BACKGROUND: The Third Reich era, (Circa 1933-1945), Officer’s service tunic followed the basic design of the EM/NCO’s field blouse with the most readily visible difference, besides the insignia, being the turned up French cuffs. The Officer’s service tunic was originally manufactured with a field-grey, badge cloth collar which was altered to blue/green badge cloth as per regulations of 1935. The Officer’s service tunic was to be replaced with the newly developed, Officer’s field blouse on it’s introduction in April/May 1933 although the service tunic proved so popular that the wear-out period was extended to March 31^ST 1942. Even after the service tunic’s wear-out period was established it remained in usage, on a limited basis, through-out the war with minor variations. The Officer’s field blouse was very similar to the service tunic and as a result Officer’s could still be easily identified from EM/NCO 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 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. Generally officer’s ranks utilized hand or machine embroidered breast eagles while EM/NCO’s ranks utilized machine embroidered or machine woven breast eagles. The different branches of service within the army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with wine red being chosen for Nebeltruppen, (Smoke Troops), personnel. On the field blouse and service tunic the waffenfarbe was generally displayed on the shoulder straps/boards and the collar tabs. Of Note: The term Nebeltruppen, (Smoke Troops), was partially a camouflage term utilized by personnel manning the small, light weight, mobile, rocket launcher/projectors. Original the main function of the rocket launcher/projectors was to produce heavy clouds of smoke to conceal troop movement from the enemy but eventually, (Circa 1940), they began to be used as high explosive launchers and were utilized in concentrated numbers for the best effect and repositioned immediately after firing. By 1942 larger caliber, multi-barrel/tube, launchers were being produced and additional ammunition including Napalm shells were utilized. The Smoke Troops branch of service color was originated by combining the light blue of Transport troops and the bright red of Artillery troops. Although designated "Bordeauxrot" (wine red), it generally had a distinctive, purple hue. The Smoke Troop units were generally auxiliary units added to divisional strength on an as required basis. The German army also utilized a wide variety of shoulder board/strap cyphers that indicated numerous specific, assorted trades, careers, functions and/or units. Regulations decreed that the shoulder board/strap cyphers were embroidered in the branch of service color for EM’s and Junior NCO’s, in silvered metal for Senior NCO’s and in gilted metal for Officer’s ranks. Originally the shoulder board/strap cyphers for Senior NCO’s and Officer’s used during the Third Reich were a low, flat pattern that had been utilized by the Weimar era Reichsheer, (National Army, Circa 1919-1933), until regulations of September 10^TH 1935 introduced new Wehrmacht, (Armed Forces), pattern cyphers that featured a horizontal ribbed interior and raised outer edges. Of Note: The German army had numerous "Lehr", (Training/Demonstration), units, the most famous of which was probably the 130^TH Panzer Lehr Division. Personnel assigned to the assorted "Lehr" units were usually drawn from instructors of training schools and depots, with combat veterans filling out the ranks, and as a result were some of the most highly trained and experienced personnel in tactics and doctrine and actual combat experience. Due to the high levels of training and experience the "Lehr" units were generally supplied with the best weapons and equipment available at the time.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, slightly mottled, field-grey, doeskin wool/rayon blend construction, tunic features a vertical, five button, front closure with dual, metal hooks and eyes positioned at the forward neckline. The second, top, front closure button eyelet has an inserted, Iron Cross 2^ND class ribbon neatly handstitched in place. The tunic has four, pleated, front pockets with exaggerated, scalloped, button down flaps. The breast pockets are the standard patch type while the hip pockets are the saddle-bag type with expanding side panels. The right breast has an Officer’s quality, hand embroidered, national breast eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in it’s talons, in bright, silver/aluminum wire threads with silver/aluminum bullion wire accent threads, mounted on a cut-out, dark, blue/green badge cloth base, which is neatly handstitched to the tunic. The right breast also has two, horizontal thread loops while the left breast has three, vertical and four, horizontal thread loops, all for wear of awards. The reverse of the tunic has a central, vertical, tail skirt slash. The tunic has no belt support eyelets. The straight cut, non-adjustable, sleeves have deep, turned back, French cuffs which are stitched in the upright position at both the inner and outer sleeve seams. The left cuff is missing it’s stitching to the inner sleeve seam. The tunic has sewn on shoulder boards of matte, silver/aluminum Russian braid with two, gilt washed, stamped alloy, rank pips and the September 10^TH 1935, Wehrmacht, (Armed Forces), pattern unit cypher, consisting of a stylized, Gothic "L", indicating, "Lehr", (Training/Demonstration), to each, mounted on purplish/wine red, wool waffenfarbe bases. The shoulder board’s retaining buttons are intact. The tunic has a lay down, blue/green badge cloth construction collar with sinusoidal, (wavy), reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The collar features hand embroidered collar tabs litzen in matte, silver/aluminum wire threads with the regulation, "V" patterned, purplish/wine red wire, branch of service stripes. The collar tabs are mounted on blue/green badge cloth bases which show through the litzen as the center stripe and are machine stitched to the collar. The interior of the tunic is fully lined in grey rayon with an off-white rayon lining to the sleeves. The lining has a horizontal, slash, pocket to the left breast panel and the reverse of the exterior, left, hip pocket has a small, field-grey wool/rayon reinforced, horizontal slash designed for the dagger/sword hangers. The lining also has dual, integral, horizontal, grey rayon belt straps positioned at each side of the waistline with corresponding, nickel/silver plated, magnetic sheet metal clasp buckles. The tunic has no visible size or manufacturer’s markings. The tunic is in overall very good condition with light nap wear and age and usage toning through-out and light to moderate chafe wear to the cuff and collar edges. The buttons are all the field-grey painted, pebbled, magnetic sheet metal type and appear to have their original stitching. The buttons retain most of their field-grey paint. The tunic is roughly size 40", (101.6cm), chest. Nice rare unit fought at Kharkov with the 2nd SS Panzer Korps and in also in Normandy.