It was a reliable and accurate weapon and could withstand the rigours of jungle warfare. On top of this the 7.92mm rifle round was produced locally in China and in many eastern bloc countries such as Czecheslovakia and Yugoslavia.
I've written this from memory and haven't got my books with me but if anyone is interested in the subject I would direct you to read Collector Grade Publication's 'Backbone of the Wehrmacht' by Richard D. Law.
K98k bolt action rifle produced by Mauser-Obendorf
Variously known as the 'Zhongzheng', 'Chinese Contract K98' and the 'Chiang Kai Shek' rifle, the K98k bolt action rifle was produced by Mauser-Obendorf throughout the 1930's for the Kuomintang in its thousands.
Being a direct development of the long-arm 'Gewehr 98' of WWI provenance, the five round, bolt action 7.92mm rifle was the mainstay of the German war machine from the early 1920's through to the last days of WWII in 1945. It saw service in many different countries under many different names and was usually produced to chamber the 7.92mm x 57mm cartridge. 14 Million were produced by German and occupied arms manufactures throughout the 1930's and 40's. Many thousands of which were made for foreign buyers such as Portugal and China. Initially banned from exporting arms the Germans had to ship the rifles dissasembled into Switzerland to the basement of a sewing machine factory, from there to their respective countries.
The Chinese K98 was also produced in China, at the Kunghsien, Hanyang, Jinglin and Canton arsenals from between 1935 and 1950 and it is thought between 500,000 and 600,000 were made.
The Mauser produced rifle was originally bought by a group of warring Chinese warlords during the period immediately after the fall of the boy emperor Pu Yi in 1914. These rifles, the Hanyang Type 88, were a straight-pull bolt action rifle and were soon replaced by the better designed and more compact K98k. The production order was taken over in the early 1930's by the Chinese 'Kuomintang' Nationalist party under the leadership of Chiang Kai Shek.
Chiang & Madame Kai Shek
Towards the end of the 1930's, as Germany began to step up its arms production in readiness for Hitler's Blitzkrieg, Mauser were unable to produce the numbers required by the Kuomintang. Chiang sent his wife, the formidable Madame Chiang Kai Shek, to the Mauser plant. She became the first and only official female visitor to the plant and received a guided tour of the vast complex by the directors themselves. She suprised the Mauser staff by her sharp intellect and her deep knowledge of the many and varied processes Mauser employed in making the rifles. She queried a stockpile of 'rejected' rifle parts and was informed that although servicable the parts fell short of the German Army's HeersWaffenampt committee. She then asked if these rejected parts could be used to make rifles fit to be fired, which they replied they could. From then on the Chinese orders were kept up by utilizing rejected German parts.
Towards the end of the 1930's, when there was a resurgence in the Sino-Japanese war, the Germans were unable to ship the rifles directly to China. They fulfilled their orders by shipping the rifles through British Hong Kong, much to the dismay of their Japanese allies.
Kuomintang 'Sunburst'.
The rifles produced in Germany by Mauser Obendorf featured the Mauser 'Sporting logo' and many also featured the Nationalist 'sunburst' symbol and Chinese characters. Later models were known to carry a variety of waffen stamps. Mauser stamped their weapons profusely with the Masuer name because 'Mauser' is the chinese word for 'rifle'. This is something the company exploited to maximum effect.
Mauser's 'sporting logo'
Due to the numbers produced and the chaotic nature of the Chinese civil war, it is not suprising that the Chinese communists were able to ship thousands of these rifles to the Viet Minh. It was a reliable and accurate weapon and could withstand the rigours of jungle warfare. On top of this the 7.92mm rifle round was produced locally in China and in many eastern bloc countries such as Czecheslovakia and Yugoslavia.
I've written this from memory and haven't got my books with me but if anyone is interested in the subject I would direct you to read Collector Grade Publication's 'Backbone of the Wehrmacht' by Richard D. Law.
) brought in a bunch of these Chinese Mausers. They were not of the best quality or collectors grades. They were all pretty rough examples. I would imagine there still may be some floating around. I'll keep my eyes open. 
