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. Beginning in 1935 Kriegsmarine land based personnel, primarily Coastal Artillery units, were issued field-grey uniforms that followed the fundamental designs of the army uniforms with minor variations. The most easily identifiable differences in the Kriegsmarine EM/NCO’s field-grey field blouses and the army field blouses was the Kriegsmarine issue always had the collar in field-grey material as opposed to blue/green fabric in the early army field blouses, the front hip pockets were the horizontal, slash, type as opposed to the patch type utilized by the army, there were only two sets of eyelets for the belt support hooks instead of four sets as with the army version and the interior was fully lined including the sleeves which were not lined in the army pattern. Of Note: These variations were official regulations although they were not always adhered to. 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. This tunic is a private purchase example that incorporates both the army’s blue/green badge cloth collar and patch hip pockets and the Kriegsmarine’s lined sleeves.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, field-grey, wool/rayon blend construction service tunic with a subtle, whipcord weave, features a vertical, six button, front closure with dual, metal hooks and eyes positioned at the forward neckline. The tunic has two, pleated, patch, breast pockets and two, pleated, patch hip pockets, all with scalloped, button down flaps. The right breast has an Officer’s quality, hand embroidered, national breast eagle in gilt wire and bullion threads with golden tan accent threads mounted on a cut-out, dark blue/green badge cloth base. The eagle is machine stitched to the tunic and appears to be a replacement. The reverse of the tunic has a short, central, vertical, tail skirt vent. The straight cut, non-adjustable, sleeves have deep, fold back, French cuffs which are stitched in the upright position at both the inner and outer sleeve seams. One of the retaining stitches to the left cuff has come undone. The tunic has slip on shoulder boards in matte, silver/aluminum Russian braid with two gilt washed, stamped alloy rank pips and a gilt washed, stamped alloy, career cypher of a winged, flaming shell to each mounted on dark green wool waffenfarbe bases. The shoulder boards narrow green wool retaining tongues, buttons and fabric loops are all intact. The lay down, blue/green badge cloth collar has the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The collar features collar tabs with hand embroidered litzen in matte, silver/aluminum wire threads with twisted, golden yellow rayon branch of service stripes mounted on dark blue/green badge cloth bases. The collar tabs are handstitched to the collar. The interior of the tunic is fully lined in greyish/tan rayon with pale grey, black striped, rayon sleeves. The lining has a horizontal, slash, pocket both to the left and right breast and a small, field-grey wool reinforced, horizontal slash to the reverse of the exterior left hip pocket for the dagger/sword hangers. The interior of the tunic also has a vertical, greyish/tan, rayon strap with a sheet metal clip, machine stitched to the left armpit seam for suspending the dagger/sword hangers. The tunic has no visible size or manufacturer’s markings. The tunic is in overall very good condition with light chafe wear to the cuff and collar edges, light age and usage toning and some small spots of moth grazing resulting in lost nap and about a half dozen small holes. All the buttons are the correct, field-grey painted, alloy, Coastal Artillery type with an embossed, fouled anchor on a pebbled background field and a raised, simulated, twisted rope, outer edge. The buttons all retain the majority of their original field-grey paint and appear to have their original stitching. The tunic is roughly size 39" chest.

GRADE ***1/2                             PRICE $1,785.00