BACKGROUND: German Naval uniforms and headgear were based on traditional designs that date back to the creation of the Prussian Navy in 1848, and although the uniforms and headgear did evolve during the interim years, many items used during the Third Reich would still have been quite recognizable to the Imperial sailor. The Pea jacket was a basic, traditional, uniform item issued to enlisted personnel and Junior NCO’s, with minor variations, and followed the basic design of the Imperial German Navy and Reichsmarine, (National Navy, Circa 1919-1933), Pea jackets. The most easily visible difference between the Reichsmarine and Kriegsmarine era Pea jackets was the Reichsmarine era Pea jackets had two, vertical, rows of six, visible, front closure buttons while the Kriegsmarine era Pea jackets had two, vertical, rows of five, visible front closure buttons with an additional button hidden beneath each lapel. On later produced Third Reich era Pea jackets the buttons under the lapels were usually omitted. The early Third Reich era Pea jackets were manufactured with a single back panel until regulations of 1939 altered the construction to two back panels with a central, vertical seam. Of Note: The Pea jackets were very similar to the Reefer jackets with the most easily visible difference being that the Reefer jackets had a horizontal slash, pocket to the left breast while the Pea jackets did not. The Kriegsmarine adopted a slightly modified version of the NSDAP’s, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), national eagle for wear on the front of the headgear and the right breast of the uniform on March 24^TH 1934. On entering Kriegsmarine service all personnel were assigned and trained for a specific career. These careers consisted of a wide variety of specialty trades and functions with some of the careers restricted to certain rank groups. On successful completion of the appropriate training, personnel were issued distinctive career insignia to be worn on the upper left sleeve of the uniforms. For EM/NCO’s the career insignia could be worn combined with the rank insignia or as separate insignia. Enlisted ranks of Matrose up to and including Hauptgefreiter career insignia were generally embroidered on small, round, bases while NCO ranks of Maat up to and including Oberdeckoffizier career insignia were on larger, vertically oval bases and could come in embroidered or stamped alloy versions. Regulations dictated that the base color of the insignia was to match the color of the uniform it was worn on. The Kriegsmarine utilized a white variety of pants and breeches including the standard issue, navy blue, straight legged pants, white dress, tropical and drill pants, brown tropical pants and reed green and field-grey field pants. The pants were manufactured with either the standard, vertical, button fly or with the unique, naval style, fold down, front flap. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and headgear and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the OKK, Offizier Kleiderkasse der Kriegsmarine, (Officer’s Clothing Account of the Navy). Although enlisted personnel were issued their uniforms and headgear from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored items although the price may have been restrictive. Generally speaking officers bought nice quality, private purchase, uniform items but they could also choose to buy their uniforms directly from the military clothing depots.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, 1939 pattern, Kriegsmarine era, ribbed, deep, navy blue wool/rayon blend construction, three quarter length, double breasted style jacket with fold back, upswept, peak lapels and a small lay down collar. The jacket features two, vertical, parallel, rows of five, front closure buttons with corresponding button eyelets on the left front panel. The fold back, peak lapels also have a single button eyelet to each. The second, top, front closure button eyelet has an inserted, Iron Cross 2^ND class ribbon, neatly handstitched in place. The right breast has a machine embroidered national eagle with outstretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in it’s talons, in bright, golden yellow celleon threads with black accent threads, mounted on a cut-out, navy blue, wool base. The eagle is neatly handstitched to the jacket. The left breast has a interwoven, field-grey cotton whistle lanyard with a molded black bakelite whistle, suspended from the top, front, closure button. The whistle still functions. The jacket has two, horizontal, slash, front, hip pockets with overlapping, straight edged flaps. The jacket has dual back panels with a central, vertical seam. The straight cut, non-adjustable sleeve cuffs have a single row of horizontal stitching positioned about 4" up from the bottom edge. The upper left sleeve has combined career and rank insignia consisting of a hand embroidered, downward pointing, "Blitz" arrow in bright, golden yellow celleon threads, positioned above, three, ribbed and zig-zag patterned, woven, gilt wire chevrons all mounted on navy blue wool base with an inverted, triangular, bottom and a semi-circular top. The insignia is neatly handstitched to the sleeve. The insignia consists of a roughly, 3 3/8" tall, 2 3/4" wide, vertically oval navy blue wool base with a hand embroidered, downward pointing blitz arrow superimposed on a vertical anchor and positioned above a single hand embroidered chevron, all in golden yellow cotton threads. Of Note: Rank designations were tied to the career the individual was assigned to and in this case the proper rank designation is Funk-Hauptgefreiter. The jacket has no shoulder straps as per regulations. The jacket has a lay down collar with the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The collar has the standard, plain, cornflower blue wool collar tabs crudely handstitched in place. The collar tabs may be replacements. The interior of the jacket is fully lined in heavy, ribbed navy blue wool/rayon material with brushed, greyish/tan, rayon sleeves. The lining has a horizontal slash pocket to both left and right breast panels. The right sleeve lining is well marked with the faint, blurred, mostly illegible, black tailor’s inkstamp. The jacket is in overall very good condition with minor age and usage toning, light chafe wear to the cuff and collar edges and a couple of small picks and pulls. The buttons are a combination of the gilt washed, stamped alloy and magnetic sheet metal types and feature an embossed, fouled, anchor on a horizontally ribbed field with a simulated, twisted rope, outer border. Most of the buttons appear to have been restitched. The jacket is roughly a size 38" chest. Also included are a pair of nice quality, deep navy blue wool/rayon construction, long pants featuring the unique, naval style, front closure in the form of a horizontally rectangular, fold down, front yoke panel with four stitched button eyelets to the top edge with corresponding buttons positioned on the exterior waistband. The front yoke panel folds down from the waistband revealing two, small, horizontal, overlapping, inner panels with two, vertically aligned, buttons on the right side panel and dual, corresponding, button eyelets on the left side panel. For a secure closure the vertically aligned, inner, buttons would be button first then the front yoke panel would be buttoned up onto the waistband. When in the closed position the front yoke panel has opened, vertical, slashes at each side allowing access to two, internal, slightly diagonally angled, slash, front pockets. Interestingly the horizontal waistband is in a lighter shade of ribbed, navy blue wool/rayon material. The reverse of the pants have two, small, horizontal fit adjustment straps with a blued, sheet metal, toothed gripper buckle to each. The pants have a small, vertical, tapering dart to the reverse of each leg, narrowing the pants inwards to the cuffs. The bottom edges of the cuffs have a narrow, blue cotton reinforcement strip machine stitched in place and black elastic foot stirrups, neatly handstitched in place. The interior waistband lining and the internal pocket bags are in coarsely woven, natural tan linen. The waistband lining is well marked with faint, black size inkstamps and "B.A.W. 15. 1. 42", within a "boxy" "T" shaped border indicating, Bekleidungs Amt Wilhelmshaven, (Clothing Depot Wilhelmshaven, January 15^TH 1942). The pants are in overall good condition with minor age and usage toning, and a couple of small tears to the crotch area. The buttons are all the black painted, magnetic sheet metal type with impressed script, "Solide Elegant", and are rivetted to the pants. The pants are roughly size 30" waist.

GRADE ***3/4                             PRICE $1,048.00