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The 'King' Tiger is one of the most famous, and certainly the rarest of the terrifying German battle panzers. A photo shown in the gallery is of the German Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, being shown a demonstration of the 'King' Tiger and a comparison of the size of its huge shells that it fired, compared to the much smaller shells of the other German battle tanks, the regular Tigers and Panzers. Of 1500 'King' Tigers ordered by Hitler only 487 were actually constructed and place into combat service, and this quantity was a tiny amount of tanks produced by Germany in WW2 compared to the numbers of the other standard and various Tiger and Panzer tanks produced. Photo 3 in the gallery is the bottom of the shell head. Photo 9 is of the stamping of designated gun the PAK43, and KWK43 stamped on the shell case, the designated cannon used on the 'King' Tiger II. The first use of the Tiger II in combat was in Normandy on 18 July 1944 with the 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion (schwere Panzerabteilung 503). It was first used on the Eastern Front on 12 August 1944 with schwere PzAbt 501 in the fighting at the Soviets' Baranov bridgehead over the Vistula River. In this action, a single Soviet T-34-85 under the command of Guards Lieutenant Os'kin from the 53rd Guards Tank Brigade knocked out three Tiger Iis by firing at their sides from an ambush position. Later the Tiger II was present at, among others, the Ardennes Offensive, the Soviet offensive into Poland and East Prussia in January 1945, the German offensives in Hungary in 1945, fighting to the east of Berlin at the Seelow Heights in April 1945 and finally within the city of Berlin itself at the very end of the war. The Sherman-equipped 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards claim they were the first British regiment to knock out a King Tiger, on 8 August 1944, in France. The upgraded 88mm armament used a simply huge shell, much larger than the standard Tiger's 88, and one of the most impressive and rarest of all the shells ever to be seen. The very last of a pair we have been very fortunate to acquire. It is only the fourth example we have had in 45 years, and possibly the very last we may ever see. 45 inches long. With electric primer specfifically used in tanks [not to be mistaken with percussion primers used in artillery pieces] Deact inert and safe, not for export and not for sale to under 18s.
Code: 20406
2650.00 GBP
Propaganda poster for the British wartime RAF and the mighty Spitfire. Printed for HM Stationary Office by J. Weiner Ltd London WC1. A propaganda information and recruitment poster. Britain re-created the World War I Ministry of Information for the duration of World War II to generate propaganda to influence the population towards support for the war effort. A wide range of media was employed aimed at local and overseas audiences. Traditional forms such as newspapers and posters were joined by new media including cinema (film), newsreels and radio. A wide range of themes were addressed, fostering hostility to the enemy, support for allies, and specific pro war projects such as conserving metal and growing vegetables. In 1940 in particular, Winston Churchill made many calls for the British to fight on, and for British units to fight until they died rather than submit. His calls for fight to victory inspired a hardening of public opinion. Determination raised the numbers of the Home Guard and inspired a willingness to fight to the last ditch, in a manner rather similar to Japanese determination, and the slogan "You can always take one with you" was used in the grimmest times of the war. British victories were announced to the public for morale purposes, and broadcast to Germany for purposes of undermining morale. Even during Dunkirk, an optimistic spin was put on how the soldiers were eager to return. When the U-boat commander G?nther Prien vanished with his submarine U-47, Churchill personally informed the House of Commons, and radio broadcasts to Germany asked, "Where is Prien?" until Germany was forced to acknowledge his loss. The turn of the war made BBC's war commentaries much more stirring. Good condition 10 inches x 15 inches
Code: 20863
295.00 GBP
20th century. Fine gilt in very good condition, case decorated with a stunning faux shagreen finish in torqoise green. Mounted on a silver ferrule attached to a most charming and elegant slender cane. We show a photograph from ITV's Poirot [John Suchet] with Poirot holding his near identical example. There were 1500 patents for gadget canes in America alone. There were once gadget gun canes, sword canes, musical, political, Doctor's compact, perfume, flask, picnic, microscope, fishing pole, scientific instrument, pipe, cigarette holder, vinaigrette, barometer, undertaker, and horse measure. Extends to approximately a x3 magnification, somewhat more effective for impressive amusement rather than efficient service as a monocular.
