BACKGROUND: The black Panzer Wrap tunic was originally introduced by the army on November 12^TH 1934, for wear by armored vehicle personnel and was worn through-out the war with minor modifications in 1936 and 1942. Allegedly Chief of the motorized troops, Oberst Heinz Guderian came up with the coloration and design of the form fitting uniform which he based on a popular ski outfit of the time. Black was chosen as the color as it help conceal the grease and grime commonly encountered by motorized personnel. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms 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 uniforms from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase garments of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their uniforms from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored uniforms although the price may have been restrictive. The different branches of service within the army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with pink being chosen for Panzer, (Armored), personnel. Of Note: The general waffenfarbe for all armored units was pink although other colors were utilized including red for armored artillery units, golden yellow for armored reconnaissance units and the 24^TH Panzer Division, lemon yellow for armored signals units and, for a short time, alternating black and white for armored engineer units. Also Of Note: The waffenfarbe color for armored reconnaissance units was changed no less then three times during the course of the war with pink, golden yellow, copper brown all being utilized at different times. In commemoration of their origin, personnel serving in armored reconnaissance units used cavalry terminology to distinguish their ranks. On the field blouse, service tunic and Panzer wrap tunic the waffenfarbe was generally displayed on the shoulder straps/boards and the collar tabs. Originally the Panzer wrap tunics also utilized the waffenfarbe as piping on the forward edge of the collar until regulations of mid-1942 abolished the use of the collar piping and instructed it to be removed from the tunics, although the directive was not strictly adhered to.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, second pattern, (circa 1936-1945), black wool/rayon blend construction, waist length, double breasted style tunic with small fold back lapels and a large lay down collar. The left front closure panel of the tunic has four hidden button eyelets and an additional three, visible button eyelets on the fold back lapel. The right front closure panel has all four large and three smaller corresponding buttons intact. The edge of the right front closure panel has an additional, two, small, buttons positioned underneath the overlapping left closure panel with two, corresponding, internal, fabric loops for a secure closure with a neat appearance. The tunic also has a single metal hook and eye positioned at the forward neckline for a secure closure. The top lapel button eyelet has an Iron Cross 2^ND class ribbon and an Eastern Front Medal ribbon, inserted and neatly handstitched in place. The right breast has an EM/NCO’s M44 pattern, machine woven breast eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in it’s talons, in mouse grey rayon threads on an woven, inverted triangular, black rayon base. The eagle is neatly machine stitched to the tunic. The lower left breast panel has four, horizontal thread loops for wear of awards. The tunic has no exterior pockets. Both the obverse and the reverse of the tunic have two, vertical, tapering darts and the reverse also has a central, vertical, seam. The waistline side seams of the tunic each have four, vertically aligned, horizontal, rows of heavy stitching to secure the belt support hooks. The side seams were never cut open and the belt support hooks are absent. The straight cut, dual-ply, sleeve cuffs each have a vertical outside seam slash with dual, fit adjustment buttons to each. The tunic has sewn on shoulder boards in matte, silver/aluminum Russian braid mounted on golden yellow wool waffenfarbe bases. The shoulder boards pebbled, alloy retaining buttons are intact. The tunic has a large lay down collar with the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The collar has no waffenfarbe piping as per regulations of mid-1942. The collar features the elongated, black wool collar tabs with the typical, silver washed, stamped, magnetic sheet metal, Danziger style Totenkopf cyphers and golden yellow rayon waffenfarbe piping to the outside edges. The Totenkopf cyphers retain about 70% of their original, age darkened silver wash and have taken on a flat matte grey appearance. The collar tabs are machine stitched to the collar. The interior breast panels are lined in light weight, grey cotton/rayon. The lining has a horizontal slash, patch pocket to the right breast panel and a vertical slash patch pocket to the left breast panel. The interior of the tunic also has two, vertical, grey, cotton/ rayon straps with five stitched eyelets to each, situated at the waistline side seams to secure the belt support hooks. The interior also has a horizontal, tunnel looped, black cotton, fit adjustment drawstring, with an HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), weave, to each of the waistline side panels. The right breast panel is well marked with faint, black size inkstamps, and "Lago Wien", indicating, Landes Lieferungs Genossenschaft, (State Supply Cooperative/Association Vienna). The tunic is in overall very good condition with minimal nap wear to the collar edges and minor age and usage toning. The shoulder board retaining buttons are the pebbled, alloy type while the balance of the buttons are the molded black bakelite type and all appear to have their original stitching. The tunic is roughly size 42" chest.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $7,140.00