POTD: The Grandaddy of All Anti-Tank Rifles – The 1918 T-Gewehr
Sam.S 06.29.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have the grandaddy of all anti-tank rifles. This is the Tankgewehr-18 otherwise referred to as the T-Gewehr. During the course of four long years, World War One witnessed an incessant transformation in weaponry, mentalities, strategies, and gear. Among the various advancements, the introduction of tanks by the Allied forces was a secret endeavor. Concealed just beyond the front lines, these hulking machines were veiled beneath tarps and canvas. When the time came to unleash them, their emergence was awe-inspiring, albeit somewhat unwieldy. These metal behemoths were far from flawless. It should be noted that in their initial iteration, they were not completely impervious to bullets. It was only when thicker armor was integrated that the Axis forces found it imperative to develop anti-tank weaponry, a necessary response to this formidable evolution. The answer? A rifle scaled up big enough to kill a tank. the T-Gewehr was born.
“A historically important weapon, the T-Gewehr gave birth to the anti-tank rifle and was the grandfather of the modern anti-material rifle. Blade front and tangent rear sights, with matching numbers on the barrel, receiver, bolt components, bolt catch, barrel band and trigger guard, the Mauser banner over “1918” on the receiver ring, and a smooth two-piece replacement buttstock numbered “5062” (rifle is number 5037) with pistol grip stock. With a swiveling steel bipod that mounts to the barrel band.”
Lot 1629: WWI Mauser T-Gewehr 1918 Anti-Tank Rifle with Bipod – Desirable World War I Mauser Tankgewehr Bolt Action Anti-Tank Rifle with Bipod. (n.d.-w). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved June 28, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/74/1629/wwi-mauser-tgewehr-1918-antitank-rifle-with-bipod.
