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 Reichswehr 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 the Allies 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. Although considered highly mobilized for its time the German army still utilized a great number of horses through-out WWII with the average infantry division containing roughly five thousand horses. In 1939 the German army also had fifteen, primarily horse-mounted, Cavalry regiments that were mainly tasked with tactical reconnaissance. Even though most of the Cavalry units were mechanized by 1940 they still utilized a large number of horses through-out the war. By 1943 the Germans were experiencing fuel and vehicle shortages which resulted in an increase in the number of horses utilized in the field. The widespread usage of horses made protective chemical warfare equipment for horses a necessity and as a result the appropriate protective chemical warfare equipment for horses was developed and introduced in 1938. The protective chemical warfare equipment for horses consists of a specially designed gasmask, a body covering, goggles and leggings/gaiters. Of Note: Two other horse gasmasks and new style gaiters were developed and introduced in 1941, although the earlier M38 pattern gasmask and gaiters were also utilized through-out the war.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 10 1/4" long, 7 1/2" tall and, 7 1/2" wide, heavy, firm, molded black rubber construction M38 horse gasmask. The mask has a snout opening to the rear edge with a dual-ply, supple rubber interior edging designed for comfort and easy fit adjustment. The mask tapers slightly downwards from the rear opening to the forward snout section. The side panels of the mask each have a roughly, 5 1/2" diameter, inhale filter housing that extends out roughly 1 1/2", horizontally from the mask. The filter housings each contain a field-grey painted, magnetic sheet metal PFE 38 breath inhale valve filter. The filters are secured to the mask by three rubber straps with a cut-out eyelet to each and corresponding alloy closure stud. The filter retaining straps loop around a large, central steel ring and are secured in place by the alloy studs which in turn secure the filters in place. The forward snout section has a roughly, 4 1/4" diameter exhale filter housing that extends out roughly, 3/4", horizontally from the mask and contains a field-grey painted, metal alloy construction PFE 38 breath exhale valve filter. The exhale filter is secured to the mask in the same way as the inhale filters with three rubber straps with a cut-out eyelet to one with a corresponding alloy closure stud. The filter retaining straps loop around a large, central steel ring which in turn secure the filter in place. All three filters retain all of their original painted finishes. The side panels of the mask also have a rubber reinforced, pronged, steel roller buckle designed to secure the mask to the horse’s head harness. Also included are three, heavy, tan leather construction attachment straps with steel fittings. The straps are secured to the buckles on the sides of the mask at one end and have a pronged, steel roller buckle to the other end to attach it to the harness. The other strap runs transversely between the first two straps and also have pronged, steel roller buckles to each. The mask is also well marked with orange inkstamped waffen-amt, the size, "Gr. 2", indicating size medium, the date, "40", and the manufacturer’s initials, "AB", within an oval border presumably indicating manufacture by Auer-Gesellschaft A.-G. of Berlin. The mask is in overall very good condition and the rubber is still quite pliable although the leather straps have stiffened with age. The mask comes housed in its original, field-grey canvas construction carrying pouch with internal stiffeners to the sides and bottom. The roughly, 10" long, 7 1/2" tall and, 11" wide, fitted carrying pouch features a fold back top flap with two, machine stitched, vertical, tan leather closure straps to the obverse and a horizontal stitched seam to the reverse. The closure straps attach to leather reinforced, pronged, steel roller buckles which are positioned on the front of the pouches body. The bottom of the pouch body has four leather reinforced steel "D" rings with one to each side and two near the reverse edge, designed to secure it to the horse or in a vehicle for transport and storage. Two of the bottom "D" rings have inserted, tan leather straps with pronged, steel roller buckles to each while a third "D" ring has an additional, inserted, tan leather strap with a pronged, steel roller buckle and an golden yellow "horse hair" padding to the reverse. The reverse of the pouch is well marked with a black inkstamped waffen-amt, the size, "Gr. 2", the date, "40", and the manufacturer’s initials, "AB", within an oval border. The pouch is in overall very good condition with light age and usage toning but the leather closure straps are fairly dry and stiff. Also include are four black rubberized fabric construction protective chemical warfare horse leggings/gaiters with a protective oppanol finish. Two of the gaiters are roughly, 27" tall while the other two are roughly 21" tall and all four are roughly, 11" wide. The gaiters feature both top and bottom openings for the horse’s legs with an opened, circular, molded black rubber fitting to the bottoms to provide a snug fit around the horse's hooves. The opened top edges each have internal, leather reinforced, fabric covered springs that were designed to hold the gaiters up on the horse's legs. All the springs are still quite taunt. All four of the gaiters are well marked with the molded, rubber, bottom fittings each have the embossed, manufacturer’s three letter code, "aqd" indicating manufacture by Radium Gummiwerk Köln, the size, "1", and "41/43", or "41/44", indicating the model number, (41), and year of manufacture, (43-44). All four of the gaiters are in overall very good condition with substantial wrinkling. Scarce horse protective chemical warfare equipment.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $328.00