BACKGROUND: HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), uniforms were originally introduced on April 1^ST 1933 to be utilized as a drill uniform and save wear and tear on the service uniform and field blouse. Regulations prescribed that the drill uniform was the basic uniform to worn by all new recruits for most daily functions. Originally the drill uniforms were constructed in natural, unbleached cotton with an HBT weave that proved especially durable but impractical due to easy soiling. On February 12^TH 1940 the color of the drill uniforms was altered to a more practical reed green coloration. When utilized as a drill tunic the garments were issued with no insignia with only EM/NCO sleeve rank and collar trim insignia applied to donate the wearers rank. The drill uniforms were utilized for the duration of the war with minor modifications and in early 1942 a modified drill tunic was introduced for wear as a summer combat field blouse, and followed the basic modifications of the standard issue field blouse through-out the war. 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 German army were allocated a specific identifying waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with bright red being chosen for Artillerie , (Artillery), personnel. On the field blouse and service tunic the waffenfarbe was generally displayed on the shoulder straps/boards and the collar tabs. This example is a slightly modified work/drill tunic with the addition of shoulder straps, breast eagle and a breast pocket. This specialized tunic was originally issue to heavy railroad artillery crew, and later worn by Army flak crew, armoured trains crews, nebelwerfer crews, and in very small numbers by some Panzer units.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Reed green, cotton/rayon blend construction work/drill tunic with an HBT weave, features a vertical, five button, front closure with hidden button eyelets, a lay down collar and a single metal hook and eye positioned at the forward neckline. The right breast has an M39 pattern, machine woven, national eagle with outstretched wings, clutching a canted swastika in its talons, in matte grey cotton threads on a cut-out, woven, field-grey rayon base. The eagle is handstitched to the tunic. The left breast has a pleated, patch, pocket with a scalloped edged button down flap. The lower front tail skirt has a vertical tapering dart to each side of the front closure. The tunic has four, evenly spaced vertical slashes positioned at the waistline with one to each side of the front closure and an additional two to the back panel, presumably for a belt or belt support hooks. The straight cut sleeve cuffs have a small, vertical, slash to the outside seams with three fit adjustment buttons to each. The tunic has the early, (Circa November 1938-May 1940), second pattern, slip on shoulder straps in blue/green badge cloth with bright red rayon waffenfarbe piping. The bottoms of the shoulder straps and the slip on retaining tongues are in field-grey wool/rayon blend material and the tongues have a greyish/tan, ribbed cotton twill reinforcement panel machine stitched to the reverses. The shoulder straps fabric retaining loops and pebbled buttons are intact. Of Note: Enlisted Artillery personnel’s shoulder straps signify the ranks of Kanonier, Oberkanonier, Gefreiter, Obergefreiter and Stabsgefreiter inclusively. The lay down collar has no collar tabs as per regulations. The unlined interior of the tunic has a patch pocket to the right breast panel and a horizontal strip of ribbed, greyish/tan, cotton, positioned to the back and side panels at the waistline with a tunnel looped, grey cotton fit adjustment drawstring with an HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), weave. The interior, right, front closure panel is well marked with faint, white size inkstamps and the manufacturer’s name, location and date that appears to be, "Nolte Essen 1940". The tunic is in overall very good condition with a few small picks and pulls as is typical with the HBT material and light age and usage toning. The front closure, exterior pocket and cuff buttons are all the natural alloy dish type while the shoulder strap buttons are the field-grey painted, pebbled, alloy type and all appear to have their original stitching. The tunic is roughly size 42" chest.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $1,180.00