Section Three - M1 Bayonet (Cut and Uncut):

For clarity in discussing these US bayonets, the following terminology will be used. It is the same nomenclature that I used in my book and Bayonet Points, and as far as possible is the same as used by the US Ordnance epartment at the time the bayonet was manufactured. Model of 1905 ! "# inch blade bayonet as made by Springfield $rmory %S$& and 'ock Island $rsenal %'I$& during the period "()# ! "(**. M1905 + "# inch blade bayonet as made by $merican Fork and ,oe %$F,&, Oneida -td %O-&, Pal Blade and .ool %P$-&, Union Fork and ,oe %UF,&, Utica /utlery %U/& and 0ilde .ool %0.& during "(1* ! "(12. M1905E1 ! uring the de3elopment of the ") inch blade 4" bayonet, the designation 4"()56" was used for the shortened blade. $lthough this nomenclature was not carried o3er into production, collectors continue to use that terminology for those bayonets shortened from "# inch to ") inch blades. M1 ! ") inch blade bayonets manufactured during "(12+"(15 by $F,, O-, P$-, U/ and UF, and in "(52 by Utica. %7ote8 .he Ordnance epartment also called those bayonets that were shortened from "# inch blades to ") inch blades the 4".&

Photo are fro! the CMP "e# ite ho"in$ the M1905E1 and M1 #ayonet and ca##ard % PB00& Serie Bayonet : '()(*+ B(,-*ET Model M1 Modified (Shortened) "ith Sca##ard Used9ser3iceable. .hese bayonets ha3e been con3erted9cut down to ") inches in length from pre3ious "#: 4odel "()5s. Bayonets and scabbards are in ser3iceable condition e;hibiting scratches, dents, dings and rust. Blade, button and handle of bayonet are not broken and no parts are missing. .he scabbard may be discolored, painted and9or cut down to match bayonet length. Bayonet and scabbard show e;pected wear for age of item. PB00. Serie Bayonet - '()(*+ B(,-*ET Model M1 "ith Sca##ard + Used9ser3iceable. .hese bayonets were originally produced as 4", ") inches in length. Bayonets and scabbards are in ser3iceable condition e;hibiting scratches, dents, dings and rust. Blade, button and handle of bayonet are not broken and no parts are missing. .he scabbard may be discolored, painted and9or cut down to match bayonet length. Bayonet and scabbard show e;pected wear for age of item. $ll < makers of the 4odel "()5, 4"()5 and 4" bayonets are represented in the group, and the /4P sold them by maker, point shape and cut or uncut. .he condition of these bayonets ranged from 3ery good to absolute =unk. 4any were rebuilt to some e;tent by the >reeks including refinishing and some replacement of parts. Some background information might be of interest in understanding how these US made bayonets ended up in the >reek military. Following 0orld 0ar *, President .ruman stated that :the policy of the United States will be to support free peoples who are resisting attempted sub=ugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.: By "(1#, guerrilla forces controlled by the >reek /ommunist Party began fighting against the internationally recogni?ed >reek go3ernment which was formed after "(1# elections. .he U.S. /ongress in 4ay, "(1@, responding to .rumanAs plea, granted >reece B1)) million in military and economic aid. Increased $merican aid helped defeat the /ommunists, after interim defeats for go3ernment forces from "(1# to "(1<.

.he US supplied large numbers of small arms including 4"()2 and 4" rifles, as well as bayonets and ammunition to >reece, often from stocks on hand in 6urope as many had been left at 3arious bases when the ma=ority of US troops were sent home after the war. .he bayonets and scabbards gi3en to the >reeks at that time were US 00* production and are the ones imported by the /4P in this group.

/Ty0ical1 M1 Bayonet fro! the CMP 'ree2 3!0ort Pro$ra!

