BACKGROUND: The M43 field cap was introduced for wear by all ranks on June 11^TH 1943 as a replacement cap for the other field caps then in use. The design of the M43 field cap was based on the earlier M42 Feldmütze, (Field/Overseas cap), and the Mountain Troopers Bergmütze, (Mountain Cap), with minor variations. The standard issue M43 field caps were constructed of field-grey material while a black version was introduced at the same time for Panzer, (Armored), personnel. Officer’s ranks were distinguished by piping on the crown of the cap with silver piping for field and company grade ranks of Leutnant to Oberst and gilt piping for General Officer’s ranks of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall while EM/NCO’s caps were not piped. Further regulations also dictated that the buttons on the cap were also to be an indicator of rank with field-grey buttons for EM/NCO’s, silver for field and company grade Officers and gilt for General’s ranks but this was not strictly adhered to. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own caps and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the army’s Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their caps from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase visor caps of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their caps from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored caps although the price may have been restrictive. The German army originally adopted a slightly modified version of the NSDAP’s, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), national eagle by order on February 17^TH 1934, with instructions to have it applied to all steel helmets, visor caps, and tunics by May 1^ST 1934. Regulations followed on October 30^TH 1935 that stipulated the national eagle was also to be applied to all field caps. On March 14^TH 1933 the Weimar Reichswehr, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era oval black, red and gold cockade was replaced with a circular cockade in black, white, and red and was utilized through-out the Third Reich period. Of Note: With the fall of Germany’s Italian allies as a result of Mussolini’s deposition and imprisoned on July 25^TH 1943 and the subsequent Italian unconditional surrender to the allied forces on September 8^TH 1943 the Germans appropriated large stockpiles of Italian clothing and equipment. As a result a large percentage of later German Army uniforms and headgear items, primarily Officer’s versions, were manufactured in the field-grey Italian material. Also Of Note: In a daring raid on September 13^TH 1943 Mussolini was rescued by the Germans and under Hitler’s forceful encouragement began formation of the puppet fascist RSI, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, (Italian Social Republic), on September 17^TH 1943, in a failed attempt to restore fascism to Italy. The RSI along with the GNR, La Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana, (Republican National Guard), which was formed on November 20^TH 1943, continued to fight in Italy under German command.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, private purchase, mid to late war production, slightly mottled, Italian field-grey, wool/tricot blend material construction cap with a subtle whipcord weave, features fold down back and side panels with a downward scalloped front edge and forward sides and two, field-grey painted, pebbled, magnetic sheet metal front closure buttons. The back and side panels were designed to be folded down to protect the wearer’s ears and neck and the scalloped front section could be secured with the buttons closed under the wearer’s chin. The buttons retain about 95% of their original, field-grey paint and appear to have their original stitching. The top outer edge of the crown is trimmed in bright, interwoven silver/aluminum wire piping. The front center of the cap has a second pattern, (circa 1935-1945), machine woven, national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in it’s talons, in bright, silver/aluminum, flat-wire threads, mounted on a woven, cut-out, blue/green rayon base. The eagle is positioned above a machine woven, national tri-color cockade, in black, white and red rayon threads, mounted on a woven, diamond shaped, field-grey rayon base. Both eagle and cockade are neatly handstitched to the cap. The cap has an extended, cloth covered, forward visor with a pliable, internal stiffener with a subtly raised lip and a single row of reinforcement stitching to the top of the forward edge and nine concentric rows of reinforcement stitching to the bottom edge. The interior of the cap is fully lined in brushed, olive drab cotton. The cap has no visible size or manufacturer’s markings. The cap is in overall very good condition with a couple of small picks and pulls and minor age and usage toning. The cap is roughly size 57cm, (22.4")

GRADE ****                             PRICE $1,045.00