BACKGROUND: With the development of poisonous gasses used as offensive weapons in WWI appropriate defensive gasmasks also had to be developed. The German WWI M1915 and M1917 gasmasks evolved into the Weimar, Reichswehr, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era M24 gasmask and eventually into the M30 and M38 gasmasks used in WWII. All German Army personnel were issued with a gasmask, carrying canister and accessories and were required to have it readily available at all times. Although the use of chemical warfare agents was considered by the German OKW, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), fear of Allied retribution forced them to reconsider and shelf the idea. Fear of the potential use of chemical warfare agents made the gasmask and canister a constant companion of the German soldier through-out the war. Originally the first pattern gasmask carrying canisters were roughly, 9 5/8" tall, until a second, roughly, 10 3/4" tall, pattern was introduced on November 26^TH 1941. The taller, November 1941 pattern, gasmask canisters were a waterproofed version with a rubber seal incorporated beneath the fold back top lid. Further production of the earlier, non-waterproofed version was discontinued as per regulations sometime in late 1942. Of Note: In spite of the fear of the potential use of chemical warfare agents some German personnel opted to utilize their gasmask canisters as a container for extra food or contraband in spite of regulations.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: M38 pattern, molded, green rubber and metal alloy construction gasmask with all the web and fabric covered spring straps and buckles intact. The neck strap has unknown black printed numerals, "62797/152". The metal alloy eye socket frames retain about 75% of their field-grey paint while the metal alloy snout retains about 95% of its field-grey paint with a couple of small scrapes and scuffs. The snout is well marked with a white, hand painted numeral, "3/47", and the embossed date, "40". The snout also has a screw threaded, filter attachment with the intake and discharge valve. The clear celluloid eye socket lenses show moderate to heavy age yellowing and the clear celluloid, anti-fogging panel has partially peeled away from the right lens. The exterior of the mask is well marked with the embossed size numeral, "2", positioned between the eye sockets, indicating size medium. The interior of the mask is well marked with assorted, embossed numerals and letters, including the date, "40" and orange and black inkstamps that include two waffen-amts. The mask is in overall good condition with light to moderate age and usage toning and all of the components are intact. The mask comes complete with a stamped, multi-piece, magnetic sheet metal, Filter Einsatz 37, (Filter Insert 1937). The filter is roughly, 3 1/4" tall with a 4 1/4" bottom diameter tapering up to an open 1 1/2" diameter, extended screw threaded top lip. The bottom edge of the filter has six concentric rows of punched breathing holes and the internal air filtering components appear to be fully intact. Interestingly the filter has no visible markings. The filter retains about 80% of its original field-grey paint with small spots of wear to the base metal with light surface spotting. The mask comes housed in a second pattern M30/38, field-grey painted, corrugated magnetic sheet metal construction gasmask canister with a vertical brazed side seam. The canister is roughly, 10 3/4" tall with a 4 7/8" diameter. The separate, hinged, top lid has a spring loaded, vertical, sheet metal, closure clip with an olive drab canvas web pull tab and a corresponding, soldered on, closure stud on the canister’s body. The top lid closure clip is well marked with the impressed manufacturer’s three letter code and date, "frn 42", indicating manufacture by Rudolf Lang Federn-Draht und Metallwarenfabrik of Brandenburg in 1942. The canister retains about 85% of its original age and usage darkened, field-grey paint with small spots of wear to the base metal with light surface spotting. The canister also has the black, hand painted numeral, "42". The bottom of the canister has the embossed letter, "D", indicating, "Dicht", (Leak Proof). The canister has two brazed on, extended arms near the top edge and a third near the bottom edge for the carrying and belt support straps. Both the coarsely woven, olive drab canvas web carrying strap and the belt support strap are included. The carrying strap has a sliding, opened rectangular, steel length adjustment buckle and an alloy retaining stud. The belt support strap has a sheet metal belt support hook and an alloy stud retainer. The interior of the top lid has a small, square, hinged box for the replacement lenses and contains two, cellophane wrapped, replacement lenses with black printed script to the cellophane. The script to the cellophane includes, "Klarscheiben napfförmig. Klarscheiben vor Feuchtigkeit schützen, nicht wischen, nur am Rand anfassen", (Bowl shaped, Clear disks Clear disk for protection against moisture, don’t wipe, only hold by edges). The top lid of the replacement lense box is well marked with the impressed manufacture’s three letter code and date, "hnz 1941", indicating manufacture by Ludwig Grosskopf & Co. Metallwarenfabrik of Ilmenau in 1941. The interior of the canister still has its protective sheet metal sleeve insert and the spring wire cleaning cloth retainer both intact. Also included is a training manual and a skin decontamination pill container. The roughly, 5 3/4" x 4", ninety-six page, training manual was compiled by Major Dr.-Ing. Scholle of the "Heeresgasschutzschule", (Army Gas Protection School), and published by "Naflag" in Berlin. The manual has a light-weight, tan card stock cover with the front featuring the black printed title, "Gasschutz-Leitfaden Erweiterte Ausgabe", (Gas Protection Manual Expanded Edition). The manual is divided into six major chapters with numerous sub-sections within each chapter. The main chapters include, "Die chemischen Kampfstoffe", (The chemical warfare agents), "Die Gasmaske 30", (The Model 30 Gasmask), "Die Hautentgiftung", (The Skin Decontamination), and "Waffenentgiftungs", (Weapons Decontamination), among others. The manual covers all aspects of chemical warfare and the proper usage of the gasmask and all the assorted accessories and also includes proper storage and cleaning instructions. The manual contains fifty-three photos and illustrations that reinforce the text. The reverse cover has the black printed publishers logo and script, "Nachdruck, auch auszugsweise, verboten", (Reproduction, and extractions forbidden.) The manual is in overall good condition with light age yellowing and all the pages are intact. The molded brown bakelite construction skin decontamination pill container is roughly, 3" x 1" x 1/2" and has a removable top lid with remnants of a white adhesive, securing tape. The container still has about three-quarters of its original, glued on, white paper instructional label with black printed script. Both the top and bottom of the container have the matching, embossed, date within circular recesses, "1940" while the top also has the embossed, DIN, Deutsche Industrie Norm, (German Industry Standard), logo and the bottom has the embossed manufacturer’s initials, "ET", indicating an unknown manufacturer.

GRADE ***1/2                             PRICE $238.00