Code: 21032
650.00 GBP
High quality deluxe hammered scabbard version exactly as was used by numerous Admirals in the German Navy of WW2. A near mint example that could likely not be improved upon. The blade is perfectly plain, and curiously that is much scarcer and rarer than the regular etched blade version. The standard scabbard was the lightning bolt type, the deluxe version was hand hammered. The silk and velvet backed straps are mounted with gilded alloy lions head buckles and fittings. A German naval dirk once used by a Kriegsmarine warship and U Boat officer. Original ivorine grip and wire binding, blade in jolly nice condition. The hammered scabbard was initialy first used on the Imperial German Naval Ist pattern dagger of 1902, but was a firm favourite of officers of nobility and status who served in WW2 using this second pattern with the eagle and swastika pommel, and could afford the additional expence. The Kriegsmarine [War Navy] was the name of the Navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of World War I and the inter-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the armed forces of Nazi Germany. The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly during German naval rearmament in the 1930s (the Treaty of Versailles had limited the size of the German navy previously). In January 1939 Plan Z was ordered, calling for the construction of many naval vessels. The ships of the Kriegsmarine fought during the Spanish Civil War and World War II. The Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine (as for all branches of armed forces during the period of absolute Nazi power) was Adolf Hitler, who exercised his authority through the Oberkommando der Marine. The Kriegsmarine's most famous ships were the U-boats, most of which were constructed after Plan Z was abandoned at the beginning of World War II. Wolfpacks were rapidly assembled groups of submarines which attacked British convoys during the first half of the Battle of the Atlantic but this tactic was largely abandoned in the second half of the war. Along with the U-boats, surface commerce raiders (including auxiliary cruisers) were used to disrupt Allied shipping in the early years of the war, the most famous of these being the heavy cruisers Graf Spee and Admiral Scheer and the battleship Bismarck. However, the adoption of convoy escorts, especially in the Atlantic, greatly reduced the effectiveness of commerce raiders against convoys.
Code: 21150
1895.00 GBP
The most elite regiment of Imperial Germany, with officer's drawn from the imperial Prussian nobility including the Kaiser himself. A dress cap for an officer of the Gardes du Corps (Regiment der Gardes du Corps). In superb condition for age, not faded and crisp scarlet, some natural age use wear to the interior, no moth, with some stiching adrift on one side of the extreme peak corner. In parade dress they wore the most extravagent eagle mounted steel helmet. The Gardes du Corps was the personal bodyguard of the king of Prussia and, after 1871, of the German emperor (in German, the Kaiser). The unit was founded in 1740 by Frederick the Great. Its first commander was Friedrich von Blumenthal, who died unexpectedly in 1745; his brother Hans von Blumenthal, who, with the other officers of the regiment had won the Pour le M?rite in its first action at the battle of Hohenfriedberg, assumed command in 1747. Hans von Blumenthal was badly wounded leading the regiment in a successful cavalry charge in the battle of Lobositz and had to retire from the military. Unlike the rest of the Imperial German Army after German unification in 1871, the Garde du Corps was recruited nationally and was part of the 1st Guards Cavalry Division. The Regiment wore a white cuirassier uniform with certain special distinctions in full dress. These included a red tunic for officers in court dress and a white metal eagle poised as if about to rise from the bronze helmet on which it sat. Other unique features of the regiment's full dress worn until 1914 included a red sleeveless Supraweste (survest) with the star of the Order of the Black Eagle on front and back and the retention of black iron cuirasses edged with red which had been presented by the Russian Tsar in 1814. These last replaced the normal white metal breastplates on certain special occasions. During the First World War, the Garde du Corps served in Belgium, Poland, Latvia and the Ukraine.
