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H086163 CASED MINEFIELD/GAS WARNING FLAG SET. (Satz Spürfähnchen mit Tasche)
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 Weimar Reichswehr era, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), 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. Along with the gasmask and assorted accessories was a gas warning flag set that consisted of twenty, small, flags on metal poles, seventy-five feet of yellow marking tape and a carrying pouch. The gas warning flag set was issued on a limited basis and was also utilized to mark minefields. The German armed forces also utilized other assorted flags and signs to mark gas contaminated areas and minefields.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The holster shaped, simulated, blackened grained leather, treated, pressed cardboard, (Presstoff), construction, gas warning flag set carrying pouch is roughly, 21 1/2", (54.6cm), tall with a 7", (17.8cm), wide, top section tapering down to a 2 1/4", (5.7cm), wide, bottom section. The pouch has a fold over, top flap with a stitch on, vertical, blackened leather, closure strap to the obverse with a corresponding, leather reinforced, field-grey painted, opened rectangular, sheet metal buckle positioned on the obverse body of the pouch. The obverse, upper section of the pouch has the addition of a roughly, 4 3/4", (12cm), tall, 5 3/8", (13.6cm), wide, 1", (2.5cm), deep, "U", shaped pocket designed to contain the seventy-five feet of marking tape. The marking tape is absent. The reverse, top section of the pouch has an integral, machine stitched on, dark, field-grey, canvas web, carrying strap with a matte grey painted, opened rectangular, sheet metal joining clip and a matte grey painted, sliding, opened rectangular, sheet metal length adjustment buckle intact. The bottom edge of the pouch appears to have a dual-ply interior, designed so the pointed tips of the flag poles would not puncture the pouch. The interior of the fold over, top flap, is well marked with a faint, mostly illegible, purple manufacturer’s inkstamp with the date visible as, "1940". The pouch is in overall very good condition with light age and usage toning and some small spots of light chafe wear. As is typical the Presstoff shows minor age stiffening. The pouch contains ten of the original twenty warning flags and poles. The roughly, 19 3/4", (50.2cm), tall, dark, matte red painted, tooled, sheet metal, wire poles have a roughly, 4 1/8", (10.5cm), horizontally bent over, top section to accommodate the warning flags. Each pole has two, small, brazed on, metal loops near the top edge enabling additional poles to be inserted to increase the height as required. Each pole has a roughly, 4 1/2", (11.4cm), tall, 3 1/8", (7.9cm), wide, yellow rayon or cotton construction, inverted, triangular flag with a small, black printed, skull and cross bone emblem to each. The flags feature dual-ply, machine stitched outer edges and a tunnel loop to the top edge designed to slip over the flag poles. Five of the flag poles have small, sheet metal caps crimped on to the top horizontal ends to prevent the flags from slipping off and four have small crimped sheet metal tabs on the vertical tops, also to secure the flags in place. The flag poles all retain the majority of their matte red paint with areas of light to moderate surface spotting and the flags range in condition from very good to very poor.
GRADE ***1/2 PRICE $305.00
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