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. Officer 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: Field-grey, wool/rayon blend construction field blouse features a vertical, five button front closure with a single metal hook and eye positioned at the forward neckline. The field blouse has two, pleated, patch, breast pockets and two, horizontal, slash hip pockets, all with scalloped button down flaps. The right breast has a machine embroidered breast eagle in golden yellow cotton threads mounted on a cut-out, field-grey wool base. The eagle is neatly handstitched to the field blouse. The field blouse has two sets of three, vertically aligned, stitched eyelets situated at either reverse side panel, at the waistline for the belt support hooks. The belt support hooks are absent. The reverse of the field blouse has two, vertical, tapering darts and a short, central, vertical, tail skirt vent. The straight cut sleeve cuffs each have a vertical slash to the outside seam. Interestingly the sleeve cuffs don’t have the standard button eyelets or fit adjustment buttons or any evidence that they were ever applied. The field blouse has the, post May-1940 pattern, field-grey wool construction pointed tip, slip on shoulder straps with a machine embroidered, winged artillery shell superimposed on a vertical anchor in golden yellow cotton threads. The bottoms of the straps are also constructed in the same field-grey wool while the slip on retaining tongues are in a different shade of field-grey wool and have a grey cotton/rayon reinforcement panel with an HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), weave, machine stitched to the reverses. The slip on shoulder straps fabric retaining loops and buttons are intact. The lay down, field-grey collar has a ribbed, tan cotton twill backing to the reverse with the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching. The collar features machine woven collar tabs with field-grey rayon litzen with an interwoven, pale grey center stripe and golden yellow branch of service stripes. The collar tabs are machine stitched directly to the collar with no backing material. The interior of the tunic, including the sleeves are fully lined in light weight, greenish/tan cotton. The lining has a field wound dressing pocket to the front right tail skirt and a horizontal slash pocket to the left breast panel. The field dressing pocket is still stitched closed. The lining also has two, vertical, tan, cotton straps with six stitched eyelets to each, positioned to the reverse of the exterior belt support hook eyelets. All five molded black and brown bakelite collar liner buttons are still intact. The left breast lining is well marked with faint, black inkstamped, size numerals, and the partially legible, manufacturer’s name, location and date, with the location and date visible as, "Paris 1941". The field blouse is in overall very good condition with minimal nap wear and age and usage toning. The front closure, exterior pocket and the shoulder strap buttons are all the correct, field-grey painted, magnetic sheet metal Coastal Artillery type with an embossed, fouled anchor on a pebbled background field and a raised outer edge while the collar liner buttons are the molded bakelite type. Four of the front closure buttons appear to have been restitched while the balance of the buttons appear to have their original stitching. The field blouse is roughly size 38" chest.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $1,755.00