Code: 21480
1150.00 GBP
Of the roughly 18 - 20 Million soldiers of the German Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS only around 9,500 were awarded this Silver class award. It was initiated by Adolf Hitler on the 25th November 1942 to recognise personal bravery, by a member of the Army Navy or SS, in close combat hand-to-hand engagements, with rifle pistol bayonet or hand grenade, while on foot and unsupported, It was worn above the left breast pocket. The German WW2 'Silver' Class of this prestigious award was presented for a period of 20 to 30. days in close combat with the enemy (the rally of close combat days was recorded in a soldier’s pay book). The reverse has the correct silver finished coke bottle shaped pin which is good and functions nicely. The hinge sits atop a raised guide ridge. The reverse is marked with the correct manufacturer’s logo on the right side of the back plate with the distinctive circle trio, encompassing the initials F.L.L. "Friedrich Linden, of Ludenscheid". To the left is the name of the designer, W.E. Peekhaus of Berlin. A very sound example, without black insert, of a highly desirable award. Good original examples of these high class Third Reich combat awards just do not show up very often. Original photograph of Wehrmacht Captain Russland in 1943, displaying the Close Combat Clasp and he is also wearing his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Another photo of Reichsf?hrer der SS, Heinrich Himmler, presenting the Close Combat Clasp to Unteroffizier Heinz Rudolph, Unteroffizier Kray, Unteroffizier Adam Schaub und Obergefreiter Georg Felsner (left to right)
Code: 18760
485.00 GBP
Machine gunners of WW1 were given all manner of ingenious ways of providing protection in front-line combat arenas as many soldiers fell foul of enemy snipers. The methods of creating mobile machine guns were sometimes quite extraordinary, and then for protection an armour shield such as this would be devised and fitted. A different shape for a different motorbike machine gun system. The German snipers were usually specially trained marksmen that had rifles with telescopic sights, dedicated to remove the enemy machine gunners, whether fixed or mobile. German snipers did not normally work from their own trenches. The main strategy was to creep out at dawn into no-man's land and remain there all day. Wearing camouflaged clothing and using the cover of a fake tree, they waited for a British soldier to pop his head above the parapet, or if high enough to spot men travelling towards the front possibly on some form of transport. A common trick was to send up a kite with English writing on it. Anyone who raised his head to read it was shot. If on the ground or in a trench they also used a steel plate with a loophole for their Mauser sniper rifle, very similar to this motorbike one. There were many variations of these bullet proof shields, all shapes and sizes, from lightweight models to huge, fully wheeled contraptions. The position of the opening allows maximum protection for right handed soldiers. Many were designed to be portable on the battlefield. Some shields could have been dug into the trench system or used in large numbers as part of short term or even semi-permanent strong points or sniper posts in trench systems. A batch of 250 Matchless armoured machine motorcycles were manufactured in Britain in 1917 for the Czars Russian military, they could seat three people - one on the main saddle, another on a pillion saddle and a third in the sidecar operating the Vickers machine gun. These would have been the ultimate motorbike attack vehicles of their day. Although the usefulness of the machine gun had not been fully appreciated by the British Army before the outbreak of the Great War, it soon became apparent that highly mobile machine gun units would be of considerable value in the fluid warfare that characterised the first few weeks of the war. Accordingly, the formation of batteries of motorcycle-mounted machine guns was authorised in November 1914, under the command of Lt-Col R.W. Bradley, DSO, South Wales Borderers. These batteries were designated part of the Royal Field Artillery, one battery being allocated to the divisional Artillery of each Division of the British Expeditionary Force. Each battery consisted of 18 motorcycle/sidecar combinations, carrying six Vickers machine guns, ammunition and spare parts, eight motorcycles without sidecars, and two or three cars or trucks. However, as the war became bogged down in the stalemate of trench warfare, few opportunities arose to exploit the tactical mobility of the MMGS batteries. The units did perform useful service on occasion, for example during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle (March 1915); and the MMGS received an official acknowledgement from BEF HQ in April 1915 of the "invaluable" work it had rendered in the fighting line. Nevertheless, up to that date, only seven MMGS batteries had been deployed on the Western Front. Their potential for future use continued to be acknowledged, and by the date of the Battle of Loos (September?October 1915), there were 18 MMGS batteries serving with the BEF 15.75 inches x 19.5 inches
Code: 22045
850.00 GBP
Photograph in the gallery of Field Marshal von Kliest with his identical sword. It has spent two whole days in the workshop having the hilt specialist hand cleaned to conserve the gilt finish. Pristine gilt remaining to the hilt, synthetic ruby stone eyes oak leaf backstrap. Super deluxe double etched blade. Made by Weyersberg of Solingen. Overall in fabulous condition. Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist (8 August 1881 ? 13 November 1954) was a leading German field marshal during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. The German Army (German: Heer, was the land forces component of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces, from 1935 to 1945. The Wehrmacht also included the Kriegsmarine (Navy) and the Luftwaffe (Air Force). During World War II, a total of about 15 million soldiers served in the German Army, of whom about seven million became casualties. Separate from the army, the Waffen-SS (Armed SS) was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. Growing from three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War II, it served alongside the army but was never formally part of it. Only 17 months after Hitler announced publicly the rearmament program, the Army reached its projected goal of 36 divisions. During the autumn of 1937, two more corps were formed. In 1938, four additional corps were formed with the inclusion of the five divisions of the Austrian Army after the Anschluss in March. During the period of its expansion by Adolf Hitler, the German Army continued to develop concepts pioneered during World War I, combining ground (Heer) and air (Luftwaffe) assets into combined arms teams. Coupled with operational and tactical methods such as encirclements and the "battle of annihilation", the German military managed quick victories in the two initial years of World War II, prompting the use of the word Blitzkrieg (literally lightning war, meaning lightning-fast war) for the techniques used. The German Army entered the war with a majority of its infantry formations relying on the horse for transportation. The infantry remained foot soldiers throughout the war; artillery also remained primarily horse-drawn. The motorized formations received much attention in the world press in the opening years of the war, and were cited as the main reason for the success of the German invasions of Poland (September 1939), Norway and Denmark (April 1940), Belgium, France and Netherlands (May 1940), Yugoslavia (April 1941) and the early campaigns in the Soviet Union (June 1941). However their motorized and tank formations accounted for only 20% of the Heer's capacity at their peak strength.
