Original Item: Original Item: These are WW2 era and after "T" handled Full Size Entrenching Shovels as used by WW2 German Infantry & Artillery Units and often seen strapped to the sides of Tanks and other Military Vehicles. Blades are heavily painted so no apparent markings are visible but are a variation of the classic WW2 design. Recently released from eastern European military stores.

A little history of the German Military Spade:

The spade has been in use in Germany for centuries as a digging tool as one

can see in the trademark of the famous, centuries-old German beer,

Spatenbrau. The blade of a spade tends to be narrow with straight sides and

a straight front edge. It is generally intended for digging where the soil

is a compacted mass and must be cut through. The shovel, in contrast, has a

broader blade with a rounded or semi-pointed tip and is intended to be used

on loose material, such as sand, coal, or loose soil. Both blade shapes

have been used for military purposes in Germany and other European countries

for centuries. Engravings of the great age of sieges, the 17th and 18th

Centuries, show spades just about indistinguishable from the ones offered here.

Approximate length: 43.5"