.his bayonet shows all of the >reek characteristics sometimes found in the /4P imported 4" bayonets. .he finish is the flat black C>reek Parkeri?ingD, there is a serial number added to the replaced guard, and the grips are replacements that do not fit well. 4ini h: uring 0orld 0ar .wo, the basic finish on 4"()56" and 4" bayonets was specified to be Parkeri?ing. $ccording to official sources, this finish was normally to be a ?inc phosphate coating basically similar to that patented by Ean arsey and assigned to the Parker 'ust Proof /ompany of etroit under US Patent *,*(2,@"#. From what I can find in the records, most of the companies that made the bayonets did not do the Parkeri?ing themsel3es, but farmed it out to other companies in their area. ue to the 3ariables in the Parker Process, the color and te;ture of the finish will 3ary greatly. 7ormally the 00* finish is a medium to dark gray and in some cases almost black. epending on the polish of the metal under the finish, the surface will 3ary from dull %most common& to some degree of shine. .his is also affected by wear and oiling. .he finish on the bayonets sold by the /4P ranged from nearly perfect US finish to almost no finish at all. Some of them were refinished in what has been called the C>reek Parkeri?ingD, which is a flat dark gray finish that does not wear well and appears almost like a flat black paint9 It is Fuite difficult to photograph well, but can normally be recogni?ed by the 3ery dull finish and strong wear patterns as shown in the photo below. %.he photo has been lightened to show the details better.&

Serial *u!#er : 4any of the 4"()56" and 4" bayonets ha3e numbers indi3idually hand stamped on the right side of the guard, and sometimes on the left also. In some cases it appears that one number was ground or filed off and a new number stamped. 4ost appear to start with what appears to be a >reek letter rather than a number. It has been suggested that these numbers may relate to the rifle the bayonet was issued with. .his is certainly possible since it is well established that the fit of these bayonets to the 4" rifle is often poor, and once a good fit is found, it would be sensible to keep that bayonet with its own rifle. ,owe3er, that is only a guess, and the actual reason for the number still is not known,

'ri0 : 4ost of the 4" 9 4"()56" bayonets appear to retain their US 0orld 0ar .wo grips, ,owe3er due to >reek rebuilds, they can also be found with the grips from the 67+S made 4" bayonets to be discussed in the ne;t section of this series. 4ore rarely they are fitted with what appears to be a replacement grip possibly made or purchased by the >reeks as spares. .hese are unmarked inside, and appear to ha3e CshrunkD or be slightly undersi?ed. .hey also do not fit well, as shown around the pommel area of the bayonet shown in the photo abo3e. In some cases, the grip screw has been replaced by a poorly fitting one and in some limited cases by what appears to be a nail used as a ri3et. 'uard : Some of the guards ha3e been replaced by ones of different makers, or as in the case of the one illustrated abo3e %%an 4"()56" originally made by UF,& the 00* counterbored guard has been replaced by a 4odel "()5 guard originally made by either S$ or 'I$ %no counterbore&. .his may ha3e been done in the US when the blade was shortened or done later by the >reeks. Some are found with guards of the type used on the 67+S 3ersion.

Some scabbards ha3e been found with initials or words car3ed into the body, apparently by the soldiers who carried them at one time or another. $ few ha3e been reported marked with Gorea and a date, and the new owners ha3e speculated about the soldier who carried that bayonet and the history that would go with the bayonet. Unfortunately, the bayonet and scabbard are not CmatchedD in that they were separated in >reek ser3ice and the /4P recei3ed the bayonets and scabbards in different bo;es. $ny marks on the scabbard ha3e nothing to do with the bayonet currently in that scabbard.

M1 Bayonet a recei5ed #y the CMP in the 0roce

of ortin$%

.he >reeks did not waste much of anything. It appears that if a bayonet was damaged to an e;tent that it could not be repaired, all the parts were sal3aged and reused where3er needed. >uards were replaced and in some cases the retaining pins were replaced with common nails. >rips are held on with odd screws or e3en nails peened o3er to hold them on. $t the e;treme end of the condition spectrum they had tangs or e3en blades bra?ed or welded back together after apparently ha3ing been broken in ser3ice.

Bra6ed tan$% T% 7% 7oodall Collection and Photo

7elded #lade on a P(8 #ayonet% Chri 9or ten Collection and Photo

Bra6ed #lade% Tho!a Morton Collection and Photo

For more information on the US 4" and 4"()56" bayonets, see Bayonets Points http899www.usmilitarykni3es.com9bayonetHpoints.htm 7umbers *, **, *2, and *1. 0hile you are there, browse both Bayonet Points and the rest of this website, absolutely the most and best information on US 6dged 0eapons anywhere on the web. 4ost of the information is found nowhere else, and if you are at all interested in US military kni3es and bayonets, you must bookmark this siteI