Code: 18983
PriceonRequest
Mark joined the family business in Brighton just a few months after the women of Switzerland were first given the vote, Edward Heath was prime minister and Richard Nixon was president of the United States. As Mark begins his 50th year in the business, in order to celebrate this significant occasion it is the usual Lanes Armoury tradition of thanking all our much appreciated clients with a special anniversary discount. On this occasion by way of a special thank you, we are offering for a brief period 20% discount on all our fabulous items large and small. That will translate to a huge saving on our amazing range of products with many being sold at cost or below. This is a tradition that goes back through the generations, to invite our clients far and wide to celebrate with us our significant steps on the progress of the family business that stretches back over 100 years. To claim your 20% discount simply contact us by email, or using our usual 24-hour phone number, 07721 010085, before you buy in the basket system, and we will adjust the price of your chosen item or items for purchase online with the 20% discount reduction, and you can then buy online as usual. Or, you can simply arrange payment direct with us personally via email or telephone, it’s a simple as that. Save an incredible £20 on every £100 or £200 on every £1,000, that you spend!! Last year hundreds of our clients saved over a total £100,000 on our limited period 100th anniversary celebrations, why not join them, and this year’s ‘lock down’ is the ideal time to get a little joy back. UK and worldwide deliveries continue as usual. Over £22630 has been saved already so far by deserving clients just on the Ist 4 days, congratulations to you all! Remember!!, our basket system doesn't show the 20% discount, so contact us first if you want to buy with a card and we can re-adjust the price online accordingly. Received with hearty thanks, on the first day of our sale, just a few of some the very kind comments received. “Hello Mark, Congratulations at the beginning of your 50th year in the Lanes Armoury. Wishing you many more happy and successful years. Regards from Mr & Mrs D & D G’’ “Well done Mark, keep up the good work! Col. R.D. USMC [retired]” “Hoping to see you in person later this summer, congratulations. Mrs G.A. P” “Hi Mark, happy 50th, here’s to another 50! D.J.W” During my 49 years so far I have had the privilege and joy of meeting some of the most amazing people, that I consider to be incredible for all manner of reasons. Although I have met many famous people from the theatre, politics, academia, and the like, it is usually the unassuming person, some might say anonymous, that have turned out to be the most intriguing and fascinating of all. Some great friendships have been formed through business, in my five decades, and although very few have been social friendships, I am not an enthusiastic socialiser truth be told, they have all been incredibly rewarding and gratifying none the less. All discounted sales are not available with part exchanges, outright sales only
Code: 23505
This is the second we have added this week, the first sold within a few hours. This one is the last we have. Inert and perfectly safe. The Model 39 Eierhandgranate (egg hand grenade) was a German hand grenade introduced in 1939 and produced until the end of World War II. In the past couple of years the price of these has almost doubled. The Eierhandgranate used the same fuse assembly (the BZE 39) as the Model 43 Stielhandgranate ("Stick Grenade"), which was screwed into the top of the sheet-metal body. To activate, the domed cap was unscrewed, and the pull-cord that had been coiled inside it was tugged sharply before throwing at the target. The colour of the grenade cap indicated the burning time of the type of fuse fitted. Typically, a delay of around 4 seconds was used. However, if a grenade was to be used as a fixed booby-trap, then an instantaneous fuse would be fitted. Enemy soldiers who found seemingly discarded grenades would attempt to use them (expecting a standard time delay) only to be blown up the moment they tugged on the pull-cord. Another scenario was to wire an instantaneously fused grenade to a door-frame in an abandoned building. Then the pull-cord would be attached to the door and would detonate when the door was kicked open by opposing troops. Not suitable for export outside of UK mainland.
Code: 23502
230.00 GBP
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