This Stahlrohr-Lanze Modell 1893 (Steel Tube Lance Model 1893) represents a fascinating intersection of German cavalry tradition, Prussian military standardization, and the distinct martial heritage of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Assigned to the 2. Großherzoglich Mecklenburgisches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 18, garrisoned in the town of Parchim, this weapon embodies the final era of lance-armed cavalry in European warfare.
The Adoption of the Steel Tube Lance
In 1889, the decision was made to equip the entire German cavalry corps with lances — a weapon previously carried only by uhlans. Wooden lances were initially issued, but in 1890 the first steel-tube lance was introduced. According to the 1911 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, steel was chosen because the Germans had difficulty obtaining suitable wooden shafts; German ash did not grow sufficiently straight for the purpose. With this adoption, all 93 regiments of hussars, dragoons, cuirassiers, and uhlans in the Imperial German Army carried the lance as a primary weapon.
In 1893, a slightly modified variant was introduced, the M1893nA. The principal change concerned the pennon eyelets, which were made larger and reduced to four, set into hemispherical brass knobs. The older M1890 remained in service, with two eyelets removed to resemble the new weapon. Prior to 1914, all lances were manufactured by the Gewehrfabrik Danzig.
Technical Characteristics
The Stahlrohrlanze measures 3.2 metres in length and weighs 2.12 kilograms. The haft is made from drawn, soft steel with a diameter of 36 millimetres. The weapon comprises a blackened-steel haft, a bright-steel quadrangular point — made slightly thicker on the M1893 than its predecessor — and a pointed conical shoe at the base. At the mid-point of the lance sits a brass handle lined with cloth. One third from the base, a brass ring with a leather tassel, known as the Lanzenarmriemen (lance arm strap), was used to carry the weapon.
The present example features a blued steel tube shaft with an iron quadrangular point and iron lance shoe. Below the point are four brass eyelets for attachment of the lance pennon. The shaft is fitted at its midpoint with a hemp cloth sleeve cover, to which the rarely surviving Lanzenarmriemen is attached.
The 2nd Grand Ducal Mecklenburg Dragoon Regiment Nr. 18
The history of this regiment begins in September 1867, when Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II ordered the establishment of a second dragoon regiment. The unit became the 2. Großherzoglich Mecklenburgisches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 18, a cavalry formation of the Grand Ducal Mecklenburg armed forces that was integrated into the Prussian Army from 1868. Its initial strength comprised 18 officers, 61 non-commissioned officers, 16 trumpeters, 266 dragoons, and 404 horses.
On 24 July 1868, Mecklenburg-Schwerin concluded a military convention with Prussia that regulated the transfer of officers into the Prussian Army. While the regiment was thereafter part of the Prussian military structure, it retained its grand ducal designation and traditions, including its distinctive Mecklenburg lance pennons.
Service During the First World War
All mounted German cavalry during the First World War were issued with lances. The weapon was carried by all privates and some non-commissioned officers; those NCOs not issued with lances, along with cavalry officers, continued to be armed with swords. After 1915, when swords were withdrawn from field service, the lance became the cavalry’s only close combat weapon, underscoring its continued tactical significance even as the nature of warfare changed dramatically.
On 12 August 1914, the Battle of Haelen took place — the last engagement of mounted cavalry units. During this action, Major Victor Baron Digeon von Monteton, the Regimental Commander of Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 18 from Parchim, fell in combat. This engagement effectively marked the end of the era of mounted cavalry charges on the Western Front.
The Lance Pennon and Markings
This lance is preserved complete with its Mecklenburg lance pennon for non-commissioned officers (Unteroffiziere), described as a Kammerstück (chamber piece). Lance pennons for NCOs were yellow, with the Mecklenburg coat of arms embroidered in red. The pennon bears the stamp «B.A.I.» and the year «1917», indicating wartime production continued during the First World War. The point and shoe carry the troop stamp «18. D. 1. 36.», in which the number 18 clearly identifies the regiment.
The End of an Era
Following the armistice, the regiment returned to Parchim in January 1919, where it was demobilized and dissolved. The lances themselves remained in service for several more years until, by decree of 3 October 1927, the lance finally disappeared from the armament of the cavalry. This act closed a centuries-old chapter in European military history.
The present lance, complete with its Mecklenburg NCO pennon and the seldom-preserved Lanzenarmriemen, constitutes a remarkably well-documented artifact that testifies to the convergence of Prussian military technology and Mecklenburg cavalry tradition at the twilight of the mounted warrior’s age.
