The dagger is a thin double-edged dagger. It refers to a cold piercing weapon. The dagger first appeared in the 16th century. Initially, his mission was to conduct boarding combat. In naval battles, he was an ideal means to defeat the enemy at short range. It is noteworthy that shortly before the appearance of the dagger, such a weapon had a longer blade than subsequent samples.
In the twentieth century, the dagger from the military passed into the category of award weapons. Today it is a mandatory attribute of naval officer uniforms in many countries of the world. However, for the first time this dagger was presented as a prize weapon to the military personnel of the German army.
In this article we will talk about two varieties of the Luftwaffe dagger, which were awarded to pilots of the German army during the Second World War.
History
Under the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty, Germany could not have air forces in its army. But in 1933 the so-called German Aviation Sports League was formed. It included all civilian flying clubs. This organization secretly trained military fighter pilots.
When the post of Chancellor of Germany passed to Adolf Hitler, the sports league was officially recognized as military and became known as the Luftwaffe. As soon as this happened, students in this organization acquired the status of military personnel. As a result, they received the first samples of Luftwaffe daggers. They became attributes of the uniform of pilots of the German army. It is noteworthy that the first samples dating back to 1934 were later replaced by the so-called Luftwaffe dagger of the second sample, which appeared in 1937. At the same time, this weapon was handed over only to military personnel with officer ranks.
Dagger sample 1935
The main distinguishing feature of this weapon is black. It was in the form of a thickened coin. An engraving depicting a swastika was applied to it. Her outlines were inscribed in a circle. It is noteworthy that this was a unique symbol image technology. A silver layer was applied on the black, as on the entire base. Its thickness did not exceed 5 microns. And the symbol itself was covered with a layer of gold, the thickness of which was 3 microns.
However, by the end of 1936, the metal parts of the Luftwaffe dagger were made of low quality material, and the thickness of the applied silver layer was reduced to 1-2 microns. But the latest examples of these weapons were made of aluminum. The swastika was anodized in gold. The handle and blade were made of nickel for some time, but later they began to be made of polished aluminum.
The hilt form of the Luftwaffe dagger of the 1935 model was borrowed from the ancient Romans. The handle and scabbard of the weapon were fitted with genuine leather, dyed blue. Moreover, it had a helical shape. Blade polished without engraving. Its length reached 12 centimeters. The total size of the Luftwaffe dagger of this sample was 48 centimeters.
What happened to the first sample
After the approval of the second model of this weapon in 1937, daggers of the first type were issued to retired and junior officers. The production of this dagger continued until 1944, and was worn until the end of World War II.
1937 Luftwaffe Dagger
The second generation dagger was intended to reward the German Air Force officers. This dagger was approved in 1937. It is noteworthy that his wearing was allowed not only by officers, but also by candidates for senior positions in the Air Force, who passed all the exams.
From the first sample, this dagger, first of all, was distinguished by a pommel which acquired a spherical shape. It was engraved in the form of a swastika framed by oak leaves. It is noteworthy that in this model she was portrayed rotated 45 degrees. She, as in the sample of 1935, was covered with a layer of gold. The handle remains the same, spiral shape. It was made of three materials: wood, plastic and ivory. The handle could be painted in one of four colors - white, yellow, black and orange.
The total length of the weapon was, like the first sample, 48 centimeters. These daggers were worn until the end of World War II.