WW1 German Ersatz Bayonet (Turkish Conversion) . BAYO683

WW1 German Ersatz Bayonet. Serial numbered on grip: 23457. Approximately 10-inch blade. Probably a Turkish cut-down conversion. Very heavily worn condition.   Additional Notes: German Ersatz (substitute) bayonets were made in Germany during the early years of WW1, because there were not enough regulation bayonets to equip the rapidly expanding army. Ersatz bayonets were manufactured in local workshops, resulting in hundreds of variations. The German specification was for a 12-inch blade. In addition to newly constructed bayonets, Ersatz Bayonets were also created by modifying captured bayonets of other countries. As time went on, these stop-gap bayonets were replaced by regulation bayonets, and many went to Turkish forces. The Turks shortened many blades to 10-inches (which are typically known as Turkish conversion or cut down bayonets).   See Additional Information for shipping dimensions.